Proudly hailing from West Virginia, Afsheen is a producer, performer, and artist of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent. His Broadway producing credits include "The Piano Lesson" and an upcoming original Broadway musical in the spring of 2023. Afsheen attended West Virginia University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in theatre. There he created and artistic directed the theatre organization "WVUp All Night Live" where he directed and produced plays and musicals. Afterward, Afsheen attended the University of Florida, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in acting and was awarded the 2019-2020 Fulbright Scholarship, in which he was an instructor at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University in Ankara, Turkey.During his graduate program, he began conducting research on the intersects of race and entertainment, in which he spearheaded an initiative to collect and present data on the University of Florida’s long-standing issues with racism and diversity in arts education. He has taken part in the Broadway for Racial Justice Casting Directive, Theatre Producer of Color initiative, has a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida, and has served as an Implicit Bias Trainer.In the Summer of 2022, Afsheen and three of his former TPOC cohort members created DMQR Productions: as young theatre-makers they seek to advance the American Theatre canon by highlighting historically underrepresented voices both onstage and off.Afsheen has worked in many facets of the entertainment industry outside of producing, namely as a performer and musical theatre casting director. He has worked for Stewart/Whitley and Tara Rubin Casting, casting projects such as "Chicago," "Hadestown," and "Kismet." As an actor, his regional theatre credits include productions at Barrington Stage Company, Gulfshore Playhouse, American Stage Theatre Company, and Mosaic Theatre Company.See more about him at www.afsheenmisaghi.com or @affyjay

Alex is a NYC-based producer, actor, and creative from Buffalo, NY. He produces for Broadway/Off-Broadway. Alex is co-producer of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL (Broadway), THE PIANO LESSON (Broadway Revival), the NYC return of KINKY BOOTS Off-Broadway, and Douglas Carter Beane’s FAIRYCAKES Off-Broadway. He has been a part of financing Broadway's A STRANGE LOOP and the upcoming live capture of BONNIE & CLYDE (West End). Alex served as the Producing Associate for iTheatrics, working on productions such as JIM HENSON’S EMMET OTTER’S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS, BETWEEN THE LINES, and THE BOOK THIEF. Alex graduated from The Hartt School, University of Hartford with a BFA in Music Theatre and minor in Performing Arts Management. He briefly studied at Carnegie Mellon University in the Master’s in Entertainment Industry Management program prior to joining the iTheatrics team. Alex has been seen across various stages around the world. Some of his favorite roles include Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Disney Cruise Lines), Willie Roberson in The Scottsboro Boys (Playhouse on Park), and Romeo in Newsies (New London Barn Playhouse). Alex hopes to continue to bring a positive and unique perspective to the ever-evolving entertainment industry. A-Robertson.com

Anant Das (“un-nunth”) (He/Him) is a producer, theatre investor, and CEO of Broadway Boxed Up, the first and longest-running theatre-themed subscription box. He is currently a producer of the new musical, HOW TO REPAIR A MECHANICAL HEART, and the Broadway Makers Marketplace, New York City’s first Broadway Pop-Up Shop, and has experience as an investor with FAIRYCAKES Off-Broadway and the Museum of Broadway. Selected as a member of the 2022 TEDxBroadway Young Professionals Cohort, he also serves as a young patron of the New York Theatre Workshop as part of their 4th Street Bar Association. With a background in financial valuation, computer science, and as a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Anant is passionate about the intersection of theatre, tech, and finance, as well as energized to increase access to both theatrical opportunities and theatre education. He also serves as a film screener for the Washington West Film Festival. Stay connected @anant_garde and @BroadwayBoxedUp

Ariana is a New York City-based entertainment lawyer specializing in theater. Once a proud “theater kid” herself, Ariana is passionate about marrying her legal education with her deep-rooted love of the arts and social justice to support an evolving theater industry. Ariana is currently an Entertainment Associate at Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo, an entertainment law firm renowned for its work in theater, where she handles a wide range of entertainment transactions in the theater as well as the music, film/TV, and publishing industries. As an entertainment lawyer, Ariana serves as a volunteer attorney with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment and Sports Law Group (EASL) and its Theater and Performing Arts Committee. Ariana is also a board member of the NewYorkRep, NYC-based theater company which develops and produces new plays and musicals that inspire and compel social change. In addition to being a proud 2022 cohort member of TPOC, Ariana is a proud graduate of the Unlock Her Potential mentorship program for women of color in the entertainment industry. As she grows her legal and producing career, Ariana hopes to help build a more accessible and inclusive theater community by providing holistic support to artists, creatives, and other producers of color. Ariana is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley (Go Bears!) and GW Law School. In her free time, she tries to keep it creative at all times and is a musician, freelance writer, amateur photographer, and avid supporter of the arts.

Hailing from Miami, Arysbells is a Latina Producer and Company Manager based in NYC. For over ten years, she worked as a Freelance Stage Manager mostly focused on new works. In 2021, she pivoted and received the opportunity to begin a career in Company Management at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and later on made her Broadway Debut as a fellow with the Theatre Leadership Project. Since then, Arysbells has made strides to focus on creating more equitable practices and has taught classes on Anti-Bullying. Her true passion is to continue to implement these positive changes in the industry. Selected Credits include: Plays for the Plague Year (The Public Theater), Kinky Boots (Off-Broadway), Come From Away (Nat'l Tour), Chicago (Broadway). She has worked for 24 Hour Plays, Miami New Drama, New York Comic Con, New York Fashion Week, and Transport Group. BA from the University of Florida.

Carmen A. Quiñones (She/Her) is a proud Chicana hailing from San Diego, California. As an East Coast-based arts administrator, Carmen currently works as the General Manager of McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey. She is also currently a co-producer on THE PIANO LESSON on Broadway and co-produced the most recent remount of KINKY BOOTS off-Broadway. She has also invested in shows including A STRANGE LOOP and COME FROM AWAY.Inspired by local regional theaters, Carmen spent many of her formative years interning at theaters including La Jolla Playhouse, the Old Globe, Second Stage, Syracuse Stage, and New Victory. She attended Syracuse University where she earned her BFA in Stage Management. Following graduation she worked to represent theatrical designers at the Rolfe Company. She also spent time volunteering with the Musical Theatre Factory as a line producer and then went on to work as the Executive Assistant at Playwrights Horizons. She recently joined the team at McCarter where she has worked her way to recently become the new General Manager. Proud member of TPOC 2022 and TEDxBroadway Young Professionals 2017. Carmen enjoys producing a range of projects, from plays to musicals, traditional to experimental, all while highlighting historically underrepresented voices in American theater. Carmen is also passionate about creating equitable spaces in the American Theater and engaging with this work locally and globally. @carmenaq215

CELIA KALEIALOHA KENNEY is a producer, storyteller, and entertainer from Honolulu. She works as the Producing Associate at Plate Spinner Productions and independently produces theater, fashion, and live events. Recipient of the 2019-2020 NBCUniversal/APIA Scholars award and the 2020 Jonathan Levy Award at Harvard University (B.A.). Upcoming: Here Lies Love (Broadway). celiakenney.com

‍

Cynthia L. Dorsey is a multi-disciplinary artist with a desire to authentically represent communities of color and other marginalized groups on stage and in film. Cynthia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from Columbia College Chicago and her Master’s degree in Pan African Studies from Syracuse University. She currently teaches Theater in the DC area and was nominated for an Excellence in Theater Education Tony Award. Cynthia is the Artistic Director of SoulFLY Theatre Society and has directed and produced a myriad of plays, films, and new media content. She was awarded Best Inspirational Director as well as Best Social Justice film for her film, Critical Missing, from the Urban Film Festival. As a writer her work has been featured in the Billie Holliday Theatre’s 50in50 Women Writers presentation as well as on the Netflix award winning podcast, Mortified. Some of her freelance writings can be found on the popular online lifestyle publication, Madame Noire, XoNecole, and on her personal blog site Confessions of a Purse Carrier. It is Cynthia’s goal as an artist to liberate silenced stories from the page and create more opportunities for actors and filmmakers of color.

‍

Irene Lazaridis is an Associate Producer at Ars Nova Entertainment led by Jenny and Jon Steingart. Ars Nova Entertainment produces theater, film and tv, including projects like Freestyle Love Supreme and Black Dynamite. Prior to this, Irene has worked as a creative producer and associate director for theatrical and experiential productions, including projects for PBS, Amazon Prime, Facebook, CES, Pop Culture Collaborative, Waterwell and Meow Wolf. Irene is the co-founder of Make/Shift and a lead producer of the annual arts festival, Cosmic Cherry Arts Festival, which showcases new works by emerging femme and LGTBQ+ artists. She received her BFA in Drama at NYU/Tisch.

JACOB SANTOS is an Afro-Latino young professional who is passionate about using theater as a tool for social justice. He is a third-year MFA candidate in Theater Management at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, and this spring will be on fellowship at the historic Apollo Theater in NYC. Last summer, he was Co-Producing Artistic Director of Yale Summer Cabaret. He is the former Newman’s Own Foundation Managing Director Fellow at Westport Country Playhouse, where he also hosted and produced the Instagram Live show Coffee Break, and has been a Managing Intern/Casting Associate at The Elm Shakespeare Company in New Haven. He is the founder of the Crescent Players of Color, a coalition formed between current students and alumni of color at Southern Connecticut State University, from which he graduated with honors in 2019, earning both a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and a B.A. in Theatre. Jacob was the 2019 recipient of The ASPIRE Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival LORT Leadership Award, Region 1 Finalist, and the KCACTF 2019 Arts Impact Award.

Leah Harris (she/her)  is a theater practitioner with years of experience in education, community engagement, artistic producing and program management. She received her Bachelors in Theater Arts, with a focus on directing and education, from St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas. Shortly upon receiving her Bachelor's degree, she returned to Dallas and joined the Education & Engagement team at Tony Award Winning Dallas Theater Center (DTC) and began to focus her work on community engagement and partnerships, while gradually laying the groundwork for Public Works Dallas, a participatory, community engaged program for all citizens of Dallas. Leah served as the Public Works Dallas Manager until 2019, when she transitioned into the role of Director of Community Engagement at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Leah has presented at numerous universities in Texas on racial equity in the arts and community engagement practices. Currently, Leah is the Program Manager for The Theatre Leadership Project, which specifically aims to transform the commercial producing space on Broadway by supporting Black leadership in key management roles. Leah is also a 2020/2021 American’s for the Arts, Arts & Culture Leaders of Color Fellow. Lastly, you can find her writings in the form of a manifesto published to howlround.com.  

‍

Malkia Stampley is an actor, stage director, arts advocate and producer. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Malkia attended Marquette University where she studied theater arts. She was a Resident Artist at Skylight Music Theater and Acting Intern at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She is an alum of Broadway for Racial Justice’s Casting Directive Fellowship (BFRJ) and Theater Producers of Color (TPOC) 2022 Producing 101. She is Goodman Theatre’s BOLD Artistic Producer and freelance director and actor in the Chicago area. Malkia is a part of the LORT EDI 2022-23 Mentee Program and was named a BOLD theater artist in October 2022. Malkia co-founded Bronzeville Arts Ensemble in 2013 to address the lack of diversity in Wisconsin Theater and served three years as Producing Artistic Director. Her directorial debut, a modern conceptualized BLACK NATIVITY by Langston Hughes, at Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in 2016, continues to be an annual Milwaukee holiday favorite after three years under her direction. Malkia co-founded the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival in 2020 in response to the economic, social and racial challenges following the murder of George Floyd, aiming to amplify Black voices through theater in the Midwest and served as the founding Artistic Producer. Theater directing credits include Black Arts MKE, First Stage, Skylight Music Theater, American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Shattered Globe, Timeline Theatre, Raven Theater, Chicago Shakespeare, Milwaukee Black Theater Festival, Farmers Alley Theatre. Malkia co-authored LINES which premiered at Theatre LILA in 2018. TV and film credits include 61st Street, Shameless, Work in Progress, The Chi, Chicago PD, Chicago Med. Films include Native Son, Beats, Small Town Wisconsin, Killing Eleanor and several short films by independent filmmakers with an extensive voiceover career. Malkia is a proud member of Actors Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA).

Phoebe Moore is a multi-hyphenate creative in the event, communications, education, and nonprofit spheres from the Music City. Phoebe passionately advocates for Black & brown creatives, promoting diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in any space she enters especially as a young theatrical producer-in-progress. She is the founder of The Nu Table Collective and earned a BA in Strategic, Legal, and Management Communications from Howard University in 2018.

Riza is a Japanese producer and actor based in NYC. Her Co-Producing credits include A Beautiful Noise, and Kinky Boots Off Broadway. Highlights from past independent projects include the music video “I Choose Joy” produced by her own company Celebrate Asian Joy, creative directing the interview series “Authentically You” on Broadstream, and script translating consultant for the first international production of Mean Girls in Japan produced by Amuse, Inc. Prior to her producing career, she was in Mean Girls on Broadway as one of the original cast members. She was born and raised in Japan and, at the age of 16, she left Japan by herself to pursue her dream of being on Broadway. Through her unique experiences as an immigrant on Broadway, she has learned how important it is to have representation both onstage and off for the younger generation of BIPOC artists. She has now made it her mission to encourage the industry to change from within.

Salman Al-Rashid originally comes from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia but has spent most of his life in the United States. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in History from Stanford University and a M.A. from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in Security Studies. He serves as a principal in Salmira Investment Fund, a family office based in New York City focused on real estate and private equity investments. He also founded and leads Salmira Productions, an entertainment financing arm of the family office that produces film, television, theatre, and podcasts. Salmira produces stories that catalyze important conversations about social issues and other challenges we face as a global community. The company seeks to work with young, emerging artists from diverse backgrounds to center and celebrate communities—and their perspectives—traditionally neglected in media. Salman is an active philanthropist who dedicates much of his giving to non-profit theater institutions in New York as well as to charities focused on animal rights and environmental stewardship. 

Sergio Mexia is a Mexican creative producer based in Toronto. Holding degrees that include the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts and the Acting Studio NY, he has close to two decades of experience in television, film and marketing. Sergio is passionate about storytelling and the process of nurturing ideas, bringing together the right team to execute them and finding the right channels and technology to maximize their reach. Having theatre and an artistic vision as a reference for every piece he produces, he has had the opportunity to produce and direct music videos, commercials, projection design, video mapping pieces and art installations in Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, the US and Canada. His list of clients includes brands like Coca-Cola, Toyota, History Channel, World Vision, Universal Pictures and CBS; and artists like Joss Stone, Aleks Syntek, Los Concorde and others. Sergio is very proud to be part of TPOC.

Sujotta Pace, C.S.A. (She/Her) is a casting associate for Roundabout Theatre Company/C12 casting and serves on the Board of Directors of Casting Society. Pace is also a freelance Casting Director casting short films, new media, and plays (NY and regionally). Previously she worked at Actors Theatre of Louisville as the Professional Training Company Producer & Casting Associate. Pace contributed to the casting, recruitment, and season planning of the PTC 2020-2021 apprenticeship program, Actors Theatre Direct Season, Virtual PTC Season, and the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

Vanessa is a New Zealand based Māori/Pākehā (Ngāti Hauā, Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa) theatre maker and producer, with experience in touring large scale international productions to independent solo shows. She has a degree in Musical Theatre from Whitireia New Zealand. Immink previously worked as a production assistant & tour manager on international touring shows such as Singin In the Rain, Cats, Blue Man Group and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Vanessa also has experience in festival management such as being the Senior Programmer at Adelaide Fringe Festival (2019-2020), Senior Producer & Marketing Manager at Kia Mau Festival (2020-2021) and currently helms Pūtahi Festival in Te Whanganui-a-tara. In 2022 Vanessa was selected as one of 25 emerging BIPOC producers to attend Theatre Producers of Color programme, a 10 week programme for BIPOC producers from USA learning about commercial producing and networking with other Broadway producers.

Victor Cervantes Jr. is a theatermaker, educator, and community organizer from Phoenix, AZ. Currently, they are the ​​Associate Producer of New Work and Innovation & Strategy at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Creative Producer for New Roots: A Queer Artist Residency at Walhalla Farm. In 2022, they were the Line Producer for 7 Minutes by Stefano Massini (The Lehman Trilogy on Broadway) and directed by Mei Ann Teo with Waterwell Production; and a sold-out run of The Pool Plays (3 Premieres in Rep by Kate Cortesi, Brenda Withers, and Emily Zemba) at The New Ohio Theater. In 2020, they were the Creative Producer for The Homebound Project, a fundraiser for No Kid Hungry, which raised over $150K. They are the former Associate Producer at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (Seasons 23 + 24), former Co-Artistic Producer of MiddleVoice at Rattlestick (2013 - 2018). They aim to support and uplift BIPOC+ Queer and Trans artists and stories to more visible platforms, and to reach communities that have been pushed to the margins. They have enjoyed teaching for NTI at The O'Neill Theater Center, ASU, Hunter College, NYU, and schools serving the ASD community. 1st-Generation College Graduate: BFA NYU/Tisch School for the Arts, Lee Strasberg Centennial Scholar + Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar.

Actor (selected): Henry IV (dir. Phyllida Lloyd at St. Ann's Warehouse); Lila Feinberg’s Clifford Odets Ensemble Commissioned piece Love Lab (dir. by GT Upchurch); Harrison Rivers’ Look Upon Our Lowliness (Shy) (dir. David Mendizabal); Vassa Zhelesnova (dir. Moritz van Stuelpnagel); Savage in Limbo (dir. Stella Powell-Jones); Polaroid Stories (dir. Adam Knight); Multistages’ Temple of the Souls; The Alec Baldwin Fellowship at Singers Forum. Director (selected): Arthur Laurents' Centennial Award Winner for The Enclave by Arthur Laurents (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater); The Parlour by Xavier Galva (Middle Voice at Rattlestick); Hawthorne’s James Baldwin Project (Middle Voice at Rattlestick); Exposure by Steve DiUbaldo (Middle Voice at Rattlestick); Summer and Smoke by Tenessee Williams (NYU/ETW); and (melo)drama*tic by victor cervantes jr. (NYU/Strasberg). Playwright: (melo)drama*tic, hom#phobic, connectSHUN, four Stories for Stories, and human(I)fest. he was part of the inaugural Greenhouse Residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm. Producer (selected): Street Children by Pia Scala-Zankel (Vertigo Theater Company); Grace, or The Art of Climbing (Art House Productions); MCC Freshplay.

Yesenia Garcia Herrington is a performer, educator, and entrepreneur. Originally from McAllen, Texas, her film and television credits include the award-winning documentary Horton Foote: The Road to Home, the award winning National Geographic mini-series The Long Road Home, HBO's The Leftovers, AMC's The Son, among others. On stage, her role as Carolina in the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of The Madres by Stephanie Allison Walker earned her a Broadway World nomination for Best Leading Actress. She is on faculty at Texas State University and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Austin Community College and Temple College. In 2015, she was invited by President Barack Obama to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the National Endowment of the Arts at The White House. She is the 2022 KCACTF Uta Hagen Award Recipient and a co-producer on the off-Broadway revival of Kinky Boots. She is represented by The Acting Group.

‍