Natalie@theartsempowermentproject.org
Founder | CEO
Natalie Frazier Allen serves as Chief Executive Officer of The Arts Empowerment Project. She is an attorney whose passion for the arts and commitment to advocating on behalf of at-risk children impacted by violence and trauma inspired her vision for The Arts Empowerment Project, which she founded in 2011.
Natalie formerly served as Chief of the Domestic Unit in the Attorney General’s Office for the District of Columbia. She has served the Charlotte community as a Mecklenburg County Guardian ad Litem volunteer, where she assisted the court for several years by representing and promoting the best interests of abused and neglected children. Natalie currently serves as chair of the Mint Museum’s Board of Trustees, and has previously served on the boards of the Women’s Impact Fund and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture.
Natalie earned her JD from The George Washington University’s National Law Center, and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Spelman College. She lives in South Charlotte with her husband and their two children.
As the daughter of a classically trained music teacher growing up in New York City, I know firsthand just how the arts can expand a child’s horizons. Sadly, I also know that the children who most need a window to a better, more colorful world rarely have the opportunity to find their artistic voice. The fight to protect children and teens from violence and abuse in our communities is ongoing—the statistics are as staggering as they are heartbreaking. Far too many vulnerable children believe that violence is a normal and acceptable way of life. With limited community support or means of coping, how can they process the trauma, hurt, anger and sadness they experience? The arts can offer a way out. Long-term studies show that intensive arts exposure can mitigate the effects of childhood trauma, transforming lives. Studies led by professors at UCLA and the University of Maryland have shown that at-risk children with strong exposure to the arts have more positive life outcomes, including getting better grades in high school, being more likely to attend college and showing more civic-minded behaviors, such as voting and volunteering. These young people are more likely to hold higher-paying, professionally-rewarding jobs in their 20s, too. And yet, while national studies have proven that the arts can change children’s lives by improving their social skills and academic performance, many young people who experience social, health and economic disparities never have the opportunity to participate in high quality arts programming. I wanted to help bridge the gap for this community of children and empower them through the arts, so I founded The Arts Empowerment Project. The Arts Empowerment Project believes in using the transformative power of the arts as a vehicle to enrich the lives of youth who have been impacted by adverse childhood experiences, including domestic violence, abuse and neglect, community violence, and social and racial injustice.
Music, color, movement, song —these experiences can touch the parts of the human spirit that may be wounded and offer a path to enhance social emotional development and healing. Through the visual and performing arts we creating opportunities for students in grades K-12, which broaden horizons, foster resilience and build essential life skills. Since it’s first pilot program in 2014-2015, The Arts Empowerment Project has reached over 1,500 students through its six flagship programs. Through our engagement and outreach, we are breaking down barriers to arts access so that vulnerable youth have an opportunity to embrace an art form of their choosing, find joy and healing in self-expression, experience cultural enrichment, connect to their community, and do more than just survive – they can thrive!
julia@theartsempowermentproject.org
Marketing Consultant and Outreach
Julia Winfield serves as the Marketing Consultant and Outreach for The Arts Empowerment Project. Formerly in advertising as a Creative Director, Broadcast Producer, and Design Director, she recently turned her focus to non-profits. As an Adjunct Professor at The Art Institute of Charlotte for 13 years, she enjoyed inspiring the next generation of creatives and had her own painting studio in Waxhaw, NC. She served as a chair for Art Appreciation at CMS for grades K-5 for 12 years. An artist in her own right, Julia paints watercolor and acrylics, and currently has her photography in a gallery in New York. She also serves as a board member for Ava’s Gift to June, a non-profit pediatric cancer foundation, and has worked with many non-profits, including The Ronald McDonald House, Elmcrest Children’s Center, and Steel Lillie’s, (Sarcoma Cancer).
Julia earned her bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and Fine Art at Rochester Institute of Technology, and her master’s from Syracuse University in Advertising and Design. She is the recipient of numerous awards for advertising as well as fine art. She has many publications to her credit, including “The Branding of Cities” (a thesis study) and was interviewed on “All Things Considered” on NPR. Her thesis has been published worldwide. She currently lives in Charlotte, NC.
crystal.durham@theartsempowermentproject.org
Program Coordinator
Crystal Durham serves as Program Coordinator for The Arts Empowerment Project. She retired from the Preschool/Elementary educational system after 14 years, where she served as a teacher and later promoted to Director. She continues to serve in education, part time, as an elementary education tutor. Her passion for youth development is the driving force in her role at TAEP. She believes that the arts play a major role in social and emotional learning, and is honored to help create that experience in the programs offered at The Arts Empowerment Project.
kthomasso@gmail.com
Program Facilitator
Kimberly Thomas is a Program Facilitator with The Arts Empowerment Project. Art has always been a part of her life, from being a student, artist, and volunteer teacher. She has also worked with artists, collectors, and nonprofit organizations. Kimberly’s continued commitment to the arts has allowed her to incorporate art through social and emotional learning with children of all ages through The Arts Empowerment Project.
Kimberly earned her Associates degree in Art and Design from Central Piedmont Community College. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While there, Kimberly focused on modern and contemporary art history, including photography and African American art. Before earning her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a curatorial assistant at The Mint Museum, where she assisted curators with special and permanent collection exhibitions. Kimberly is currently a graduate student at Winthrop University, working toward earning her master’s degree in Arts Administration.
brittany.hodges@theartsempowermentproject.org.
BSW intern
Brittany Hodges is serving as an intern for the fall 2023 to spring 2024 school year. She is currently in her senior year at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she is majoring in social work. Brittany plans to pursue her MSW following graduation to eventually become a therapist working with families and children. She is interested in the role of art in therapy and is excited to see how she can implement all she learns at The Arts Empowerment Project.
Brittany is a lover of art in all its forms but especially enjoys painting, poetry, and sculpting. She is an avid believer in skill not being necessary to enjoy art, and that everyone enjoys being creative.
Brittany plans to use this internship to learn more about forming lasting connections, advocating for herself and others, and what it means to be herself in a professional environment. She hopes to gain experience with leading groups and participating in trauma-informed programming.
shanemanierart@gmail.com
Program Facilitator
Shane Manier is a Creative Coach, Artist, Live Event Painter, Tedx and Key Note Speaker, Trauma Informed Care Instructor, Poetry Mentor and National Spoken Word Poet based in the Charlotte Metro Region of NC. She is the founder of The National Poetry Month Summit, an online summit that connects and supports poets across the US, and the founder of Guerilla Poets, a nonprofit art collective with branches in the US and UK.
She is currently the Spoken Word and Arts Teaching Instructor for The Harvey B. Gantt Center, Henderson High School and Playing for Others as well as Center for Faith in the Arts Visual Artist in Residence. In 2011 she was the youngest poet to ever be inducted in the Poetry Council of North Carolina, has served on board of CCAG Arts Collective of Cornelius North Carolina in 2017, and was honored as a finalist for Poet Laureate of Charlotte NC in 2022. She has been recognized as a National Poet performing with Respect Da Mic Slam Team from 2017-2020, and Secret City Slam in 2022.
MSW Intern
Jenna Brackett is currently serving a an intern for fall 2023 to the spring of 2024 school year. Her goal is to be licensed as an LCSWA when she graduates in May of 2025. She graduated from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. During her time in undergrad she worked with students who possessed various intellectual/developmental disabilities. The University Participant Program, is a two-year, inclusive, and residential education program that provides the opportunity for college-aged individuals with IDDs the opportunity to live on a college campus, take classes, and gain independence. She lived in the same residence hall as students, and provided after hours support when needed. She was also a class support, tutor, and job coach for the students.
She is now a Registered Behavior Technician with Positive Behavior Supports, providing one-on-one therapy for individuals on the autism spectrum.
Her goal is to work in a hospital or a private practice. All MSW students are to required to have field placements each year. At The Arts Impowerment Practice, Jenna helps with music, painting, cooking, and other programming.
She is excited to learn more about different artistic outlets such as available to the youth in Mecklenburg County who may be struggling with difficulties of their own. She loves working with people, especially one-on-one, and feels that this experience interacting with the youth we serve at TAEP will help educate her in a new and positive way.
Kaitlin Powers is an attorney at Moore & Van Allen PLLC, where she works on the Financial Services Team. Kaitlin also oversees the Charlotte Legal Initiative to Mobilize Businesses (CLIMB) at Moore & Van Allen, which provides free transactional legal services to entrepreneurs, with a focus on minority and women-owned small businesses. Kaitlin received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Julie joined First Horizon Bank in April 2017, with over 29 years banking experience at PNC Bank, NA. She focuses on providing an elite level of private banking financial advice to her clients while concentrating on organizing and simplifying their financial life in concert with their trusted accountants and attorneys. She helps clients execute their plans while facilitating family meetings so everyone understands her client’s wishes.
Julie’s 20 years spent in the commercial banking space working closely with entrepreneurs has proven to be a valuable skill set in helping business owners plan for their future. She received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Finance with a minor in Psychology from The University of Louisville. She is an active alumnae in Delta Zeta Sorority and the University of Louisville. She is a certified Woman’s Business Advocate, supporter of diversity and inclusion and animal rights.
Julie moved to Charlotte, North Carolina from Louisville, Kentucky in April 2012 as a Culture Carrier for PNC Bank upon the acquisition of RBC Bank in the Carolinas. Julie’s prior community service includes her engagement with Dress For Success, Boys and Girls Club, and Crisis Assistance Ministry. Julie, and her husband, Steve, of 30 years, have two daughters: Leah Danielle (21) and Alina Christine (18) and a Havanese girl dog named Layla.
Katie is a director at SF Holdings, an investment and real estate firm. Katie began her career at the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Office of the Chief Accountant. She returned to Charlotte, where she was born and raised, to work At Round Table Investment Management and later joined Carolina Foods, as the CFO. Katie earned a BS in Finance and a Master of Accountancy from Wake Forest University and an MBA from Wharton. Katie developed a passion for the arts as a young dancer and performed with the Charlotte Youth Ballet when she was growing up in Charlotte.
Kyle Musgrove is a patent trial and appellate lawyer who primarily focuses on the life sciences industry. He has particular experience helping pharmaceutical companies navigate patent litigation and bring their products to market, including through Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDA) and 505(b)(2) applications. He also provides general intellectual property counsel and litigates cases related to many different technology areas, including chemical processing, nutritional supplements, biosimilars, biologics, and medical devices. He represents a range of international and American companies.
Kyle has 25 years of experience in intellectual property litigation and has a strong track record of invalidating patents or clearing companies of infringement allegations, including multiple cases involving brand products with sales exceeding $1 billion per year. Additionally, Kyle has practiced before the United States International Trade Commission and litigated antitrust violations relating to allegations of “sham” litigation brought by patentees.
CTE Business Instructor, Union County Public Schools.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/theportiakee/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-kimbrough-3963161/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgetlongphd/
Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Truist
Reginald (Reggie) Scott has done it all, producing for television, film, commercials, music videos, and special events alike. Reggie dazzled viewers as a cast member of Sesame Street and The Electric Company. Reggie attributes his love for production to his countless days on the sets of the two PBS shows.
Reggies company, The PepperShaker Company, Inc.(25yrs), is his own production and special events company. As it’s guiding force and visionary, Reggie produced first-class events and experiences for leading U.S. companies, including Time Warner, The Children’s Aid Society, UniWorld Group Inc., Fifth Third Bank, American Honda, and Ford Motor Company. The inception of his company led to Reggie landing his role as Producer (20 yrs.) of The American Black Film Festival(ABFF). The festival has become the leading film festival promoting the accomplishments of people of color both in front of and behind the camera. This project resulted in Reggie conceiving CINELAB (10 yrs.), a youth-based initiative with the goal of exposing middle and high school students to filmmaking and potential careers in film and video production. This program later evolved into helping young adults looking to address career opportunities and adult professionals who might need a refresher course or an introduction to new technology.
Reggie also served as Coordinating Producer for the Black Movie Awards Show on TNT (2 yrs.), as well as Producer of the Honda Battle of the Bands (10 yrs.). As the producer of the Honda Battle of the Bands, Reggie was responsible for driving both the creative and production of the program. Reggie also was tasked with assisting in the creation of the Fan Expo/ Experience (14 yrs.) for The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in Charlotte, NC. In this role as producer, Reggie was responsible for the overall show production, operations, and logistics of the event.
Recently, Reggie took on a new project as the Executive Director of the Randolph Arts Guild (1.5 yrs.). His primary goal was to help in conceptualizing and executing a new strategic vision for the Randolph Arts Guild, an Arts Organization that is the designated county partner (Randolph)for the North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC) as it entered its 50th anniversary.
Molly Shah is the Deputy General Counsel of Amwins, a Charlotte-based leading global specialty insurance distributor. Molly provides advice and counseling on employment law compliance and other general business-legal issues, and she proudly serves on Amwins’ Diversity & Inclusion Council. Before Amwins, Molly worked in private practice at two large law firms, representing employers in employment litigation and advising them on best practices in the employment realm. Molly graduated from Wake Forest University and earned her law degree from the University of Virginia. After completing the Arts & Science Council’s cultural Leadership Training (CLT) program in 2020, Molly joined the Development and Host Committee of The Arts Empowerment Project and has helped with its fundraising efforts. She now serves as the chair of the Governance Committee.
Partner | Principal | Business Consulting, EY
Art Instructor| Coach, Charlotte Country Day Middle School
Kobi Kennedy Brinson has been involved with The Arts Empowerment Project since its inception, and currently serves on its Advisory Board. She is on the Charlotte Ballet Board of Trustees. In addition to her arts nonprofit experience, Ms. Brinson was involved in child advocacy as an Assistant Public Defender for juveniles and as Board Chair for Youth Homes, Inc. (now Children’s Home Society), which serves abused and neglected children.
Ms. Brinson is a partner in Winston & Strawn’s Charlotte office in the White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations practice group. There, she defends financial services and other clients in government regulatory enforcement inquiries and investigations, as well as class action litigation. Before joining Winston & Strawn, she was Assistant General Counsel at Bank of America. She also served for eight years as in-house counsel with Wachovia/Wells Fargo. Ms. Brinson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard Law School.
Patrick has been a longtime supporter of Charlotte’s arts and human services. He is a past board member of the Mint Museum of Art, United Family Services, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Boy Scouts and the Charlotte Urban League. Patrick currently serves on the Board of Directors of the McColl Center for Visual Art, the Art Institute of Chicago Print & Drawing Committee, the National Advisory Committee for the Reynolda House Museum and the Board of Trustees at Charlotte Country Day School.
Patrick is currently Development Director for the Children’s Home Society of NC. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Boston University.
Robin Grey has been with The Arts Empowerment Project since its 2011 founding. She works closely with Natalie Allen to extend the reach and depth of the organization. Robin is the co-owner and CEO of Charlotte based production company, GreyHawk Films, in addition to being an attorney. Her career has taken her from Vice President – Business and Legal Affairs, Production Supervisor and Controller at Scholastic Entertainment, to Managing Director/COO of RGA Media Group and Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
At GreyHawk, she oversees business growth and development for corporate, commercial and feature work as well as non-profit and passion projects such as Purple Dreams, which documents the inspirational story of a group of African American high school students whose lives are positively impacted through the power of performing arts.
Robin volunteers as a Guardian Ad Litem with the North Carolina courts. Among her many achievements, Grey was named a Women In Business Achievement Award winner by the Charlotte Business Journal.
Tony Award winner Corey Mitchell is the inaugural recipient for Excellence in Theatre Education. He was selected as a top 50 Finalist for 2017 Global Teacher Prize and was named North Carolina Outstanding Theatre Arts Educator by the North Carolina Theatre Conference. Most recently, he was selected as the first recipient of the Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year Award, presented by the Educational Theatre Association and the ASCAP, and also received The Cato Lifetime Achievement in Teaching Award from the Arts and Science Council of Charlotte. Corey has twenty-five years’ experience in the classroom, including twenty years as Theatre Arts Educator at Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC.
Corey is active as a director, actor, keynote speaker, educational consultant, and workshop presenter in Charlotte and throughout the country. He advocates for arts education through his work on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Theatre Conference and The Arts Empowerment Project. Corey’s past and present students are performing, writing, and composing for community, university, and regional theatre, as well as theme parks, independent and studio films, the West End, national tours, and Broadway musical-theatre productions.
Kimber was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising from Florida State University. Kimber previously worked in marketing and advertising for the Armed Forces Recreation Center in Garmisch, Germany before becoming a Senior Account Executive for an advertising firm in Florida. She then worked in the Development Department as an event planner and fundraiser at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Kimber is an active member of the Charlotte community and assists with fundraising for the Isabella Santos Foundation, serves on the Parents Council Board of Charlotte Latin, is a member of Good Friends of Charlotte, and has served on the Host Committee for The Arts Empowerment Project’s New Day Luncheon.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danshama/
Judge Louis A. Trosch, Jr., is a Superior Court Judge in the 26th Judicial District in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He served as District Court Judge, mainly in the Juvenile and Family Courts, from 1999 until his election to the Superior Court Bench in 2018.
Judge Trosch has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Belk College of Business since 1995, teaching both Business Law I and II during the intervening years. He brings both an intimate knowledge of the law and extensive court room experience to his classroom.
Neely Verano is co-founder of Laca Projects, a contemporary art gallery that opened in 2013 and where she served as managing director for six years. Prior to this, she served in Chief Development Officer roles at the Mint Museum, Johnson & Wales University, and Queens University of Charlotte. She serves as a board member for the McColl Center for Art + Innovation and Runningworks, and as a member of the collections committee for the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. She is also co-founder of the Spheres Series, a Charlotte-based collaborative effort dedicated to bringing arts innovators from all over the world to engage in thoughtful and relevant discussions on the arts and its role in promoting necessary social change. Verano is extremely active in the Charlotte community and is a passionate advocate for the arts and the homeless.
Melissa Vrana currently serves as the Associate Dean of arts and hospitality, and leads Sensoria, a multi-campus college festival celebrating arts and literature that serves 12,000 students, faculty, staff and community annually. She also oversees the CPCC Performance Facilities rentals and manages the marketing and budgets for CPCC Theatre, CPCC Opera and Summer Theatre programs annually creating magic memories for 30,000 patrons. Ms. Vrana holds a M.A. in US History and a Ryan Single Subject Teaching Credential from University of California at Davis. In addition to her 18 years of service at CPCC in the various roles of history instructor, eLearning Director and Associate Dean, she has taught Advanced Placement US History at Davis High School, ESL to women factory and farm workers in California and worked in the Native American Collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait gallery. Melissa feels passionate about creating opportunities for educational and economic advancement with art education being access point.
Carolyn Zimmerman served on the 2018 Host Committee of The Arts Empowerment Project’s New Day Luncheon and is a new member of the board of directors. Prior to her relocation to Charlotte and retirement from her professional career, Ms. Zimmerman worked as a CPA and served on several boards. She is a graduate of Wittenberg University. She currently resides in Cornelius with her husband Tom McGinnis.
