Digital Drawingboard

Digital Drawingboard provided leaders in the creative economy with the resources and skills needed to enhance their organization’s digital presence and reimagine their offerings for virtual engagement. Last season, the Arts + Business Council offered 6 individual and interactive workshops throughout the year that were free and open to the public. Please see below for information on past workshops.

Who attended?

Communications, marketing, and development leaders within arts and culture nonprofits

Creative economy for-profit business leaders

Anyone who sought to upgrade their online operations and programs

Each workshop was marked as introductory (open to all levels) and intermediary (some familiarity with the topic is recommended but not required)

Testimonials

“Digital Drawingboard was outstanding, and exactly what we at the Kennett Symphony needed. The program provided me with information and concrete steps to create an impactful online presence for our organization.”

          – Monica Buffington, Executive Director, Kennett Symphony

“During a time when almost all of the arts and culture work being done was taking place online, being a part of Digital Drawingboard cohort in 2020 was really helpful to remind me that the basic tenets of effective storytelling, gathering and using data, and audience engagement remained the greatest tools to use in such an uncertain time.”

          – LaNeshe Miller-White, Executive Director, Theatre Philadelphia

2022-2023 Speakers

Lauren Deutch

Laura Deutch

Education Director, PhillyCAM

Laura Deutch is a Philadelphia-based artist, educator, and cultural organizer committed to using media and participatory art as a tool for community building. Currently, as the Education Director at PhillyCAM she oversees workshops and works closely with nonprofits and city partners to produce media that informs, amplifies and connects communities. She serves on the board of Termite TV, and holds an MFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University.

Sergio Galeano

Sergio Galeano

Associate Producer, PhillyCAM

Sergio Galeano, Associate Producer at PhillyCAM has more than a decade of industry experience and his entire professional career spent in non-commercial media. Sergio is compelled to bring stories to life for the impact they have on the world around us. He is a graduate of Drexel University’sTelevision Production & Media Management program.

Rachel Eve Ginsberg

Founding Director, Interaction Lab at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Rachel Eve Ginsberg is a creative strategist and experience designer exploring the relationship between information systems, interaction design, and sensemaking as the founding director of the Interaction Lab at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and an independent strategic consultant. In her artistic work, Rachel experiments with interactive experiences that drive self-discovery and personal transformation. Ginsberg has shown work at New York Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). Generous, radical collaboration, transdisciplinary problem solving, and non-hierarchical systems thinking heavily inform both artistic and professional practices.

Aliya Hammond

President & CEO, Aliya Hammond Consulting

Aliya Hammond is a Social Media Strategist, Trainer, Blogger, and Speaker. She specializes in social media management and marketing, social media training and coaching for small and large businesses, entrepreneurs, busy executives, and non-profit organizations. She is also the founder of Aliya Hammond Consulting, working alongside a fantastic team of professional Social Media Marketers, Graphic Designers, Web Developers, and Writers.

Ayshea Khan

President, South Asian American Digital Archive

Ayshea Khan is the Asian American Community Archivist at the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library. She works to collect, preserve, and promote access to the history of Asian Americans living in Central Texas. She is a Certified Archivist and a 2021-2023 RBS-Mellon Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage Fellow with a MSIS from UT-Austin’s School of Information. She also proudly serves as the President of the SAADA Board of Directors.

Rebecca Kowalewicz

Vice President, Digital, Clearbridge Branding

Rebecca is the driving force behind Clearbridge Branding’s social media and digital services. Rebecca brings experience, insight, and a depth of knowledge that makes her a sought-after expert on all things social or digital (small wonder she’s a contributing writer for Forbes.com). She previously launched social efforts for A.C. Moore, Ibanez Guitars, and Tama Drums. When she’s not busy in the social and digital space, she teaches yoga and is an avid reader, movie lover, and dog mom.

Samip Mallick

Executive Director, South Asian American Digital Archive

Samip Mallick is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of SAADA, which he has guided from its inception in 2008 to its place today as a national leader in community-based storytelling. Mallick’s background includes degrees in Computer Science and Library and Information Sciences, as well as work related to international migration, South Asia for the Social Science Research Council, and the University of Chicago. Mallick currently serves on the Library of Congress Connecting Communities Digital Initiative advisory board. He also previously served as an archival consultant for the Ford Foundation’s Reclaiming the Border Narrative initiative and on the Pennsylvania Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs.

Ariel Taylor

Ariel Taylor

Youth Media Manager, PhillyCAM

Ariel Taylor is the Youth Media Manager at Philadelphia Community Access Media (PhillyCAM) with 13 years experience in youth development, media literacy, and curriculum creation, she supports students to analyze and dissect media by producing thought-provoking work that reveals youth perspective using 21st-century skills.

Will Toms headshot

Will Toms

Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, REC Philly

William Tyrone Toms is a 29-year-old award-winning entrepreneur from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After starting his first company at the age of 21, Will Toms has quickly made a name for himself in the region’s startup community at the intersection of culture & economics. He is the Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer of REC Philly, serving as the visionary + strategist behind the company’s endeavors.

In under four short years he and his business partner Dave Silver have grown REC to almost 20 employees and raised over $3M dollars to scale their socially-driven business model from a warehouse in North Philadelphia to a state-of-the-art facility in Center City. Will’s vision is to scale REC’s model of “a gym membership for creatives” to span across international communities, establishing a network of 100,000 independent creators that all have access to the resources, strategies and opportunities necessary to own their future.

Before REC, Will served day to day as a digital strategist at Fame House, developing and executing marketing campaigns for entertainment brands including Ice Cube, Shady Records & Eminem. He currently serves as a board member of three non-profit organizations fighting structural inequality, food insecurity in inner-city neighborhoods and more. In 2019, William accepted a nomination to join the leadership council of the Philadelphia Global Identity Partnership– a public-private partnership created to help rebrand his beloved city of Philadelphia to the world.

With his background in communication and economics, William takes pride in ensuring that all of his efforts are centered around democratizing access and opportunity for young, passionate people of color.

Helanah Warren

Founder, Wellness Business Academy

Helanah is the founder of Wellness Business Academy and serves her community as a Wellness + Business Success Coach with 15 years of experience helping working professionals find work-life balance, collectively increasing their productivity and quality of life by prioritizing their needs & wants through small lifestyle changes. Licensed and Certified in Yoga, Meditation, Plant-based Nutrition, Massage, and Aromatherapy, she has taught 1500+ workshops that have educated hundreds of people on how to regain their health, mental clarity, and peace of mind through building healthy habits. Join her for 30 days of Mindfulness & Meditation at her website hellohelanah.com. Her podcast Wellness At Work shares exclusive interviews with creatives on how they balance work, life and home. Helanah is a mother, daughter, wife and sister. Connect with her on Instagram @hellohelanah.

2022-2023 Digital Drawingboard Workshops

All 2-hour individual workshops were virtual via Zoom and free and open to the public (limited space available). Each workshop was interactive and participants were asked to be fully present for the duration of the workshop.

The 10 Chapters of Content Strategy | September 7, 2022 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – CLOSED

Award-winning entrepreneur, Will Toms, shared a strategy guide that outlined the 10 concepts necessary to turn your passion into a profitable business. Understand the science behind building a powerful brand, effectively engaging your online audience, and establishing a sustainable business model around your art. The first 40 participants who registered and attended received a code to purchase Will Tom’s book, (Un)Common Sense: Your strategy Guide to Creative Freedom, for free after the workshop.

Workshop Level: Intermediate

Faculty

Will Toms, REC Philly

William Tyrone Toms is a 29-year-old award-winning entrepreneur from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After starting his first company at the age of 21, Will Toms has quickly made a name for himself in the region’s startup community at the intersection of culture & economics. He is the Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer of REC Philly, serving as the visionary + strategist behind the company’s endeavors.

In under four short years he and his business partner Dave Silver have grown REC to almost 20 employees and raised over $3M dollars to scale their socially-driven business model from a warehouse in North Philadelphia to a state-of-the-art facility in Center City. Will’s vision is to scale REC’s model of “a gym membership for creatives” to span across international communities, establishing a network of 100,000 independent creators that all have access to the resources, strategies and opportunities necessary to own their future.

Before REC, Will served day to day as a digital strategist at Fame House, developing and executing marketing campaigns for entertainment brands including Ice Cube, Shady Records & Eminem. He currently serves as a board member of three non-profit organizations fighting structural inequality, food insecurity in inner-city neighborhoods and more. In 2019, William accepted a nomination to join the leadership council of the Philadelphia Global Identity Partnership– a public-private partnership created to help rebrand his beloved city of Philadelphia to the world.

With his background in communication and economics, William takes pride in ensuring that all of his efforts are centered around democratizing access and opportunity for young, passionate people of color.

Think Like a Game Designer | October 26, 2022 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM – CLOSED

Engaging audiences with inspiring digital experiences has become mission-critical, but having the most effective tools to bring them to life is certainly not guaranteed. When considering the most exciting and successful digital experiences in the world right now, games rank highly among them–and rightly so. They’re designed that way! This workshop demonstrated how game design frameworks can be applied to the design of all kinds of digital experiences that build intentional and meaningful relationships.

Workshop Level: Intermediate

Faculty

Rachel Eve Ginsberg, Interaction Lab at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Rachel Eve Ginsberg is a creative strategist and experience designer exploring the relationship between information systems, interaction design, and sensemaking as the founding director of the Interaction Lab at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and an independent strategic consultant. In her artistic work, Rachel experiments with interactive experiences that drive self-discovery and personal transformation. Ginsberg has shown work at New York Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). Generous, radical collaboration, transdisciplinary problem solving, and non-hierarchical systems thinking heavily inform both artistic and professional practices.

The Generational Divide | December 6, 2022 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – CLOSED

From the alpha to silent generations, we explored how different age groups respond to digital content. We learned how to think creatively about how to attract and retain multi-generational audiences or tap into common characteristics across generations, and examined what barriers and advantages exist among platforms and language styles when considering younger and older populations, and everyone in between.

Workshop Level: Introductory

Faculty

Rebecca Kowalewicz, Clearbridge Branding

Rebecca is the driving force behind Clearbridge Branding’s social media and digital services. Rebecca brings experience, insight, and a depth of knowledge that makes her a sought-after expert on all things social or digital (small wonder she’s a contributing writer for Forbes.com). She previously launched social efforts for A.C. Moore, Ibanez Guitars, and Tama Drums. When she’s not busy in the social and digital space, she teaches yoga and is an avid reader, movie lover, and dog mom.

Digital Archiving: Crafting the Story of Your Organizational History | February 23, 2023 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM – CLOSED

Sharing your organization’s story is an important way of garnering support for its cause. In this session, South Asian American Digital Archive lead participants through their widely adopted process for digitally archiving and sharing an organization’s story, whether it had been around for a few months or many decades. Topics included what content you should gather, tools you can use, and how to effectively put it all together for maximum impact.

Faculty

Ayshea Khan and Samip Mallick, South Asian American Digital Archive

Level: Intermediate

Ayshea Khan, South Asian American Digital Archive

Ayshea Khan is the Asian American Community Archivist at the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library. She works to collect, preserve, and promote access to the history of Asian Americans living in Central Texas. She is a Certified Archivist and a 2021-2023 RBS-Mellon Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage Fellow with a MSIS from UT-Austin’s School of Information. She also proudly serves as the President of the SAADA Board of Directors.

Samip Mallick, South Asian American Digital Archive

Samip Mallick is the co-founder and executive director of SAADA, which he has guided from its inception in 2008 to its place today as a national leader in community-based storytelling. Mallick’s background includes degrees in computer science and library and information sciences and work related to international migration and South Asia for the for the Social Science Research Council and University of Chicago. Mallick currently serves on the Library of Congress Connecting Communities Digital Initiative advisory board. He also previously served as an archival consultant for the Ford Foundation’s Reclaiming the Border Narrative initiative and on the Pennsylvania Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs.

The Other Side of Social | May 3, 2023 | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM – CLOSED

It’s true, engaging with social media can be a love-hate relationship. Now the question is, how do we strike a balance between wanting to boost our bottom lines and balancing our personal lives? In this two-part session, we worked together to identify mindsets, boundaries, and healthy practices that zeroed in on simple ways to “throw one stone at two targets,” and tackled both the challenge and opportunity managing social media outlets brings in 2023 and beyond. Afterward, we explored often underutilized digital platforms, outreach channels outside of social media, and why these should be added to your marketing plan.

Workshop Level: Introductory

Faculty

Aliya Hammond, Social Media Strategist and Trainer

Aliya Hammond is a Social Media Strategist, Trainer, Blogger, and Speaker. She specializes in social media management and marketing, social media training and coaching for small and large businesses, entrepreneurs, busy executives, and non-profit organizations. She is also the founder of Aliya Hammond Consulting, working alongside a fantastic team of professional Social Media Marketers, Graphic Designers, Web Developers, and Writers.

Helanah Warren, Global Brand Marketing Creative and Well-Being Advocate

Helanah is the founder of Wellness Business Academy and serves her community as a Wellness & Business Success Coach with 15 years of experience helping working professionals find work-life balance, collectively increasing their productivity and quality of life by prioritizing their needs and wants through small lifestyle changes. Licensed and Certified in Yoga, Meditation, Plant-based Nutrition, Massage, and Aromatherapy, she has taught 1500+ workshops that have educated hundreds of people on how to regain their health, mental clarity, and peace of mind through building healthy habits. Join her for 30 days of Mindfulness & Meditation at her website hellohelanah.com. Her podcast Wellness At Work shares exclusive interviews with creatives on how they balance work, life, and home. Helanah is a mother, daughter, wife, and sister. Connect with her on Instagram @hellohelanah.

Video Creation, Content, and Strategy | June 1, 2023 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM – CLOSED

Are you an artist, organization or small business looking to tell your story through video? This workshop will provided an overview of creative approaches, technical considerations and storytelling strategies for creating engaging and informative content.

Faculty

Laura Deutch, Education Director, PhillyCAM

Laura Deutch is a Philadelphia-based artist, educator, and cultural organizer committed to using media and participatory art as a tool for community building. Currently, as the Education Director at PhillyCAM she oversees workshops and works closely with nonprofits and city partners to produce media that informs, amplifies and connects communities. She serves on the board of Termite TV, and holds an MFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University.

Sergio Galeano, Associate Producer, PhillyCAM

Sergio Galeano, Associate Producer at PhillyCAM has more than a decade of industry experience and his entire professional career spent in non-commercial media. Sergio is compelled to bring stories to life for the impact they have on the world around us. He is a graduate of Drexel University’s Television Production & Media Management program.

Ariel Taylor, Youth Media Manager, PhillyCAM

Ariel Taylor is the Youth Media Manager at Philadelphia Community Access Media (PhillyCAM) with 13 years experience in youth development, media literacy, and curriculum creation, she supports students to analyze and dissect media by producing thought-provoking work that reveals youth perspective using 21st-century skills.

Title Sponsor

Knight Foundation

Sponsored By

Comcast
Dina Wind Arts Foundation
Pariveda
PECO
Philadelphia Foundation
PNC Arts Alive
TD Bank

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