Get to know our SPEAKERS

A man in black sweater and wide-legged trousers leaning against a door with one arm stretched out and one hand resting on his hip, standing in an indoor setting with metallic and marble surfaces.

Kim Robinson Founder, 3pts ("three points")

Portrait of a smiling woman with short gray hair, wearing red glasses and a black blouse with a mushroom print, standing against a plain light gray background.

Jessica Abel Founder of Autonomous Creative

  • Jessica Abel is a graphic novelist, author, and the founder of Autonomous Creative, a coaching company devoted to helping creative professionals build businesses as brilliant as the work they create. Drawing on her own background as an acclaimed artist, Jessica helps creatives navigate the intersection of high-level art and profitability. Her mission is to empower makers to take control of their careers, ensuring they can produce their best work while getting paid well for it. Through Autonomous Creative, she provides the strategies and support necessary to turn unconventional ideas into thriving, sustainable enterprises.

  • Kim Robinson is on a mission to help creatives do business. As the founder of 3pts, Kim specializes in helping artists and makers navigate the often-intimidating business side of creativity. His work is centered on transforming a passion for craft into a sustainable professional practice, ensuring that makers have the tools and strategies they need to build a business they love. 

Perri Salka Owner & Curator, The WonderMart // Founder, Wonder Makers Consulting

  • Perri Salka is an enthusiastic champion for the indie maker community. As the Owner and Curator of The WonderMart, a New York-based gift shop, Perri has spent years building a community-driven space that has showcased and shared success with over 300 local brands since 2019.

    Building on her deep retail expertise, Perri launched Wonder Makers Consulting to provide actionable, real-time solutions for independent brand owners, focusing on taking the guesswork out of growth. Perri understands firsthand the juggle of running a small business and is dedicated to helping makers level up through time-sensitive, cost-effective strategies. Whether she is discussing the road from studio to shelf or providing product critiques, Perri’s mission is to help creative entrepreneurs make sense of their journey and truly thrive.

A smiling man with a beard wearing a black cap and black t-shirt sitting on a wooden chair against a light-colored background.

Lenin Agudo Director of the Widener University SBDC

Professional portrait of a man in a gray suit, white checkered shirt, with glasses, short dark hair, and a pocket square, smiling against a white background.

Paul Mencel Philadelphia Table Co. / The Handcrafted Network

  • Lenin Agudo is the Director of the Widener University SBDC, where he helps small businesses thrive through specialized coaching and technical assistance. A veteran in economic development and small business growth, Lenin provides makers with the foundational knowledge needed for LLC formation, business modeling, and navigating the world of funding and grants.

  • Paul is the founder of Philadelphia Table Co., a custom furniture studio specializing in solid wood dining tables and case goods. He built the company from a one-person garage operation into a 7-figure business by focusing on craftsmanship, clear systems, and intentional growth.

    Beyond the shop, Paul founded The Handcrafted Network, a community and education platform for professional makers who want to build profitable, sustainable businesses. He also hosts The Handcrafted Podcast, where he breaks down the business side of making - from pricing and marketing to hiring and systems.

    Paul’s work bridges the gap between craft and business, helping makers build companies that are both creatively fulfilling and financially sound.

Kate Crankshaw Former Assistant Gallery Director & Graphic Designer at Gravers Lane Gallery

  • Kate Crankshaw is a Philadelphia-based glass artist whose work explores memory, longing, and relationships through material fragility. She is skilled across a wide range of glass processes, including hotshop, kiln casting, and stained glass, with an artistic practice rooted in flameworking. In addition to her studio practice, Kate fabricates glasswork for designers and artists and creates functional objects, including jewelry and home décor. She is currently the Director of The Stained Glass Project: Windows That Open Doors, a nonprofit after-school program serving Philadelphia public high school students, and previously held the position of Assistant Gallery Director & Graphic Designer at Gravers Lane Gallery. Kate holds a BFA in Craft + Material Studies with a focus in glass from the University of the Arts (2019) and an MFA in Craft/Material Studies with a focus in glass from Virginia Commonwealth University (2023).

    Connect with Kate:

    Instagram: @graverslane

A woman with long brown hair wearing a beige sleeveless top and cream-colored pants, standing with one hand in her pocket in an art gallery. She is looking at the camera. Behind her are several framed abstract artworks, including two large circular pieces with black, gray, and gold accents and smaller abstract pieces.

Chloë Le Pichon Ceramic Artist and Gallery Director

A woman with glasses and dreadlocks taking a selfie outdoors in a green, leafy area.

Jihan A. Thomas Artist, Artivist, and Arts Educator, Original Seed Expressions

  • Jihan A. Thomas is a Black contemporary visual artist, artivist, Mother, and community/museum arts educator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jihan's artwork explores memory, identity, and emotional landscapes.

    As an art educator, Jihan believes in the power and spectrum of Black imagination and how it can support classroom student engagement in learning and community empowerment. With over 16 years of experience facilitating art and cultural programming in schools, museums, and community spaces, Jihan is deeply committed to making creativity accessible and sustainable for artists at every stage. Her teaching centers the power of Black imagination, practical skill-building, and real-world strategies that help artists organize their work, manage opportunities, and build creative careers that support their lives.

    Through Original Seed Expressions, Jihan supports artists in translating their creative practice into teachable moments, professional opportunities, and meaningful community impact.

  • Chloë Le Pichon is a ceramic artist, curator, and arts administrator with extensive experience supporting artists within gallery and exhibition contexts. Until recently, she served as Director of Gravers Lane Gallery, where she guided exhibition programming, curatorial vision, and daily operations - working closely with artists from initial outreach through installation and presentation.

    Through her gallery leadership, Chloë developed a deep understanding of how galleries identify, support, and build long-term relationships with artists. As a practicing ceramic artist working under the name Demeter Blooming, she brings a dual perspective to her work: one grounded in both the realities of studio practice and the expectations of contemporary galleries.

    Chloë is deeply committed to helping emerging and mid-career artists navigate professional pathways, demystify gallery processes, and present their work with clarity, confidence, and intention.

Close-up of a woman with short hair, dyed pink on one side, smiling outdoors with greenery in the background.

Amy Smith Founder, Philly Tax Prep for Artists

  • Amy Smith is a dance and theater artist, educator, facilitator, and tax preparer, and the founder of Philly Tax Prep for Artists, a collective of artists and art lovers who combine a knack for numbers with a commitment to supporting creative communities. Through her work, Amy helps artists and arts organizations navigate personal and business tax preparation with clarity, confidence, and care.

    Amy’s mission is to share what she has learned about financial management and financial well-being with fellow artists, empowering them to build sustainable creative careers. She is a co-founder and former co-director of Headlong Dance Theater, where she also performed, and in 2019 shifted her focus to freelance work, leading workshops and providing tax preparation services for artists. In addition to her work with Philly Tax Prep for Artists, Amy serves as Finance Director at the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

A smiling man with brown hair and a beard speaking at a podium with a microphone, wearing a dark blue button-up shirt against a black background.

Brad Flaugher AI Engineer

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair smiling outdoors, wearing a black top, with a blurred body of water in the background.

Kate Gilbert Small Business Consultant of Kate Gilbert Business Coaching

  • Kate Gilbert is an action-oriented small business consultant who helps entrepreneurs stop spinning and start making progress. Known by her clients as a compassionate “hand-holder-slash-butt-kicker,” Kate combines practical strategy with accountability to help business owners turn overwhelm into clear, workable systems.

    Kate founded Twist Collective, an online knitting magazine she ran for over a decade, where she built deep experience in design, branding, content creation, and the realities of running a creative business long-term. Today, through Kate Gilbert Business Coaching, she supports entrepreneurs with workshops, group programs, and one-on-one coaching - helping them show up consistently, simplify their marketing, and build sustainable systems that free up time for the work that matters most. 

    Whether she’s teaching a focused planning intensive or guiding ongoing community support, Kate has a gift for turning chaos into clarity and helping people move from ideas to action.

  • Brad Flaugher is a technologist and creative explorer who helps artists, makers, and small studios understand and use emerging technologies in thoughtful, human-centered ways. He works with AI tools not just as systems to be built, but as creative collaborators - experimenting with how they can support artmaking, design, and new ways of working.

    Brad organizes the Philadelphia Open Innovation Tournament and writes about open standards, creativity, and the evolving role of AI. Through his workshops and writing, he helps creative practitioners cut through the hype, understand what AI can actually do, and use these tools to strengthen, not replace, their creative voice.

Anna Solomon Consulting, Finding Focus: Clarifying Your Value Proposition

Anna Solomon Business Consultant of Anna Solomon Consulting

  • Anna is in the business of helping businesses grow. She is a passionate advocate for Philadelphia's creative economy, with a proven track record of launching and scaling impactful initiatives. At NextFab, a makerspace in Philadelphia, Anna served as the Service Development Director, spearheading the launch of the sales department, expanding products and services, and designing programs from workshops to hack-a-thons. Most notably, in 2021, she co-founded Tools of the Trades, a pivotal program that has connected over 600 creative businesses with nearly 60 resource organizations in partnership with the Department of Commerce. Anna received the 2025 Creative Economies Citizen Award for her work in creative advocacy and program development from the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. 

    Currently, through her strategy consulting business, she focuses on empowering entrepreneurs and strengthening the local creative ecosystem.

    Connect with Anna:

  • As Chief Programs Officer, Adam leads Bridgeway’s programs team in providing guidance and resources to a wide range of clients. He works with the programs team to design and deliver one-on-one and cohort-based experiences that support small businesses, real estate projects, nonprofit organizations, and creative entrepreneurs. Whether he is helping clients with capital readiness or capacity building, Adam finds it rewarding to provide catalytic support that unleashes Bridgeway clients’ potential for success.

    Connect with Adam:

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/bridgewaycapital

Morgan Hobbs, Structure and Form Artist Services

Morgan Hobbs Project Manager & Founder at Structure and Form Artist Services

Adam Kenney, Bridgeway Capital

Adam Kenney Chief Programs Officer of Bridgeway Capital

  • "Morgan Hobbs is an artist who studied archaeology in conjunction with her fine arts training. She is a graduate of the Masters of Fine Arts program at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the University of Central Missouri. She has shown her paintings and sculptures both regionally and nationally.

    In 2015, Hobbs co-founded AUTOMAT Gallery, an artist-run collective and gallery space based in Philadelphia. She has since curated and juried exhibitions at Millersville University, Millersville, PA; Mercer County Community College, Trenton, NJ; Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA; Art on Avenue of the States, Chester, PA; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA; AUTOMAT Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; and beyond. She was the Assistant Director at Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia from 2020 - 24. In 2012 and 2020, she attended Vermont Studio Center as an Artist in Residence, and in 2020, she was awarded a Hemera Contemplative Fellowship. In 2024, she was on the 10 Under 40 list for the University of Central Missouri Alumni Awards.

    She lives and works between Kansas City, Missouri and Philadelphia. "

Jennifer Rice, Co-Founder, Forman Arts Initiative

  • Jennifer Rice is a dedicated advocate for the arts, education, women’s rights, and animal welfare. Her extensive leadership includes board service for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, Big Picture Philadelphia, and ACCT Philly.

    A champion for equity, Jennifer serves on the Gender Wealth Institute Advisory Committee for Women’s Way and the Philadelphia Equity Alliance education committee. As the former board chair and current honorary trustee of The Philadelphia School, she continues to shape the city’s educational and cultural landscape through strategic service and unwavering community devotion.

TJ Walsh President of Emotional Alchemy Lab

  • TJ Walsh, BFA, MA, LPC, NCC, CCTP, is an innovative painter, Clini-Coach®, and psychotherapist, educator, and brand strategist based in Philadelphia. He writes and speaks on art, culture, faith, and mental health, and his work is exhibited and published internationally.

    With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of creativity, therapy, and education, TJ is an expert in creativity, relationships, fear, and procrastination. He holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of the Arts and an MA in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Eastern University, and is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy. Before entering mental health and higher education, TJ worked as a Creative Director and Director of Communications for national and international nonprofits in NYC and Philly, specializing in brand development, communications, marketing, fundraising, and strategic planning.

    TJ believes every human is inherently creative and is passionate about helping people connect with their authentic selves, vision, and purpose. He is also known for connecting people through his expansive network. He currently serves as Board Chair for InLiquid and the Philadelphia Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy, and sits on the Government Relations Committee of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association.

    He lives in Philly with his wife, two sons, a dog and cat, 65 houseplants (and counting), and a growing collection of artwork from emerging artists.

    Connect with TJ:

Jordan Strauss, Board Member, Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

  • Jordan Strauss is a co-founder of a tech start-up focused on information assurance and a former executive at Kroll, where he advised clients on a wide range of strategic and regulatory issues. His government service includes roles as Deputy Justice Attaché in Afghanistan, Director for Incident Management at the White House National Security Council, Director of Preparedness and Response for the National Security Division, and as a trial attorney and prosecutor.

    Jordan began his career as a federal law clerk in Philadelphia. He was educated at Hampshire College, where he currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees, and at Case Western Reserve University, where he was awarded the Bemis Merit Scholarship.

    He serves on the boards of Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and the Gupta Governance Institute, and has represented artists and arts organizations - including Pulitzer and Grammy-winning ensembles -  through PVLA and other pro bono work. He also teaches National Security Law at Drexel University’s Kline School of Law.

    Connect with Jordan: