Who We Are

Homegrown in Austin, Future Front is an award-winning cultural space and public exhibition series.

We got our start in 2014 as a scrappy, grassroots collective of women and LGBTQ+ artists, small business owners and creative leaders. Now as a 501c3 arts and culture nonprofit, we bring creative and cultural projects by diverse, contemporary Texas artists to the world.

Across three seasons, our programs model the value of Texas-local art and creativity in our everyday lives and dreams for the future.

We produce two annual community-led exhibitions, The Front Market and The Front Festival, as well as seasonal shows and workshops at our creative space in East Austin, welcoming 25,000+ visitors per year. Our programs have pioneered unique, community-based models for arts and culture in all kinds of spaces—from museums to city streets to parks—actively developing creative opportunities and public infrastructure. Through a diverse network of partnerships, we’re building a future where local art and creativity thrive in Texas—where we see ourselves and our cultures reflected in our communities.

GOVERNING BOARD

BOARD PRESIDENT | *FOUNDING MEMBER*
**Hali Martin** (she/they) is a community builder, marketing strategist, facilitator, and ceramic artist. Throughout her career, Hali has led data-driven campaigns for technology companies, film festivals, and universities, building demand and sharpening strategy for brands including Cloudflare, Bonterra, and Q2, where she optimized programs to increase return on investment from 12x to 60x.

She's balanced her career by centering her life outside it in the arts and community work. Hali has moderated panels at Future Front's WORK, taught workshops, and hosted a Career Club in Austin — helping local Austinites translate their experience into new roles, making sense of AI. As a deliberative facilitator, she has guided city officials, university faculty, and residents through the civic processes that shape their communities.

That commitment now anchors her role as Board President of Future Front Texas. She joined Future Front as a Community Curator in 2019, and the board in 2021 to build connection and to get engaged with the artists, and creatives shaping Austin's culture, grounded in a belief that understanding the world we live in means being an active part of it.

A black, nonbinary, queer Texan by way of the Bay Area, Hali reads voraciously — N.K. Jemisin, adrienne maree brown, and Octavia Butler among her favorites. Find her at the wheel, the farmer's market, with the Sunday paper, or in the kitchen chasing a new recipe.

BOARD TREASURER
**Diana Gorham** (ella/she/her) also answers to Tesora (to her wife), Tia (to nieces/nephews), Madrina (to ahijada/os) and D (to 80’s softball team still kicking it).
A born-and-bred Tejana/Chicana, Diana has led a life that far exceeds what she (and most of society) expected: first in family of 8 siblings to attend & graduate college; taught public schools; registered/voted as member of the Raza Unida Party in the 70s; served on local/regional/national nonprofit/municipal boards since 1970s; helped to found arts/folkloric nonprofits in the 80s; helped to establish/manage successful Latinx businesses also in the 80s; earned MBA in 1991; and served as executive director of allgo (91-93) and YWCA Greater Austin (1994-2015). Retirement has afforded time for overseeing the building of two post-retirement homes; searching for my mother’s garden and finding my own; honing cooking skills; taking road trips; volunteering with Future Front; and working to turn Texas blue (again).

BOARD SECRETARY
**auburn rutledge** (she/they) is a creative coach, consultant and people leader whose work weaves together frameworks of liberatory leadership, storytelling and inclusive systems design. She believes that how we build our organizations and communities must critically begin with a focus on belonging and she brings that conviction to every room where she leads, facilitates or participates.
With more than thirteen years of experience building inclusive, high-performing teams, designing human-centered programs and frameworks, auburn pairs her strategic background with the ongoing study of imagination, leadership and human-centered culture change. She received an MA in Creative Leadership from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2025 and is currently pursuing an MS in Creativity & Change Leadership from SUNY Buffalo.
auburn’s work centers her intersectional identity as a queer, Black, mixed and AuDHD person and how these perspectives from the margin facilitate new ways of solving problems and painting the vision of what’s possible. Her coaching practice is rooted in empathy, truth-telling and narrative design: how to reclaim identity, nurture creative exploration and curiosity and build pathways toward wholeness. Additionally, she acts as a consultant and facilitator on leadership development, storytelling and design thinking for problem-solving.

BOARD CURATORIAL CHAIR | *RESIDENCY ADVISOR*
**Taylor Danielle Davis** (she/her) is a curator, cultural arts producer, public art facilitator and landscape designer who has been producing artist centered events and exhibitions in partnership with private, non-profit and city arts organizations for the last ten years. By shaping curatorial concepts, building relationships with artists and aligning with the right partners, she creates programs and exhibits that engage communities, illuminate cultural themes, uplift emerging artists and open pathways for sustained artistic growth.
With a background in design and construction, cultural production and project management, she has curated over 20 visual arts exhibitions in Austin and San Francisco, produced dozens of public programs including educational workshops, artist development curriculums and public art programs. She has partnered with major non-profit and city organizations in Austin, including Future Front Texas, The Trail Conservancy, Women and their Work Gallery, MASS Gallery, City of Austin Arts in Public Places, Waterloo Greenway, Martha’s Gallery among others.
Taylor is passionate about creating engaging conversations with both artists and arts leaders by emphasizing the importance of the artistic process and the value of connecting artists to the communities that shape them. She collaborates with artists, organizations and cultural partners to activate curatorial projects, public art strategy, community engagement design and cultural programming and welcomes inquiries from those seeking thoughtful curation, community-centered creative strategy and support for emerging artists.

To contact the Future Front board, email board@futurefronttexas.org.

STAFF & TEAM

FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
**Jane Hervey** (she/her) is a community and brand executive, cultural strategist, award-winning public curator and accidental arts nonprofit founder.
Over the last decade, she has worked alongside executive teams to lead transformative campaigns and programs for arts and entertainment orgs, philanthropic agencies, museums and parks, as well as rapidly growing, category-defining lifestyle, hospitality and tech brands across the US. From launching citywide music festivals in the heart of downtown Austin to rolling out repaired artistic and creative direction for 70-plus Y2K stores in malls across America, her work has thoughtfully bridged physical and digital, local and global for brands like The LINE Hotel, Red Bull, Bumble Inc., Waymo and more.
Currently, she directs ***Future Front***, a 501c3 arts nonprofit she founded in 2021, alongside her own consultancy, ***group work***. At Future Front, her community-designed programs have welcomed 200K+ visitors, distributing more than $1M in commissions and local support to independent artists, musicians, filmmakers and craftspeople in Texas. This pioneering work in public programming, emerging creative communities and experimental arts has been recognized by ADWEEK, Texas Monthly, The National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Austin’s Women’s Hall of Fame for its undeniable impact on Texas culture (from the DIY underground to public parks). As a guest curator and keynote speaker for spaces like SXSW, The Contemporary Austin, Soho House and Fusebox Festival, she has become a known advocate for contemporary Texan stories, cultural strategy, community design and creative leadership.
Committed to craft and cultural study, Jane has worked as an independent musician and writer for global projects since childhood. Originally from the South Texas border, Hervey now makes art, works and lives in Austin, Texas.

PROGRAMS PRODUCER | *THE FRONT MARKET*
**Nedda Tehrany** (she/her) has a passion for all things production and logistics. She is a community-driven individual with a passion for creating spaces where authentic connections and communication can take place. Nedda has built a trust career in creative production, producing hometown events like Austin Music Awards, Music Industry Awards and SXSW founder parties. Currently, she also works to build and support music festivals across the country with Live Nation.
On her off time, you can find her frolicking around Zilker with her dog or dancing the night away to her favorite local DJs around town.

PROGRAMS FELLOW
**Ariannah Anahi Lomeli** (she/her) is a third-year Public Relations student with a minor in Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. Born in Illinois, but raised in the Rio Grande Valley, she is dedicated to using communication and storytelling to preserve and celebrate the histories of the communities that shape us. Through her work in archival preservation, Ariannah has seen firsthand how cultural memory connects people, and she hopes to build a career where she can make these stories accessible, inspiring and meaningful. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring Austin for thrift finds, blind boxes and cozy coffee shops to read on her Kindle.

PROGRAMS PRODUCER | *THE FRONT MARKET*
**Seth Prestwood** (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist, born and raised in lower Alabama. In 2013, he graduated from Watkins College of Art, Design & Film in Nashville, TN, with an emphasis in sculpture and currently lives in Austin, Texas. His professional career spans the country and many facets of the art world, including arts administration, studio production, residencies and conservation work.

PROGRAMS FELLOW
**Jacquelyn Rodriguez** (she/her) is a Mexican American creative and senior at The University of Texas at Austin, pursuing a bachelor's in Textiles and Apparel. Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley and then moved to Austin for higher education. She has spent most of her life pursuing her creative passions, including art, fashion, beauty, and photography. Deciding to take a risk and pursue that passion in her studies, she has spent her education honing skills in fashion design and sustainability. In her spare time, she works as an aftercare teacher for young bilingual children. In her work, she hopes to share her experiences while also learning and growing with her community.

PROGRAMS ASSISTANT
**Kai Arnn** (he/they) is an upperclassmen at the University of Texas at Austin originally from South Fort Worth. Coming from an art-centric household with Japanese roots, he embraces creativity, community and culture. And with three years at Future Front now under their belt, they have also found a love for art and culture event production. These passions translate through their life goal of making impactful connections with others of many different experiences through art and mental health work. In his free time, they’re often found out exploring Austin with his partners and friends or doodling away on their drawing tablet with a candle, some music and his sleepy dog.

*To contact the Future Front team, please email hello@futurefronttexas.org.

COMMUNITY ADVISORY

DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR
**Jené Shepherd** (she/her) is a social impact communicator who believes in the power of storytelling to foster empathy, grow community and ignite change. She is driven by a commitment to ensuring that every child in Central Texas can experience joy, hope and the opportunity to dream big. Jené serves as Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Thinkery, where she leads brand strategy, storytelling and audience engagement in support of joyful, play-based learning. Outside of work, Jené is a certified yoga teacher and enjoys exploring art museums, reading and finding inspiration in culture, creativity and Beyoncé.

DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR
**Krystal Frame** (she/her) is the Founder and Creative Director of Sustain Frame, where she champions sustainable practices in the events industries. With a diverse background spanning both the fashion and hospitality industries, Krystal began her adult career in various roles before realizing the negative impact these industries have on the planet and the planet. Driven by a passion for environmental advocacy and social justice, Krystal shifted her focus to creating meaningful change. Through her work at Sustain Frame, she aims to transform the hospitality and retail landscapes, emphasizing the importance of creative thinking and interpersonal relationships. In addition to her role at Sustain Frame, Krystal provides consultancy and program administration support to various non-profit organizations, furthering her commitment to social and environmental causes.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Lauren Luscombe** (she/her) is a Kintsugi repair specialist with a background in Advertising and Creative Operations. Inspired by the philosophy of resilience and a passion for transforming chaos into beauty, she celebrates the beauty of imperfection and sustainable art. Lauren sits on the board of Austin Creative Reuse, teaches Kintsugi workshops and champions artists and creatives through project management and representation.

DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR
Event success is all about connecting with every person along the way. **Alyssa Hart** (she/her) first immersed herself in Austin's event scene in 2018, collaborating with premier event planners and producers as a local vendor. However, it was her transformative experience during the pandemic that profoundly shaped her as a producer. In 2020, Alyssa co-founded Sober Voices, co-producing two large conferences tailored for the sobriety and sober-curious community. These events, held amidst a time of heightened need for connection, drew renowned voices and authors while championing diversity and accessibility in online spaces. As all of our desire for virtual came to a close in late 2021, Alyssa's was led to join the inaugural team at OTHR Agency based here in Austin. Here, she orchestrated notable events such as the Tesla Gigafund Grand Opening, 2023’s ACL After Party for C3Presents, a private paddock club at Formula 1 and the Texan Feminist Throwdown in partnership with FutureFront. Presently, Alyssa serves as Global Sales Manager for both OTHR Agency and its affiliate, Reimagine Meeting Management. Her firsthand expertise lends credibility to her sales approach, although she admittedly struggles with occasional pangs of longing for the onsite event hustle. During her downtime, Alyssa relishes moments spent with her rescue dog, Baxter or enjoying a mocktail and a side of fries with people she loves.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR | *DESIGN SPRINTS* *CHAIR*
**Lina Zuluaga** (she/her) is a Colombian born, east coast raised web engineer and designer living and working in Austin Texas. She is passionate about uplifting women's voices, creativity, art and community building. Her experience as an immigrant sparked an interest in the concept of being *"neither from here nor there"* which she explores through her experimental drawing practice. In addition to coding and drawing, she enjoys long walks with her husky Grits, sharing a home-cooked meal with her husband, tending to her fifteen plants, reading about the lives of artists and singing out of tune in karaoke.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ADVISOR
**Alyssa Clark** (she/her) is a creative individual and loves spending time with fiber arts, mixed media, music and her plants. She is driven by a desire to support Greater Austin community have a third space that acknowledges and accepts everyone. Alyssa has previously served as Board President of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Austin (YNPN), Vice President of Programming for YNPN and Board Secretary of MEASURE. Alyssa is also an alumna of Leadership Austin Emerge and has participated in the New Philanthropist Board Chair and Mentorship programs. Alyssa's current day job involved project management and she loves spending time with her family.

DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR
Sanchita Sharma (she/her) is a New Delhi-born, Austin-based artist scholar, choreographer and educator with a PhD in Culture and Performance from UCLA. Her research interests include dissent and the dancing body, migration and belonging and somatic attention in improvisational dance practices. Sharma is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Dance at Austin Community College and serves as the Chair for the Dance Studies Association’s working group, “Practice-as-Research.” Her writings have been published in Dance Research Journal, South Asian Dance Intersections, Choreographic Practices and Dance Chronicle (forthcoming).

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ADVISOR
**Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz** (she/her) is a Venezuelan-American communications expert and the co-founder and CEO of Refuerzo Collaborative, a Latina-owned agency focused on nurturing stories that reinforce community. With a deep passion for communication and strategic storytelling, she has worked on impactful campaigns for mission-driven organizations and is an advocate for including Spanish-speaking communities in media narratives. Fabiana has been recognized for her contributions to the field with numerous awards and actively participates in various community organizations.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR | *PRIDE PICNIC PROGRAMS PRODUCER*
At age 8, Chelsea's passion for clay was ignited in her first visit to her ceramic teacher's backyard studio, leaving her with a lifelong desire to create her own backyard haven, which she realized in 2021. Her backyard studio, inspiring friends to join her, evolved into the artist's collective, Backyard Bliss. Beyond crafting vibrant pottery and creative experiences, **Chelsea Biggerstaff** (she/her) also brings her creativity and educational expertise to the Faculty Development Office at Austin Community College, where she uplifts and learns from the dedicated faculty members.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR | *SQUIRREL FEST PROGRAMS PRODUCER*
**Melissa Garcia** (she/her), originally from Southside San Antonio, has made Austin her home for the last 22 years after moving to attend The University of Texas at Austin for Mexican American studies. She currently works as a project manager in the public education field providing equitable opportunities for school districts in Central Texas. She is also a professional stage manager for local theaters and live music entertainment who has worked with artists such as Skrillex, Big Freedia, Taylor Swift, Haim, The Black Angels, Brandi Carlile, OFF! & many others.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Carson Stanch** (she/her) is a Houston born artist and designer. She creates workshops and activities designed to bring people together for collective action and/or collective rest. Through her love of sketching, she found Future Front and the warmth of the FFTX community. Starting in 2023 she has run their Sketchers Club & workshops such as Shrinky Dinks Charms, Drag n’ Draw and many others. During her curatorship, she hopes to strengthen the connections of the community mycelium network through collaborative art-building & support of local BIPOC artists. In her spare time, you can find her asking her friends to come outside to draw.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Tanya Zal** (she/her) is an Austin, Texas-based artist interested in practicing deeper care- with ourselves, others and the things around us. Her ceramics are a playful celebration of the creative process, an anchor to joy and an invitation toward curiosity. Originally from upstate NY, where she completed her BFA in 2010, Tanya has spent the last decade working in art nonprofit, community organizing and reproductive justice spaces. She is a current Curatorial Advisor at Future Front Texas and a member of MASS Gallery.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Swathi Konduri** (she/her) is a self-taught artist and muralist from Orlando, Florida based in Austin, Texas. She primarily uses a variety of mediums such as oil paint, colored pencils & digital art. You can find her at a coffee shop around town sipping on an iced latte.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Mikaela Rodriguez** (she/her) is a DJ and electronic music producer under the moniker Veneer. Her DJ sets and music are heavily influenced by 90s house and techno — music created by and for queer folks in Chicago, NYC, Detroit and beyond. Through music Mikaela aims to reach other like-minded people and build community around a shared groove. She also plays guitar in a clown-themed Le Tigre cover band called Deceptaclown.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ADVISOR
**Angela Montijo** (she/they) is a licensed clinical social worker, relational facilitator and youth justice advocate whose work centers liberation, care and community transformation. She brings over a decade of experience working directly with incarcerated and marginalized youth, alongside a practice rooted in emergent strategy and healing justice. Angela is committed to building futures where dignity is non-negotiable and systems serve the people they claim to support.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ADVISOR
**Themmi Hamilton** (she/her) is a first-gen daughter to immigrant parents from Taiwan and India and mom of two. Themmi is constantly striving towards balance, holding a certification in Native Texas Plants through the Native Plant Society of Texas and as a SHRM-CP professional and mediator. She is a lover of books, plants, crafts and giving back. Themmi has supported The New Philanthropist’s Board Mentors of Color program, served as Board Secretary for the Austin Asian American Film Festival, as Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Austin SHRM.

DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR
**Ceirra Riley** (she/her) is a lover of arts and creativity . As a former business owner, she knows how important it is to receive support and she is on a mission to foster that support within creative communities. She has worked within nonprofit and for-profit organizations and she currently applies that growth expertise toward a variety of missions.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Cara Hanna** (she/her) of Cara Bella Designs is a fiber artist who began hand-weaving at the age of 38, inspired by and featuring art yarn spun by women artisans across the globe. Beyond enjoying time with her family and friends, Cara has found joy through sharing her art in five gallery exhibits, three displays at Austin Filipino community events and two quarterly artist resident exhibitions. She also participates in uplifting her local and artist communities with in-kind donations for fundraising efforts for local, national and international charitable and educational organizations and causes.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
During the day, **Tiara Allen** (she/her) is an eager and enthusiastic marketer and journalist who applies her passion and skills to promote local library services to the community. In the evening, Tiara loves exploring the rich arts scene in Austin and spinning records as her alter ego, DJ Ladybug. An Austin native, she graduated from Texas State University with her BBA in Marketing in 2022 and is passionate about uplifting fellow creatives in the city she calls home.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Dr. Chela White** (she/her) is a writer, facilitator, teacher and community builder who uses creative experiences to help people feel less alone. She is the creator of HEY STRANGER ATX, a social dining experiment designed to combat loneliness and build belonging through conversation, connection and good food. Passionate about joy, equity and intentional living, Chela curates spaces that center authenticity, curiosity and the power of shared storytelling.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Leah Kearse** (she/they) is a designer and artist originally from Americus, Georgia. Her work focuses on intersecting culture with impact and capturing the Black experience through interactive mediums. When she's not creating, you can find her front-running her jewelry business, whipping up concoctions in the kitchen or teaching at Asmbly Makerspace.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Olivia Emigh** (she/her) is an Austin-based cultural organizer and product manager dedicated to creating spaces that celebrate fashion, art and queer community. As Events Director of Glaze Zine, she has produced immersive runway shows, community fundraisers and editorial features uplifting women and LGBTQ+ creatives. Beyond her work with Glaze, she produced the inaugural Butch Prom, a high-camp celebration of queer masculinity that brought together over 400 attendees and raised funds for Black Trans Leadership Austin. Whether curating large-scale shows or independent projects, Olivia is driven by a love of collaboration, storytelling and community care.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR
**Em Shapiro** (they/them) is a queer filmmaker and educator based in Austin, passionate about care work and building community. They collaborate with artists across disciplines to create non-fiction storytelling experiences at the intersections of queerness, transness and disability. Every February, you can find Em at OUTsider Festival, where they currently serve as their volunteer coordinator.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR | *THE FRONT FESTIVAL PROGRAMS PRODUCER*
**Alexis Hunter** (she/her) is an Austin-based multidisciplinary artist whose work explores self-image through racial identity, mental health, the female body and the male gaze. A BFA graduate from Texas State University, Alexis has exhibited nationally and participated in residencies with Big Medium, the Carver Museum and MASS Gallery. She was named The Austin Chronicle’s Best Visual Artist of 2023 and teaches painting at the Contemporary Austin’s Art School at Laguna Gloria.

CURATORIAL ADVISOR

Anderson Dean (he/him) is an Austin-based artist with a focus in printmaking and textile arts. He received his bachelor's degree with a double major in art history and studio art from the University of Texas in 2023 and since then has worked on a variety of curatorial projects and community arts events with various local artists, galleries and nonprofits. His work centers around queer identity in the south and has been exhibited in various galleries across Austin and Dallas.

For available 2026 Advisory positions, click here.*

OUR STORY

Future Front emerged from Boss Babes ATX , a blog started by Jane Hervey in 2014.

The idea came from a study Hervey conducted at The University of Texas at Austin, in which she examined the way that a lack of representation in arts and culture festivals influenced women working in creative fields, particularly their concepts of self, professional aptitude and ability to build community. She became interested in the way that storytelling and space might create new pathways for support—so she decided to get all of the creative women from that study together to host the first Boss Babes ATX meet-up in May 2015.

Free and open to the public, run entirely on volunteer labor and donations, the meet-up series rapidly escalated from 2015 to 2017, with thousands attending per year. From those gatherings came DIY art fairs, music showcases, film festivals and workshops, each designed and developed collaboratively within the community itself. By 2018, it was clear the series needed to become a nonprofit arts and culture organization to pursue sustainable programs. So, in response to the messy, lovely friction of growth, the organization’s core volunteers transformed the grassroots org into a 501c3, developing a cohesive vision that would forever rely on community input and design.

From this data, Future Front was born in 2021, with 9 founding team members:

Alex Perez-Puelles (she/her) — Board Culture Officer
Cynthia Muñoz (she/her) — Board Treasurer
Hali Martin (she/they) — Board Secretary
Jane Hervey (she/her) — Executive Director
Jasmine Brooks (she/her) — Messaging Advisor
Jonnyka Bormann (she/her) — Board Vice President of Development
María Rivera-Felizardo (she/they) — Programs Manager
Sydney Greene (she/her) — Board Culture Officer
Xochi Solis (she/her) — Board President

Now, we are still driven forward by majority volunteers, with four full-time and part-time staff members. Our accidental beginnings and thoughtful evolution are a crucial part of who we are today. This written history will be updated as we evolve to reflect our growth and your contributions, too.

Thank you for being a part of our story.

“‘As critics of utopian thinking have long regarded, the futures we imagine reveal the biases of the present; it seems entirely possible that imagining different futures and temporalities might help us see, and do, the present differently,’ says Alison Kafer, PhD, a Disabilities Studies scholar and Associate Professor of Feminist Studies at UT Austin.

As an artist and community organizer born and raised in Austin, my ambition is for future generations of Texans and Tejanxs to experience more joyous, creative lives. Throughout my career I have dedicated myself to working collectively with organizations and putting in the work necessary to make that happen—whether it be creatively, logistically or otherwise.

After transformative years for our organization, I am enlivened by our ability to reemerge as something new and better rooted in our reality, but still with ample room to grow and change with our members and collaborators.

I say this again and again, this organization has given me a platform to explore community organizing beyond the realm of a single industry or a boxed in cultural narrative. I have learned it takes responsibility, ownership, compassion, consideration and love to actively build and maintain the spaces we want to see in our local communities. I live a much fuller life as a creative being because of my civic involvement in the place I call home and I have worked with and within our organization in a variety of roles over the last four years. I have watched in awe and actively participated in the creation of a nurturing learning environment where folks have challenged themselves to new ideas, extended networks and fresh perspectives—all with space to make mistakes or show up less than perfect.

There will always be a need to imagine new realities, to tweak things that may be good for some to be better for all. To build the future that contains mutual respect and opportunities for a wide spectrum of identities, we must do the work here and now. As the 2020-25 Board President, I couldn’t be more excited about our organization’s work today.”

— FOUNDING BOARD PRESIDENT (2018 — 2026) Xochi Solis

“I am a fifth-generation Texan, born and raised on the border in a little, rural farming community called Rio Hondo. I grew up with small-town dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter. So once I graduated from high school, I headed to the Live Music Capitol Of The World.

When I moved to Austin, Texas in 2011, I settled in with earnest enthusiasm. I was studying journalism at The University of Texas and searching for my place in the city’s music scene. Three years in, I found myself continually burning out, confused, lonely and discouraged. I struggled to find collaborators, resources and models for the kind of work I wanted to do—things I wanted to make. It was difficult to imagine what a creative career and life for myself would even look like.

So, as part of an honors’ course my senior year, I started interviewing women in creative industries to see if they felt the same. To my surprise, they did. I thought it may be a good idea for us to get together—and from that invitation Future Front’s first meet-up was born.

We have been evolving ever since.

This project has become an ongoing experiment in creative community and Texan belonging, a place to design the arts and culture spaces we dream of. A place to try things on, make mistakes and collaborate—a community love letter.”

— FOUNDING DIRECTOR JANE HERVEY