Ryan French is Managing Director of the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis where he oversees all administrative functions for the theatre including development, marketing and communications, audience services, education, finance, human resources, community partnerships, facilities, and legal affairs. Prior to CTC, Ryan served as Associate Vice President of Advancement and Campaign Director at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the Walker Art Center, and leadership roles at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and University of Minnesota. Ryan has an MBA with an emphasis in marketing and nonprofit management from the University of Minnesota and a BA in Music from St. Olaf College. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife Jenny and their two children.

For over 25 years, Novelli Jurado has redefined the boundaries of music and digital media. A versatile artist and entrepreneur, he blends visual arts to create work that crosses genres and industries.
His career began with international collaborations, including tours with Brazilian jazz legend Milton Nascimento and recording projects with pianist Lang Lang. As a classical composer, Novelli has won multiple awards and was selected three times (2012, 2014, 2017) as Composer-in-Residence for VocalEssence’s ¡Cantaré! program in the Twin Cities, Rochester, and Chicago. During his 2013 residency, he met his wife Michelle, and in 2016, their civil ceremony was officiated by VocalEssence founder Philip Brunelle.

He also received the Young Artist Scholarship from Mexico’s National Cultural Arts Committee. Novelli has participated in prestigious programs including the NYU-ASCAP Foundation workshop, the Campos do Jordao Festival in Brazil, and the ASPEN Music Festival’s classical recording program with Grammy winner Jack Renner. From 2010 to 2013, he published over 40 articles on composition and audio engineering for Sound Check and Music Life magazines.
In 2015, he scored Attractio, the first Latin American video game distributed globally by Bandai Namco for PlayStation and Steam, and toured with jazz guitarist Julio Revueltas. That same year, he co-founded the Lanzilotti Concert Choir,
a project sponsored by Farmacia París in Mexico City. Since 2013, he has served on the board of AES Mexico (Audio Engineering Society).

In 2020, Novelli founded Novart Media, a minority-owned creative agency that helps businesses grow through strategic storytelling and high-quality digital content. Clients include VocalEssence, the SBA, Secoya Health, and AES. Novelli believes in art’s power to unite and inspire. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife Michelle and their children, Sebastián and Juliana.

Lori Ledoux joins the VocalEssence Board of Directors with a strong background in arts education and community engagement. With 16 years of experience in Minneapolis Public Schools, she currently serves as the district’s K-12 Arts Content Lead, supporting specialists and programming in dance, theater, music, visual, and media arts. Lori is known for establishing partnerships that increase student access to diverse teaching artists and support professional development for educators.

Committed to lifelong learning, Lori’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She followed this with a Master of Teaching, K-12 Dance Licensure, and an Educational Specialist Degree with K-12 Principal’s Licensure from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Outside of work, Lori serves her community as a volunteer firefighter/EMT for the City of Waconia and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and dog.

Dr. Kristin Morris is the owner and Principal Consultant of Genesis Consulting Services, LLC. She is a Performance Improvement Strategist, Global Facilitator, Organizational Development and a Belonging Practitioner. As an award winning, transformational leader and an accomplished global facilitator, she has over 20 years of experience in coaching organizations, executives, and teams toward peak performance.

Dr. Morris’s passion lies in cultivating leadership and organizational excellence with a lens of Strategic Planning, fostering team cohesion, and empowering individuals to unlock their full potential. Her facilitation style is rooted in creating an inclusive and engaging environment where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but celebrated.

Kristin has honed her facilitation skills across a spectrum of industries, including corporate, nonprofit, and educational. Her expertise is rooted in designing and leading/facilitating workshops, leadership development and coaching, team-building sessions, and strategic planning. As a leader in performance improvement, Dr. Morris also teaches leadership development at St. Catherine University in the Masters of Organizational Learning. Thoughtfully, Dr. Morris is adept at customizing facilitation approaches to meet the unique needs and goals diverse groups, leaders, and organizations.

Additionally, Dr. Morris currently serves on the National Small Business Association’s Executive Leadership Council. She is also a Board member for the following: Capella University’s School of Public Health, University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Education and Human Development, and Vocal Essence. She was awarded the 2023 Alumni Award of Excellence from the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and was a 2023 Minneapolis- St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business Honoree. Most notable, Dr. Morris received the prestigious leadership award, the 2023-2024 Marquis Who’s Who in America for her outstanding leadership contributions professionally and in the community in the field of performance Improvement. Kristin holds a Bachelors and MEd in Human Resource Development and Adult Education from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and an EdD from Capella University, specializing in Performance Improvement Leadership. Out of everything she’s accomplished thus far in her journey, Dr. Morris is a proud wife and mother to four beautiful children.

Eve Schulte is a dance artist, educator, and administrator based in Minneapolis, MN. She grew up training in ballet and modern at Minnesota Dance Theatre, and transitioned to company member in 2007. In 2009, she joined James Sewell Ballet, where she contributed as dancer, artistic associate (2017-2020), and sunsetting executive director (2020-2025). She has also closely collaborated with physical theater group Live Action Set, which pioneers innovative immersive and interactive moving stories, and has been an Artist-in-Residence at Westminster Presbyterian Church. For eight summers, she taught at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and twice served as co-director for its International Ballet Ensemble. Eve has performed or taught in France, Germany, Denmark, Canada, nationally in 17 states, and in 30+ Minnesota communities. Her choreographic work Any Offered None was nominated for a 2016 MN Sage Award for Outstanding Performance. Other choreographies of hers have been featured alongside the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, Minnesota Opera, and Minnesota Orchestra. Eve holds a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota, where she has also led the advanced ballet course in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance since 2017.