RENEW 2024: Community Conference on Arts, Neuroscience, & Social Wellness

Join us for RENEW, a collaborative initiative by CNM and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs—a special one-day event tailored for professionals in the nonprofit cultural arts, health, and wellness sectors.

This year's one-day conference will foster community engagement and knowledge exchange -- a dynamic platform uniting experts from across the fields of arts, science, and social well-being. Through engaging presentations and interactive sessions, attendees will delve into cutting-edge insights and best practices, exploring innovative approaches and collaborative solutions to enhance individual and societal well-being.

Who Should Attend:

Nonprofit professionals including CEOs, program directors, managers, board members, individuals from the health and wellness sector, and community-based artists who work independently or within any type of nonprofit service organization.

Additional Information:

• A light breakfast and lunch will be provided, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available.
• Free parking is available on-site at the California Endowment.
• ASL interpreting will be provided.

Dr. Assal Habibi - Associate Research Professor and Director, USC

Professor Habibi's interdisciplinary research explores the impact of the arts, with a particular focus on music, on health and human development. She investigates how innate biological factors and experiential learning shape the development of cognitive, emotional, and social abilities across the lifespan. She has been a principal investigator on several innovative studies, including projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Endowment for the Arts. An expert in electrophysiological and neuroimaging methods, her work extensively employs longitudinal and cross-sectional models to examine the effects of integrating music-based activities into school curricula and elder care, especially for those from underserved communities. Her research not only highlights the essential role of the arts in education but also explores the therapeutic potential of music for individuals across different age groups, including the elderly.

Efrain Escobedo - President and CEO, Center for Nonprofit Management

A dynamic strategist dedicated to increasing the civic engagement of historically underserved and marginalized communities and transforming systems through more human-centered approaches, Efrain is the president and CEO of the Center for Nonprofit Management. For nearly two decades, he has worked within the philanthropic, government, and nonprofit sectors to advance his professional mission. This cross-sectoral experience – paired with Efrain’s commitment to empowering local communities – allows him to bring partners together and make a meaningful impact in his work across California. Efrain previously served as Vice President of Public Policy and Civic Engagement at The California Community Foundation (CCF), one of the state’s leading philanthropies with more than $1.8 billion in assets. His nonprofit sector work includes work at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, first as Director of Voter Engagement and then as Senior Director of Civic Engagement. He led a national $2.5 million voter education initiative across seven states and played a key leadership role in the historic Ya Es Hora campaign, which helped to naturalize more than one million immigrants, contributing to a historic Latino voter turnout in 2008. Efrain serves in a variety of nonprofit and civic leadership positions. He chairs the board of directors of Hispanics in Philanthropy and is the board vice chair for both the LA Economic Development Corporation and UNITE-LA. He serves on the boards of both CalMatters and the Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, is a member of the Policy Advisory Committee for Southern California Grantmakers, and is the Speaker of the California Assembly's appointee to the California State Bar Legal Trust Fund Commission. He earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies & ethnicity from the University of Southern California, an MBA from the University of La Verne, and is a graduate of the Los Angeles County Executive Leadership Program.

Daniel Tarica - General Manager, Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles

Daniel leads the Department’s work to strengthen the quality of life in Los Angeles by stimulating and supporting arts and cultural activities and ensuring public access to the arts for residents and visitors. The Department empowers Los Angeles’s vibrant communities by supporting and providing access to quality visual, literary, musical, performing, and educational arts programming; managing vital cultural centers; preserving historic sites; creating public art; and funding services provided by arts organizations and individual artists. Managing a full-time staff of 104 and a part-time staff of 150, Daniel oversees the Department’s portfolio of facilities, capital improvement projects, grants, educational initiatives, and programming. Daniel previously served as DCA’s Assistant General Manager and has served in several leadership positions with the Los Angeles City Council, City Controller, and City Administrative Officer.

Sandra Hill-Glover- VP of Learning and Innovation, Center for Nonprofit Management

Sandra applies her passion and expertise to help organizations enhance their impact on underserved and marginalized communities. She focuses on organizational development, including assessment, asset mapping, change management, and training for boards and staff. Sandra’s background as a social worker has led her to develop programs for diverse groups, including youth, unhoused families, and new mothers, with a focus on health and wellness. In 2020, she founded ImpactHill, a consulting firm aimed at improving service delivery for nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations. With experience in social work education as an associate dean and professor, Sandra uses her knowledge to inform her consultancy work, guided by values of social justice and inclusivity. She holds a Ph.D. in educational and transformational leadership from the University of New England, a master of social work from Clark Atlanta University, and a bachelor of arts in the social sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.

Jessica Edelestein - MA, ATR-BC, LMFT and Board Certified Psychotherapist

Bio pending

Nadia Paredes, MA, LMFT, ATR - President, American Art Therapy Association

Nadia is a Registered Art Therapist, Licensed Martial and Family Therapist and Intuition Painting® facilitator who founded Nadia Paredes - Creative Studio, a bilingual resource for mental health prevention, unblocking creativity and authentic self-expression. Her offerings include mindfulness-based programs using embodied arts, art journaling for personal wellness, and public speaking engagements. She hosts an Instagram, TikTok and Podcast in Spanish called Revolución Creativa, in which she shares information about using art as a mental health practice. Nadia is also an art therapy supervisor and adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount University.

Keith McNutt - Director of the Western Region of the Entertainment Community Fund

Keith has a master's degree in social work from New York University, is licensed (LCSW) in the states of California and New York, and has a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He was awarded a Stanton Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation and his 2013 report, “LA Creates: Supporting the Creative Economy in Los Angeles,” was published as an attachment to the 2014 Otis Report on the Creative Economy in California and the Los Angeles Region. Keith is vice president of the board of directors of the Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation.

Sunil Iyengar - Director, Office of Research & Analysis, National Endowment for the Arts

Under Suni's leadership, the Office of Research & Analysis has produced dozens of research reports, hosted events and webinars, and established research partnerships with the U.S Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the National Science Foundation. His office also leads agency strategic planning, program evaluations, and performance measurement. Suni and his team have designed and implemented three long-term research agendas, founded a national data repository for the arts, and launched two award programs for arts researchers, including the NEA Research Labs initiative. He chaired a federal Interagency Task Force on the Arts and Human Development from 2011 to 2023, and his office provides research support to Creative Forces: NEA Military Arts Healing Network. Suni oversees a research funding partnership with the National Institutes of Health as part of Sound Health, an initiative of the Kennedy Center and NIH in association with the Arts Endowment. Guided by that initiative, his office supports the Sound Health Network, in partnership with the University of California San Francisco. Suni was previously an editor and reporter covering the biomedical research, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries.

Ping Ho, MA, MPH - Founder and Director, Arts and Healing Initiative

Ping's work guiding the Arts & Healing Initiative -- which offers training and free public workshops in using the arts integrated with mental health practices for self-discovery, connection, and empowerment -- synthesizes her graduate education in counseling psychology and public health and her lifelong experience in performing arts. Ping developed Beat the Odds®, an evidence-based drumming program for social-emotional skill building, a Certificate Program in Social Emotional Arts (SEA), and a SEA on a Shoestring program. She is co-author of The Innovative Parent: Raising Connected, Happy, Successful Kids through Art. Learn more.

Joseph Quintana - Executive Director & Founder, Native Development Network

Joseph (Kewa Pueblo) founded the Native Development Network, a non-profit community-based organization to support American Indian/Alaskan Native causes. His work has improved the health outcomes of community members while ensuring that education and training will increase the economic opportunities for Native peoples. Joseph has operated a native publication, RED INK, and served three Native Nations in economic and community development before coming back to Los Angeles where he has worked alongside partners on issues of transforming community through arts and cultural expression, workforce equity, healing of historical traumas, healthcare access, racial justice, and overcoming cycles of poverty.

Please be advised that schedule is subject to change.

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Check-In and Light Breakfast

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Welcome Remarks

9:30 AM - 10:20 AM Keynote Address + Q&A

10:20 AM - 10:30 AM Break

10:30 AM - 11:20 AM Panel One:Promoting Wellbeing and Resilience for Arts Professionals:

A Holistic Look

11:20 AM - 12:00 PM Activity

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Activity

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Panel Two: Community Health and Wellness through Arts & Culture

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Table Discussions/Networking

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Closing Remarks

4:00 PM Conference Ends

Masks are not required at this time, but we ask you to be considerate of fellow attendees’ health and comfort and practice mindful social distancing. If you are exhibiting any signs of cold or flu symptoms, please stay at home. We are monitoring developments around COVID-19 and will adjust event guidelines accordingly.

As a leading, progressive arts and cultural agency, the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) empowers Los Angeles’s vibrant communities by supporting and providing access to quality visual, literary, musical, performing, and educational arts programming; managing vital cultural centers; preserving historic sites; creating public art; and funding services provided by arts organizations and individual artists.

Formed in 1925, DCA promotes arts and culture as a way to ignite a powerful dialogue, engage LA’s residents and visitors, and ensure LA’s varied cultures are recognized, acknowledged, and experienced. DCA’s mission is to strengthen the quality of life in Los Angeles by stimulating and supporting arts and cultural activities, ensuring public access to the arts for residents and visitors alike.

DCA advances the social and economic impact of arts and culture through grant-making, public art, community arts, performing arts, and strategic marketing, development, design, and digital research. DCA creates and supports arts programming, maximizing relationships with other city agencies, artists, and arts and cultural nonprofit organizations to provide excellent service in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The California Endowment, 1000 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, United States