Harlem Stage to Launch GOOD GROUND Initiative for Women+ Arts Leaders
Fourteen fellows will receive mentorship from figures including Dr. Mary Schmidt-Campbell and Karen Brooks Hopkins.
Harlem Stage has launched Good Ground: The NEXT Generation of Women+ Leaders in the Arts, a year-long fellowship designed to support emerging women+ leaders in the performing arts through leadership development, mentorship, and direct investment in new initiatives.
The inaugural cohort brings together 14 early-career women+ leaders from performing arts organizations and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Throughout the program, fellows participate in leadership labs, masterclasses, site visits, mentorship opportunities, and collaborative projects, while also receiving support from Harlem Stage to bring their own artistic and organizational ideas to fruition.
The inaugural fellows are Alisha Dion Artry, Kayla Bowles, Kyla Jeanne Butts, Kyria Geneva Cameron, Bethany Cintron, Zenzele Daniels, Ariana Njeri Holland, Asili N. Johnson, Julianna Faye Marquez, Taylor Mills, Lauryn Nealy, Jasmine Reed, Jaadyn Rogers, and Alexis Kulani Woodard.
Good Ground includes mentorship from leaders across the arts and cultural sectors, including Dr. Mary Schmidt-Campbell, Karen Brooks Hopkins, Denise Young, Diya Vij, Caroline Clarke, and Patricia Cruz. The 2026 program takes place July 20–August 1, with the first week hosted at Spelman College in Atlanta and the second at Columbia University in New York City.
According to Harlem Stage, the initiative was created in response to ongoing challenges surrounding leadership sustainability and representation in the arts, particularly for Black women and women of color. The organization said the program aims to build a network of emerging leaders while investing in their long-term success.
Good Ground Fellows
- Alisha Dion Artry
- Kayla Bowles
- Kyla Jeanne Butts
- Kyria Geneva Cameron
- Bethany Cintron
- Zenzele Daniels
- Ariana Njeri Holland
- Asili N. Johnson
- Julianna Faye Marquez
- Taylor Mills
- Lauryn Nealy
- Jasmine Reed
- Jaadyn Rogers
- Alexis Kulani Woodard
