Online Panel Discussion: Pivoting During the Pandemic
October 23 event is designed for staff and board members at nonprofit organizations who are seeking expertise to bring back to the workplace.
Nonprofit organizations are shifting priorities, financial decisions, and strategies in the current climate. Some of them are filing for bankruptcy, others are considering mergers, and many are revising how to best serve their constituencies.
In response to the challenges that have resulted from the COVID-19 crisis, New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER) have partnered to organize a free online panel discussion with experts with a wide range of experience in law, finance, and non-profit sustainability on Friday, October 23 from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EDT. The panel will discuss potential financial and legal options, general principles, and good practices to help organizations adapt in these challenging times. Whether you are on staff or on the board of a nonprofit organization, this online discussion will provide you with critical and helpful information to bring back into your workplace. The resources shared will be relevant for a national audience, and the event is intended for organizations of all sizes and disciplines.
NYFA thanks the Arts and Business Council of Boston, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts, and Pro Bono Steering Committee of New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section (EASL) for their additional support of this event.
Title: Pivoting During the Pandemic
Program Date and Time: Friday, October 23, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EDT
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Register: Register via this link
Moderator
Elissa D. Hecker, Co-Chair and creator of EASL’s Pro Bono Committee
Hecker represents businesses, the entertainment industry, individuals, creators, entrepreneurial ventures, and both for-profit and not-for-profit entities. She has extensive experience with contracts, licensing, digital issues, Trademark Law, Copyright Law, Intellectual Property, and all aspects of running a business. Hecker optimizes legal and business affairs for individuals, startups, and businesses of all sizes. In addition to her private practice, Hecker is Chair of the Board of Directors for Dance/NYC and a Past Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section.
Panelists
Luke Blackadar, Director of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts
As Director of Legal Services, Blackadar manages the Arts & Business Council’s Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and Patent Pro Bono programs. As a visual artist and intellectual property attorney, he is passionate about serving small businesses and creatives. Blackadar has extensive experience counseling start-ups and creatives around the country in trademark, copyright, and business law matters. Previously, Blackadar was a business litigation associate at Donovan Hatem, LLP, and during law school he completed co-ops with the Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, former Chief Justice Ireland of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and Prince Lobel Tye, LLP. He regularly speaks on intellectual property and business law issues, giving presentations for organizations such as AIGA Boston, Boston SCORE, and Artpreneur.org. He is a member of the Boston Bar Association, where he serves on the Solo & Small Firm Section steering committee. Blackadar is a graduate of Clark University and Northeastern University School of Law. In his spare time, he enjoys drawing, running, reading, and playing video games.
Jina Paik, Director at Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF)
Paik manages the delivery of strategic financial consulting services to nonprofits and funders, leading workshops and engagements across the country and overseeing major initiatives like the NYC Community Resilience Fund and the NYC Change Capital Fund. She also heads NFF’s institutional knowledge management for Advisory Services. Paik joined NFF in 2008 with more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, including work for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Helene Fuld Health Trust, and the TCC Group. Paik holds a Master of Science degree in urban policy analysis from the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at The New School, and a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University. She serves as board treasurer for Dance/NYC and sits on the selection committee for the New York Nonprofit Excellence Awards, which recognizes outstanding management practices among New York’s large and diverse nonprofit community.
Ari Solotoff, Esq., Founder and Principal of Solotoff Law Group, PLLC
Trained as a classical musician, Solotoff focuses his law practice on serving clients in entertainment and intellectual property law, as well as related areas of business and nonprofit law practice. He represents leading musicians, composers, artists, and other creative entrepreneurs from Portland, Maine, one of New England’s hottest destinations for live music, creativity, and the arts. Prior to studying law, Solotoff worked for over a decade in the classical music industry, where he served as a field-wide leader and executive, including appointments as Executive Vice President of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and before that, as Executive Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra and Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. Distinguished as Maine’s “Artful Lawyer” by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Solotoff presently serves as Chair of the Theater and Performing Arts Division of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries. Solotoff is also an Adjunct Professor in Law and Music at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music. He has lectured on topics in music, copyright, and the law at New England Conservatory, Oberlin College Conservatory, the University of Chicago, and for the League of American Orchestras.
This program is presented by NYFA Learning. Sign up here to receive NYFA News, a bi-weekly organizational email for upcoming awards, resources, and professional development. NYFA Learning also offers the monthly Immigrant Artist Program (IAP) Newsletter if you are interested in opportunities, professional development, events, and tips and advice specific to immigrant artists.
