Colt Coeur recently welcomed 3 additions to its Board of Directors: Tomi Olabanji, Vanessa Peréda, and Ebony Vines. These new members join existing Board members Amy Ashton, Rachel DeMatteo, Amy Groeschel, Julia Jones, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Roberta Kelly, Ray Levin, Alex Marrs, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Erica Rotstein, and AJ Strasser.
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Tomi Olabanji (she/her) is a young Nigerian techie born and raised in Northern Virginia. She is currently an Onboarding Consultant at Neustar. She partners with clients to navigate the transfer and activation process of their data on various data platforms such as Google, Twitter, Facebook, and Hulu. Her display of resilience every day dealing with myriad of issues and activities for so many clients, has earned her multiple peer recognition and top performance awards. She also received a recommendation from her CEO to be selected for Neustar’s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion council after her bold efforts to speak to him directly about diverse and cultural awareness efforts. The determination she has in her professional life to leave a trail of excellence seamlessly translates to her personal life. She has a passion for helping people in a manner that extends beyond just financially. She does not to stand behind anything that doesn’t serve a purpose beyond looking great on her resume because she values her integrity and trust she has developed from her network. Tomi is an advocate for the voiceless in every space she finds herself in, recognizing that her own career climb is a testament of others who have done the same for her. Her support of Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead (GIRL), has earned her a spot on the non-profit’s Advisory Council where she continues her work to mentor the next generation on career readiness with a focus on STEAM careers. When she isn’t getting lost behind the latest download on her Kindle, tending to her house plants, or making improvements to her new home, one will find her jet setting to a new destination (#TomiTravels), to soak in the atmosphere of a new culture or cuisine. She is very family oriented and her dog niece Foxy would also say she’s is a joy to be around! Instagram: @tomiohhh // LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tomiolabanji // Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead: https://www.girlsinspiredinc.org/
Vanessa Peréda (she/her/hers) is a Chicana multi-disciplinary theater artist, proud arts-ed programmer, teaching artist, and community builder. Growing up homeless and poor in her youth in Central California, it is her mission to break the chains of inaccessible artistic opportunities and create structures where ALL BIPOC artists, especially those with backgrounds similar to her own, can thrive and have a place at the theatrical table. When not performing, creating, and writing, Vanessa engages in local politics, advocates for climate and restorative justice, and stands by the idea that prioritizing artistic opportunities for BIPOC artists are foundational in building a more equitable industry and city. Vanessa currently works as The Education + Community Director for the Bushwick Starr, as an Artistic Fellow/Collaborator at ¡Oye Group!, and as the co-leader of Colt Coeur’s annual free Education Initiative. vanessapfelix.com
Ebony Vines’ (she/her/hers) most recent credits include: assistant directing the industry concert for the new musical Dear Prospective Student, which was managed by Tony award winning Producers, SL Theatricals. Producer on the short film Ghoul Station now on Amazon Prime, the Typecast Benefit Concert which was presented at the historical Duplex Cabaret Theater and The Women's Cycle at The Cell Theater. She can also be heard co-hosting a weekly podcast called Theatre Geeks Anonymous which is a proud member of the Broadway Podcast Network. She has been featured on blogs and in publications for her theatrical work and is a 2020 graduate of the Commercial Theater Institute's fourteen-week commercial producing program. Ebony is also a founding member of the Think Tank for Theatrical Innovation which is a "collaborative community of theater professionals who provide innovative strategies to promote inclusion, equity, diversity, and access in the creation and business of theater." For more details on Ebony’s background and work you can check out her website at www.ebonyvines.com.