Staff Members

As the Development Associate, Ach (They/Them) supports CounterPulse’s fundraising work through database administration, grant prospecting, and fundraising events. They bring experience as a stage/production manager, sound engineer, lighting designer, technical theatre educator, and writer interested in the intersection of performance and labor. Ach develops interactive performance installations where participants move freely between the roles of performer, audience, and stagehand. They also hold virtual collaborations with the Re/Emergence Collective and Theater between Addresses. Ach loves to dance, craft, play the banjo, and listen to people talk about things they’re passionate about.

Rick (He/Queer) brings over 30 years experience in dance, theater, social work, and activism to his role as the Associate Director of Neighborhood Arts. Rick has lived, worked and made art in the Tenderloin neighborhood since 1995. During this time, Rick, has facilitated a number of social practice art based projects with special populations in the Tenderloin and other communities. Through CounterPulse’s Neighborhood Arts program, Rick works to identify and engage a wide range of Tenderloin stakeholders through Block Fest and other shared arts activities that foster community-building.

As Operations Manager Zoë (They/Them) applies their passion for nurturing San Francisco’s arts ecosystem to the daily details of CounterPulse. In their creative practice, Zoë explores the function of memory, the codification of space into place, and the ways in which the body navigates the ideological landscape. Their texts, performances, and installations incorporate vocabularies of printmaking, fiber, cinema, and sound.

As Technical Director, Kevin (He/They) oversees the operation of CounterPulse’s theater and studios. Alongside working at CounterPulse, he maintains a choreographic and compositional practice in Oakland, and is a PhD candidate in Music at UC Berkeley with a designated emphasis in New Media. He is one half of the interdisciplinary performance duo DROUGHT SPA alongside alex cruse. They have performed and exhibited in SFMOMA’s Open Space, San Francisco State University’s Poetry Center, Brown University’s Interrupt, B4BEL4B Gallery, Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, and Gauss PDF, among others.

Susan (She/Her) oversees CounterPulse’s accounting and financial reporting and supports with budgeting and other administrative functions. She began her career in bookkeeping in 2011 and has worked with several arts organizations and other nonprofits in the Bay Area, experience that has deepened her knowledge of accounting principles and the particular needs and requirements of nonprofits. Her goal is for those she works with to understand their finances and know their books are well looked after, so they can focus on their mission of creating art and fostering community and change. When not immersed in ledgers and spreadsheets, Susan enjoys exploring local hills and shorelines, solving crosswords, and cheering on the Oakland A’s.

Through CounterPulse, Phelps (She/They) intersects grassroots community responsiveness with practices borrowed from tactical urbanism, placemaking and social innovation to co-create transformational experiences. Phelps recently spearheaded the process of acquiring and renovating a new building as the pilot project of the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST). In collaboration with Jensen Architects Phelps designed a facility that is acclaimed by the public, press and featured in architectural reviews. Phelps has led the enterprising team of CounterPulse in funding and launching an acclaimed program of performing arts events, community-based programming, and international exchange projects. Phelps tours nationally and internationally as a speaker, U.S. representative, and dance artist.

At CounterPulse, Kimi  (She/Her) leverages her background in West African dance, house management, choreography, teaching and stage management to produce work, advance the technical execution of CounterPulse’s programs, and engage the community with our growing work. As a well-seasoned Undergraduate of the Dance and Performance Studies major and minor in Sociology from UC Berkeley, she studied performance as a mode of spiritual enrichment, critical inquiry, creative expression, and public engagement. Kimi will be hands-on with overseeing day to day events and workshops from start to performance. When not working you can find Kimi in a dance class releasing and smiling brightly.

As CounterPulse’s Communications & Engagement Manager, Grey (They/Them) will be working with artists and communities to tell their stories and promote their work. Grey has been working as a communications professional in the field of LGBTQ+ advocacy, education, and health for more than half a decade. They bring their experience in video production, social media marketing, branding, graphic design, and creative strategy to engage and expand CounterPulse’s growing audience. Also known by their drag alter-ego Mama Celeste, they are the co-founder and executive director of Oaklash: The Bay Area’s Drag and Queer Performance Festival.

Kat (They/Them) supports creative visions for artistic inquiries, public programs, community projects, institutional partnerships, and fundraising as the Development Manager for CounterPulse. Trataris received their M.F.A. degree from the San Francisco Art Institute and B.S. degree from San Diego State University. They co-founded Art Handlxrs* and Unrestricted Funds as avenues to practice labor, racial, and social equity advocacy in the arts community. They are a practicing conceptual artist based in the Bay Area and use performance, installation, music and poetry to explore the physical and psychological boundaries used to govern our social behaviors. Trataris enjoys making ceramic objects, growing vegetables, baking vegan desserts, and dancing with friends at queer bars.