Staff

Dr. Brett Ashley Crawford, Executive Director/Publisher

Brett (she/her) teaches in the graduate arts & entertainment management programs and directs the Arts Management and Technology Laboratory at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University.  She has an MFA in arts administration and a PhD in theatre history and criticism. Her research includes work on women and minorities in arts management, organization ecologies, the use of technology in arts and management, marketing and arts audiences. Her most recent work is being published Raising the Curtain: Performing Arts Success Stories from Leaders & Artists.

She has 25 years of professional experience as an AEA stage manager, director, writer, theatre marketer and manager. She has worked in New York, Georgia, Tennessee, and Maryland/DC. She was managing director for 3 institutions, the last being Imagination Stage in Bethesda, MD. She has presented invited lectures and workshops to international, national, and DC audiences, including groups visiting from various international countries for the Department of State, the University of Helsinki, the Association of Arts Presenters, the DC Coalition on Heritage and Tourism, Performing Arts Exchange, Theatre Communications Group, and the Center for Cultural Studies at UC Santa Cruz.

hannah brainard, Chief Editor of Research

Hannah (she/her) is a second-year Master of Arts Management student at Carnegie Mellon University.  She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Arts Management from Indiana University, concentrating in music and performing arts.

Hannah’s research interests lie at the intersection of arts management, technology, and climate. Most recently, she served as the Climate Engagement Intern at Phipps Conservatory, supporting the Climate Toolkit for Museums, Gardens, and Zoos. Last year, Hannah was AMT Lab’s Lead Researcher, studying tech integrations for climate action in arts and cultural institutions.

Her background is in performing arts management, previously holding roles in both marketing and programming at Lakeside Chautauqua.

Ian Hawthorne, Lead Researcher

Ian (He/Him) is a second-year Master of Arts Management student at Carnegie Mellon University. Ian earned his bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in art history from Michigan State University.

Ian has worked with a wide variety of arts organizations, serving as the Operations Manager at REACH Studio Art Center, a nonprofit community art center in Michigan, as well as holding positions in development and communications at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Lansing Art Gallery. Ian has also served a portfolio of diverse institutional clients at Arts FMS, providing financial management and consulting services to arts nonprofits.

Approaching the arts from an industry-wide perspective, Ian’s research interests include cultural economics and policy, structured philanthropy, and financial strategies in the arts.

Sofia Akhmanaeva, social media and marketing coordinator

Sofia Akhmanaeva (she/her) is a second-year Master of Arts Management student at Carnegie Mellon University. Born and raised in the Siberian city of Tomsk, Russia, she did her undergraduate degree in International Relations in Moscow and came to Pittsburgh as a Fulbright scholar.This year, she completed her internship at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and is looking forward to pursuing her career in performing arts and music management in programming or marketing. Previously, she worked as a Marketing & Communications Manager for an international youth jazz festival “Jazzed in Siberia”, as an analyst in a marketing research agency, and an international politics researcher..

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