At Tessitura, our mission is to enable arts and culture organizations to achieve their goals.  

We recognize that having a diverse team is not only critical to our commitment to adopt equitable behaviors but it will also fuel collaboration, innovation and creativity as we deliver on our mission. 

Creating an environment where everyone feels safe and comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work is both our pledge and our passion. Ultimately, providing an accessible and inclusive workplace will allow the Tessitura community to thrive. 

To uphold our DEAI commitment, we focus on four aims: 

1. Adopt equitable behaviors
2. Embrace diversity as essential to our success
3. Create an accessible and inclusive workplace and community
4. Engage with the Tessitura community on DEAI

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone is treated fairly, understands what success looks like, and has access to the resources needed to do their jobs well.

Within our company

In 2021, we undertook a company-wide compensation review in consultation with Payscale. This work led to a formalized and equitable compensation structure. We also introduced salary transparency on all job postings. We review our compensation strategy and pay equity annually.

Early in 2022, we introduced a new process to standardize performance evaluations and make them more equitable. Outcomes of this work included the introduction of more formal quarterly check-ins and a better alignment of performance evaluations with overall company goals. 

During annual reviews, team members set learning and development plans with their managers. We invest in LinkedIn Learning for the entire company. A professional development budget also supports our development goals.

Within our community

We continue to evaluate, and to make improvements to, the accessibility and inclusivity of our online and in-person events. We add captions and alternate text to the media on our website and social media channels. We have also offered team training with recommendations and best practices for presenting in virtual events. We continue to introduce accessibility accommodations to our in-person and virtual events.

WCAG compliance for Tessitura e-commerce

With Tessitura v16, TN Express Web (TNEW) has been transformed to provide an accessible and equitable experience for all users. Our objective is for the base TNEW e-commerce site and transactional emails to meet the accessibility standards as defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at the 2.1 AA compliance level. Our next steps are an official evaluation and the generation of a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). We will also define our processes for an accessibility review as part of our iterative release cycles.

Tessitura platform accessibility

We are committed to making the Tessitura platform accessible to as many users as possible. Accessibility in the application is closely tied to the underlying technology. Based on our experience making our e-commerce solution accessible, we have determined that the most efficient way to deliver an accessible user experience in the application is to first convert the interface completely to be browser-based. Some of these web screens are now available in the desktop application. As this conversion progresses, we are improving the accessibility in the presentation layer (e.g., color contrast).  After we finish converting the interface, we will update the underlying infrastructure to be compatible with screen readers and other assistive technology.  

For the Windows-based screens in the Tessitura desktop application, our goal is adherence to Microsoft Active Accessibility. Accessible features in the Windows-based screens include keyboard support, color coding considerations and form field labels for screen readers. User preferences are available for individual user configurations. Standard Windows tools including adjusting screen resolution, scaling and using Windows Magnifier can also be used. 

Increasing readability

In 2022, we set a goal to improve the readability of our content. We achieved our goal of ensuring that 75% of the new content we produced aligns with best practice standards for clarity. We maintain this goal and continue to meet it.

We recognize that hiring and developing a diverse team is not only the right thing to do, but also necessary for our ongoing success. Delivering industry-leading products and services requires the creativity and innovation that emerges from a team with differing experiences, perspectives, and viewpoints. Our guiding vision for this aim is that the diversity of our team should reflect the diversity of the regions in which we operate.

Within our company

We have made our hiring practices more inclusive to mediate unconscious bias and promote equity and diversity. We create inclusive job descriptions and post salary ranges for open positions. We involve hiring panels in the interview process. We extend our recruitment efforts to increase the diversity of our candidate pool. Our People team assesses and adapts this process annually to incorporate learnings and best practices. 

To measure the effectiveness of our efforts to cultivate a diverse team, we began an annual team census in 2021. The census looks at team diversity through five lenses: race and ethnicity; age; gender identity; sexual orientation; and physical, emotional or cognitive differences. 

We have also set goals to increase the diversity of our Board and our community vendors.

Within our community

We established five online affinity groups as safe spaces to foster connections and dialogue: LGBTQIA+, Neurodiversity and Mental Wellness, People of Color, People with Disabilities and Women in Tech. These groups hold regular online gatherings and in-person meetups at our international conferences. In addition, we have an online forum dedicated to DEAI topics. 
 
We have created a more equitable speaker selection process for the Tessitura Learning & Community Conference (TLCC). We now hold an open call for proposals for all TLCCs so that any interested member of the Tessitura community can submit their ideas. 
 
In 2021, we identified a need to intentionally increase the diversity of organizations in the Tessitura community. We have the data infrastructure in place to measure how many organizations run by and/or serving historically excluded populations are in our community.

To retain a diverse team and to benefit from their differing perspectives, we need to create a workplace where everyone feels safe and comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.

Within our company

Team surveys  

In 2020, we engaged the firm BW3 to conduct our first cultural assessment survey. The data in that survey has informed much of our internal DEAI work to date, and we continue to monitor and assess company culture and team wellbeing. In 2022, we re-engaged with BW3 to conduct our second cultural assessment.  

In 2021, the DEAI Committee introduced the quarterly Safety & Wellbeing survey. The survey comprised of six questions intended to measure a team member's safety levels, work/life balance status and feeling of inclusivity in their department and the company as a whole. In 2023, the survey was updated to a monthly Team Pulse Check survey. In 2024, we began using a professional engagement survey tool to surface trends and identify areas of improvement throughout the organization. 

Team training and resources 

In 2020, we engaged BW3 to provide diversity and inclusion training. They started with our management team and, in 2021, they trained the entire Tessitura team. In 2022, we began a training program for managers to equip them with the skills they need to lead inclusive work groups successfully. We now have ongoing training to prepare all team members to work successfully within a diverse team. To support this work, we maintain an Employee Resource Group (ERG) program. These groups provide infrastructure and support for team members who share a specific aspect of their identity to build community. Current ERGs available to staff are Neurodiversity, Early Career Professionals, and Let's Talk Menopause.

The staff DEAI Committee hosts a series of informal learning opportunities where team members can become familiar with a variety of issues and perspectives related to differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality or disability. These conversations are open to all team members for optional personal development. We also curate regular educational content in observance of significant dates, such as Juneteenth and International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
 
In 2022, we implemented an inclusive language tool in our internal messaging application. The tool checks for pre-programmed non-inclusive words and phrases used in chats and privately suggests better alternatives. We also switched our online meeting platform to one that includes built-in captioning. We are committed to promoting inclusivity in all our communications and helping our team become better allies in the process.
 
In 2023, we introduced a new private, secure feedback platform.  Staff can share concerns or suggestions about safety, wellbeing and company culture. This anonymous tool invites candid feedback while prioritizing the safety of our team.

Within our community

In 2020, we created a process to identify and eliminate the use of harmful terminology. We continually work toward inclusive language in three main areas: in materials such as our website and documentation, in our speech and everyday communications, and in our products. The Marketing team and the DEAI Committee collaborate on ongoing review and assessment of our language use. 
 
In 2022, we completed a review of six online community platforms to improve accessibility in our forums and online community groups. In Q2 of 2022, we began offering live captioning and transcriptions for all webinars and online events. 
 
We continually examine our support and online community technology for opportunities to improve.

Within the arts & culture sector 

In 2021 we established our Career Accelerator. The long-term goal of this program is to diversify perspectives in the arts and culture workforce. The first pilot group of 23 participants received Tessitura training, small group mentoring and other resources, all free of charge. Each year, the program serves two cohorts of 24 participants each in North America and one cohort of 16 in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The first European cohort launches in early 2025. 

We understand that our community wants visibility into our DEAI work. We engage with our community to inform our internal DEAI efforts, to foster knowledge-sharing around DEAI initiatives within the community, and to create interactions among the community members that are accessible and welcoming. 

In 2021, we developed a Community DEAI Advisory Committee. This committee serves as the primary point of communication for feedback, questions, concerns and collaborative opportunities between Tessitura and our member community. 

In 2022, we began offering quarterly community webinars on DEAI-related topics. The Community DEAI Committee co-curates these events with our team. We have also integrated sessions focused on DEAI into the program of the Tessitura Learning & Community Conference (TLCC).

In March 2020 we formed a DEAI committee with representation from across the company. This committee meets regularly and forms workgroups, when needed, dedicated to specific areas of focus. 
 
In recognition of the importance of this work, participation in the DEAI committee is not extracurricular. Members devote a portion of their existing working time to their DEAI work as part of Tessitura’s investment in continual improvement. 
 
The DEAI committee is advised by a group from Tessitura’s leadership team and a community DEAI advisory committee. Lauren Kusnierz, Solutions Manager; and Julia Wilson, Project Coordinator—Consulting Services, currently co-chair this committee. 
 
The members of our DEAI staff committee are Jo Boniface, Laura Bowden (ex-officio), Jessie Bower, Christy Carlson, Ara Carrera, Sarah Loveless Compton, Katrin Crosby, Rachael Easton, Beth Gilliland, Matt Ingham, Bobbi Kay, Lauren Kusnierz, Margaret Lehtinen, Ace Robinson, Lloyd Stringer, JD Short, Rachel Vest and Julia Wilson. 
 
In addition, a DEAI leadership group representing a cross-section of the company meets biweekly to move DEAI initiatives forward. This group includes Dana Astmann, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications; Laura Bowden, Vice President of People; Melissa Champ, Vice President of Support; Alex Harris, Group Product Manager; Lauren Kusnierz, Senior Solutions Manager; David Pearce, Chief Operating Officer; Andrew Recinos, President & CEO; and Julia Wilson, Project Coordinator, Consulting Services.

Questions? Comments?

We are committed to ongoing, goal-oriented work and will periodically update this page as that work progresses. If you have a question or comment about our work, please feel free to get in touch.

The Community DEAI Advisory Committee serves as the primary point of communication for feedback, questions, concerns and collaborative opportunities between Tessitura and our member community. If you would like to get in touch with this committee, please email CommunityDEAI@tessituranetwork.com.

View the Committee Charter ›

 

Brandon Brown (he/him) 

Associate Director of Development Operations
Woodruff Arts Center
Atlanta, Georgia

Brandon Brown is the Associate Director of Development Operations at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He has more than 11 years of experience with Tessitura, helping teams manage donor records and supporting fundraising efforts.

Brandon earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida A&M University and a master’s degree in public administration from Georgia State University. At the Woodruff Arts Center, he works to improve processes and tools that help engage donors and support successful campaigns. He has also attended many Tessitura conferences, sharing ideas and learning from others in the community.

Brandon is passionate about making the arts more diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive. He believes it’s important to give back to the same programs that helped shape who he is today. Serving on Tessitura’s Community DEAI Advisory Committee gives him a chance to help create meaningful change in arts organizations.

In his free time, Brandon enjoys cheering for Georgia sports teams, spending time with his family and supporting the arts.

Samantha Cantu (they/them) 

Patron Services Manager
Opera Colorado
Denver, Colorado

Samantha Cantu is a queer, genderfluid, neurodivergent, Chicano activist who hails from a tiny industrial town in Southeast Texas. They now reside in Denver where they are the Patron Services Manager of Opera Colorado. Driven by their own lived experiences of poverty and hardship, Samantha is always willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work needed. Samantha enjoys exploring all the facets of Colorado whilst juggling spending time with their kiddo, tending to their many friendships and giving back to the community. They love singing karaoke, psychoanalyzing fictional characters and playing a good immersive video game.

Ashley Dawson (she/her) 

Director of Marketing and Database Services
The Granada Theatre
Santa Barbara, California

Ashley Dawson, Director of Marketing and Database Services at The Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, is a multiracial woman with Black, White, and Indigenous roots dedicated to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for all.

Ashley began her career as a box office associate at Detroit Opera, where she first worked with Tessitura. At The Granada Theatre, she advanced through roles in ticketing and database support before becoming a director. She now leads the marketing, ticketing, and database teams. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in music, with a focus on arts administration, from Bowling Green State University. She is a fall 2024 graduate of the Tessitura Career Accelerator program.

As a member of the DEAI Advisory Committee, Ashley is eager to learn from different perspectives and share her own. She strives to bring new ideas to her organization and the arts community, improving workplace culture and live performances by supporting DEAI efforts.

Outside of work, Ashley enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, Ludwig and Luna. She loves expressing her creativity through music and crafts, or relaxing with a cozy video game.  

Jane Duong (she/her) 

CRM and Ticketing Manager, Tessitura
National Gallery of Australia
Parkes, Australia

Jane is a queer, Chinese-Vietnamese Australian arts administrator and photographer. She treads with care on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country (Kamberri/Canberra, Australia).

Jane is currently the CRM and Ticketing Manager at the National Gallery of Australia. She previously held various positions at the National Portrait Gallery for over a decade. Her career has focused on removing barriers to access for audiences. She aims to make the arts accessible for everyone, regardless of ability or disability. Her intention is to create welcoming and inclusive spaces for all.

When she is not working in galleries, she enjoys collaborating on photo projects. These include Hold On: Treasures from Rainbows (2022), Raising the Flag: Matter of Pride (2019) and Queerberra (2017).

Jane joined the PhotoAccess Board in September 2023. PhotoAccess is a nonprofit organization based in Kamberri/Canberra. It is dedicated to making, sharing and investigating photographic culture. It does this in the interest of artistic expression, cultural participation and positive social change.

Jordan Edwards (she/they) 

Director of Ticketing
Long Center for the Performing Arts
Austin, Texas

Jordan is a queer, neurodivergent woman who has spent the last 15 years in box offices and marketing for arts and cultural nonprofit organizations. She likes to say that she literally grew up in a music venue (feel free to ask her about it!).

She has worked at nonprofits ranging from ballet companies to NPR affiliates. This includes working as an instructor at the Tessitura Center for Professional Development. She particularly enjoys training, mentoring and coming up with creative solutions to problems.

Jordan has co-chaired the LGBTQIA+ Tessitura Community since January of 2022. In her free time, she likes to read with her cats, craft, learn languages and play board games.

Isaac Freeman (they/them)

Head of Ticketing and Sales 
Hampstead Theatre
London, United Kingdom

Isaac works as Head of Ticketing and Sales in London. They have only recently started in this role, but in previous roles, they championed access and diversity both for customers and staff. This work included implementing new web features, writing access guides and even marching in the Brighton Pride Parade. They have attended EU Ticketing Tessitura Community meetups as well as TLCC Gateshead. Isaac identifies as nonbinary and neurodiverse. They are passionate about helping workplaces implement adjustments to improve the working lives of disabled and neurodivergent people. They also care deeply about encouraging venues to consider how to enhance their access offerings. Isaac is a playwright and poet who holds a master’s degree in queer studies.

Nicki LeGrand (she/her)

Data Services and Analytics Specialist 
Royal Winnipeg Ballet 
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Nicki LeGrand is a Métis woman from Manitoba, Canada. Manitoba is on the lands of the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Ininew (Cree), Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. Nicki is the Data Services and Analytics Specialist at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and champions the use of Tessitura across the organization. Currently, Nicki co-chairs the Winnipeg Tessitura Community and Women in Tech Tessitura Community. She is currently a board member for the Friends of Lower Fort Garry, which promotes Canada’s cultural heritage through awareness and education.

Nicki is a trained mezzo-soprano. She has a degree in vocal performance from the University of Manitoba. In 2023, she obtained a certification in database administration from the University of Calgary. She currently lives in Winnipeg with her husband, Ian. They enjoy trying new recipes on their many barbeques and smokers.

As a member of the Community DEAI Advisory Committee, Nicki advocates for women in the male-dominated tech industry. She also makes space for Indigenous history and voices to be celebrated and embraced.

Jade-Leigh Scott (she/they)

Venue Supervisor, Customer Service 
Arts Centre Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia

Jade-Leigh Scott is an audience experience advocate and musician from Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). She has worked in the arts and live events sector for over 20 years in varying capacities and contexts. She currently works for Arts Centre Melbourne as a people leader in the Customer Service team.

Jade-Leigh is a proud queer, nonbinary trans woman. She is a trailblazer, forging a dual career as a trans orchestra conductor in Australia. Her journey to finding her authentic self has been inherently linked with her musical growth and training. Jade-Leigh's passion for the orchestra has driven her desire to reconnect the genre with a modern, diverse audience. This passion drives much of her advocacy work.

Jade-Leigh is a late-diagnosed Autistic ADHDer, and identifies as neurodivergent and disabled. She is a fierce advocate for the neurodivergent and disabled communities. She challenges the organisations she works with to create accessible spaces before there is a 'need.' Jade-Leigh's advocacy is founded on the principle that better access benefits everyone, even those who don't know they need it. This work has led Jade-Leigh to join Tessitura’s Community DEAI Advisory Committee.

Outside of their working life, Jade-Leigh is an avid gamer, and is usually listening to her latest hyperfixation pop artist.

Robyn Thomas (they/them)

CRM Systems Manager
Southbank Centre
London, United Kingdom

Robyn Thomas works as a CRM Systems Manager in London and has recently joined Southbank Centre. Before this, they worked at Dulwich Picture Gallery, where they helped to establish the Gallery’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group and advocated for a staff wellbeing coach.

Robyn identifies as a queer, nonbinary person of colour, who is neurodivergent. In their career in the arts and culture, equal accessibility to the arts is central to everything they do. Robyn is driven by their own experience of mental health struggles, and how important creativity and access to the arts has been for them.

Robyn has a bachelor's degree in fine art and history of art. In their free time they like to write and spend time with their cat, Luna.

Sheriece Veazey-McNally (she/her)

Senior Manager, Prospect Research and Stewardship
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Kansas City, Missouri

Sheriece is the Senior Manager of Prospect Research and Stewardship at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. She is a member of the development division and the major gifts team. She oversees prospect research, portfolio management and stewardship. Sheriece teaches a studio of voice students through UMKC Conservatory’s Academy. She is a singer who has recently worked with MTH, The Black Repertory Theatre of KC and the BMA Community Choir. She also participates in Nonprofit Connect’s BIPOC Nonprofit Professional Roundtable. She graduated from CSU with a master’s degree in arts leadership and cultural management. She earned an M.M. in voice from UMKC Conservatory and a B.A. in integrative arts from Penn State Altoona. She enjoys traveling, cooking and reading.