Hello
Hi, I'm Caralyn Spector, the founder of The Philly Leadership Lab. I believe deeply that anyone can be a leader and that every leader has creative capacities that can help them find their true voice. I also know that every leader needs a thought partner - someone from outside the organization who can help you feel less alone and garner new perspectives as you put out fires and strategically forge new paths.
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My Story
I am a Philly native and in addition to my work with the Philly Leadership Lab, I am a co-founder of Spector|Gay Consulting with Val Gay and the senior managing consultant for The ROZ Group. I served as Interim Executive Director for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. Prior to consulting, I was a Creative Communities program officer for the William Penn Foundation where my portfolio focused on operating support for arts organizations across Philadelphia and was the Interim President and CEO for DataArts, bringing big data to the arts and culture sector. During the Obama Administration, I served as Deputy and Chief of Staff to the Senior Deputy Chair and the Senior Policy Advisor to the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
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My path has also allowed me to work with an array of organizations and sectors throughout my career including Blue Star Families, Disney Theatrical Productions, National Endowment for the Humanities, Fleisher Art Memorial, Jordan Roth Productions, the Kennedy Center, National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed, the National Science Foundation, Nickelodeon Productions, Playbill Inc., Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), State Education of Directors of Art Education, Theatreworks/USA, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Education, among others.
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I serve on the board of three powerhouse arts organizations: Fresh Artists, CultureWorks Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.
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I received my B.A. from Barnard College ;M.A. in Creative Leadership at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design with MACL Director, Diane Ragsdale. I also have a Certificate in Executive Leadership from National Arts Strategies (NAS) Executive Program in Arts and Culture Strategy at the School of Social Policy, University of Pennsylvania, and an HR Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University.
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I grew up in Elkins Park, PA and then lived in NYC for almost 20 years. We moved to DC when I took the NEA position and then moved back to the Philly area with my amazing husband and author, Al Kalman, and our two spicy girls, Eva and Sadie.
Let's Connect!
I'm always looking for new and interesting opportunities to collaborate. Let's connect.