Alondra Medina

I was working in innovation hubs, helping with AI and healthcare AI systems, and it was cool and lucrative, but I kind of felt like a void - doing all these things for things that I didn't really believe in. My dad is a social worker, and he's always kind of instilled this idea of helping others and what you can do to uplift people, so I wanted to go into that space, either in my passion for arts or sports. I found the opportunity at Artists at Risk Connection, and everything aligned. Now I'm the Digital Communications and Engagement Consultant there, revamping the whole branding on the social media side, the external communication, and redesigning the website, UI, and mobile platform. I come up with strategies for how to best showcase our mission and campaign alignment as they're in a transitional phase, shifting them from small to bigger - right now it's very grassroots. Day to day, I align with my program officers to get a sense of the work they're doing on the ground, then figure out ways we can communicate that to different audiences - targeted towards artists versus funders versus general audiences - shifting the messaging for each audience in a way that's aesthetically pleasing. I also facilitate workshops for artists at risk, giving them tips on how to boost their social media presence, how to market themselves, and data analytics tips. It's very fulfilling knowing that you're making a positive impact in people's lives. I feel like artists and creatives are so necessary to the fabric of society - the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, everything that makes life enjoyable. In the U.S., there's not that supportive infrastructure for that, so it's nice to do something to help uplift those people and help them get their footing.