Ariel Ari Newman

About Ariel Ari Newman

The best moment in any project is when someone says \"I didn\'t think this was possible.\" That\'s what I\'m always building toward.Throughout my career I\'ve been driven by a need to understand how people and communities work — and to create the structures, platforms, and strategies that help them thrive. Whether I\'m developing brand and media strategy for national publishing clients at Time Inc. or producing a three-day 13-venue mural festival for 40 community artists in Austin, I\'ve been able to identify what\'s missing and build the plan, the team, and the conditions to make it real. This is what I did managing client accounts and media sales at Time Inc, building brand strategy at All Day Media, and managing production operations at Kasasa.My desire to understand how people, systems, and communities work together led me to Political Science and Communications at UC Davis — and it never stopped driving me. I\'ve since earned a Product Manager certificate from Product School and a UX Design certificate from NYU Tandon.I currently lead the Austin Arts Foundation as Co-Director, where I align organizational vision with program execution, manage cross-functional teams of artists, vendors, sponsors, and community partners, establish budgets and timelines, and track outcomes across multiple simultaneous programs. I\'m looking for Project Manager roles because coordinating people, solving problems in real time, and watching something complex actually come together is the work I love most.Specialties: project management · program management · strategic planning · cross-functional leadership · stakeholder management · vendor management · budget management · event production · community engagement · digital marketing · brand strategy · FinTech operations · data-driven decision making · agile methodologies · nonprofit management I love traveling around the world and painting in experimental styles. When I\'m home, my five rescue animals, Wesley, Dru, Fred, Oz, and Willow — all named after Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters — run the house.

Experience

1. Co-director

   Austin Arts Foundation

   Apr 2024 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   Co-founded and led a nonprofit organization from the ground up, owning strategic vision, program roadmap, fundraising, budgeting, and organizational growth- Built and managed cross-functional teams spanning artists, sponsors, vendors, community partners, and volunteers, coordinating complex multi-stakeholder deliverables across simultaneous programs- Secured grant funding and developed a sponsor network to sustain and scale organizational programming- Served as lead project manager and executive producer across all major programs, managing scope, timelines, logistics, budgets, and on-the-ground executionKey programs produced:Los Artículos — Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Produced a 3-day multicultural celebration at Motion Media Arts Center featuring 40+ local Hispanic artists across painting, sculpture, digital art, film, dance, and music. Managed venue logistics, artist coordination, vendor relationships, and community programming simultaneously — including a film screening of \"Blood In Blood Out\" with a live Q&A with actors Jesse Borrego and Carlos Carrasco, inclusive dance workshops, panel discussions on cultural identity and representation, and a Latin food and beverage market. Designed to create an accessible, multigenerational cultural space for Austin\'s Latino community. Local Video — Pop-Up Art Installation & Film Experience Produced an interactive pop-up exhibition and mini film festival reimagining video rental culture through a contemporary art lens. Managed 30 local visual artists creating custom VHS cover art, 10 Texas-based independent filmmakers, workshop facilitation across stop-motion filmmaking and movie poster design, and a community partnership with a local Autistic support organization to co-produce original artwork. Brought together multiple generations around storytelling, creative collaboration, and community access to the arts.

Education

• Questrom School of Business, Boston University

  Micromasters, Digital Product Management

  2019 — 2020

• University of California, Davis

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science and Communications

  2012 — 2015

• Product School

  PMC Certification - enhance understanding of the product management life cycle.

  2020 — 2020

Skills

• Photography
• Press Releases
• Html
• Political Science
• Fundraising
• Time Management
• Account Management
• Data Entry
• Strategy
• Politics
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Publicity
• Social Networking
• Facebook
• Illustrator
• Research
• Adobe Photoshop
• Twitter
• Writing
• Creative Writing
• Social Media Marketing
• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Online Marketing
• Public Speaking
• Advertising
• English
• Editing
• Event Planning
• Communication
• Photoshop
• Government
• Customer Service
• Blogging
• Microsoft Word
• Business Development
• Painting
• Social Media
• Java