Ja Ronn Thompson
Communication and sales specialist with 20+ years experience working in the nonprofit, tech and education sectors. Masters in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership and Social Justice.
- Role
- Founder & Executive Director at Yeah, Art
- Location
- Oakland, CA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Ja Ronn Thompson
Communications and sales specialist with 18+ years experience working in the financial sector, tech and education. Masters in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership and Social Justice. Founder and Executive Director Yeah, Art! an Oakland-based nonprofit making arts education more inclusive, accessible and relevant as well as Gospel Gators organization, which contains over 100 members and has been operating in excellence for 18+ years strong.
Experience
Founder & Executive Director
Apr 2020 — Present · Oakland, CA, US
Founded and lead YART, a nonprofit reimagining arts education through culturally relevant, tech-integrated programming for underfunded schools and communities. Operating at the intersection of arts, education, and innovation, we design experiences that help students build confidence, creativity, and real-world communication skills.As Executive Director, I drive strategy, partnerships, and operations—scaling programming while maintaining strong community impact.Key Contributions:Built YART from the ground up into a multi-site organization serving K–12 students across the Bay AreaDesigned and led arts + STEAM curriculum spanning music production, digital storytelling, visual art, and communicationSecured and managed partnerships with organizations including Adobe, Microsoft, Dolby, Golden State Warriors, and Kaiser PermanenteLed business development and fundraising efforts across grants, sponsorships, and enterprise engagementsRecruited and managed a team of teaching artists, building systems for training, curriculum delivery, and program qualityExpanded school partnerships and increased student reach through strategic growth initiativesBeyond the classroom, I lead workshops for companies focused on communication, creativity, and leadership—bridging nonprofit impact with enterprise collaboration.At its core, my work is about building systems where creativity becomes a pathway to opportunity, especially for communities that have been historically under-resourced.
Education
San Francisco State University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Communication Studies
San Francisco State University
Master's degree, Communication Studies
2019 — 2021
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