Beth Blatt      Founder and CEO

Beth has written musicals and marketing plans, worked in Toulouse (France) and Tokyo (Japan), dubbed kung fu films and shared the screen with Godzilla. Somehow, Hope Sings seems to make use of every part of her checkered past.

She is an award-winning writer of songs, musicals and plays, with her work performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, off-Broadway, across the US, in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. She's collaborated with composers from the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America. She has worked in TV, film and radio, both as a performer and writer/producer. In Tokyo, she wrote a regular music column for The Japan Times, contributed features to The Hollywood Reporter, and was featured in the film Godzilla vs. Biolante.

On the business side, Beth worked in advertising with Ogilvy & Mather on the American Express and General Foods accounts. Beth is a member of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) and the Dramatists’ Guild, and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College. 

ELIZABETH KEMLER      DIRECTOR OF LOCAL PROGRAMMING/SONGS FOR A CAUSE   EVENTS

Elizabeth Kemler is an author, educator, curriculum designer, and performer whose mission—both personally and professionally—is to incite positive social change. Whether developing a social emotional learning program for underserved high school students, promoting mindful pedagogy for online instructors, facilitating a theater workshop for at-risk youth, or producing musical events in support of women’s and children’s causes, Elizabeth finds nothing so satisfying as witnessing human growth and transformation. 

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College, a Masters in Education from Pace University, and certifications as a Higher Education Professional (CHEP) and an EQ Educator. Over the course of her 18- year career as a trainer, coach, and curriculum designer, she has enjoyed working with a diverse clientele—from schools like The Cooper Union, Baruch College and Ultimate Medical Academy; non profit organizations like Youthbuild, YearUp, and AMIKids; to companies like MaxKnowledge, Information Builders, Inc. and Decker Communications. Amongst the many awesome organizations  Elizabeth has worked with as a performer and advocate are, Storahtelling, Lab/Shul, Sing for Hope, Earth Celebrations, Cherub Improv, and her own, Ecomix.

Porfirio Piña     Advisory Board 

To hear people talk, Porfirio may be the most like-able man in Latin Music. And he cooks mean Dominican Cuisine.  Porfirio was until recently the Senior Director of Writer & Publisher Relations for Latin Music at BMI. Popi recently returned to his first love - artist management - and founded Porfirio Pina Management/La Oreja Media, where he manages some of the hottest new names in Latin music. He continues to serve as the Director of the BMI Foundation’s peermusic Latin Scholarship ( a national competition for young Latin songwriters and composers), and is also on the Board of Directors of the BMI Foundation.

Before joining BMI, Porfirio managed hit song-writer Nicolas Tovar and Proyecto Uno, the first-ever Merengue Hip-Hop group. He was the founder of Double P Music, a Management and Production Company, which played a key role in forming, launching and managing El Chipo, Sandy & Papo MC, Joselito and ilegales. He has produced albums and remixes for Juan Luis Guerra, Los Hermanos Rosario, Roy Tavare, Amparo Sandino, Checo Acosta, Estopa, Enrique Iglesias and other successful international artists.

Mary K Marsden    Advisory Board 

Mary K almost died twice. After that, she decided she would only do things that mattered. Hope Sings is one of them.  She is a proven entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in global marketing and management with some of the software industry's best companies. She has led the successful commercialization of dozens of software products and rolled-out over 20+ companies in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan.

MK is currently GM of Transactional Email at Digital Impact. As an Executive with Acxiom (nasdaq: ACXM), she led the Online Media Services, with clients including Citi Group, Sam’s Club, and CVS Pharmacy.  Prior to that she was the Founder/CEO of Message Effect, and before that built two successful consulting companies focused on strategic management marketing and the "smart application and commercialization of technology". Her clients included leaders in the industry, such as Microsoft, Novell, HP, and Fujitsu. Prior to that, Mary K had a very successful management tenure with Novell, Inc. 

Michael A. Freedman    Advisory Board 

Michael A. Freedman has 25 years+ experience in building media businesses and in investment banking. Until recently, he was CEO of Fuel Outdoor Holding, which owns and operates Out-of-Home media businesses in 9 of the 15 largest markets in the United States. He has sold that is already developing new opportunities! Mike is also manager and one of the original founders of MC Realty Group, a company that buys/manages realty assets related to the outdoor advertising industry. He was one of the original founders of Pacific Media in 1989, and led the management team that grew Pacific Media into the largest Out-Of-Home media company in Japan.

Prior to founding Pacific Media, Mike was a Vice President of Wasserstein Perella & Co and one of the people responsible for Wasserstein Perella’s Tokyo-based joint venture with Nomura Securities, then the world’s largest securities firm. Before that, he spent six years as an investment banker with The First Boston Corporation. Mr. Freedman is a 1983 cum laude graduate of Harvard College in East Asian Studies.  He is fluent in Japanese.  

Elizabeth Roberts    Advisory Board

Elizabeth P. Roberts is Director of Development - Campaign & Individual Giving at the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  As a volunteer she currently is President of the Boston Ronald McDonald House. She has served as Vice President of Development at Northeastern University, Director of Development at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Director of the Harvard Law School Fund.  Libby has three decades of philanthropic experience at premier institutions with diverse constituents, focusing on team-building and key constituent relationships for causes that improve society and change lives.  She is a graduate of Dartmouth College. 

Polly Kelekis      Advisory Board

Polly is an international development consultant with 17 years of experience. Prior to her current consulting roles for the UN, she was a Senior Manager in the New Business Development Department at FINCA International, responsible for managing FINCA’s relationships with multilateral and bilateral development banks and European government development agencies.  In addition, she led FINCA’s work on new country expansion opportunities. Prior to FINCA, Polly consulted for the Policy Team at Women's World Banking. In 2003-2004, she managed the Volunteer Team for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. 

Previously, Polly held posts at Accenture and Booz Allen Hamilton and also worked at the Office of Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the Corporate Executive Board.  Polly has an MBA from The Wharton School of Business, an MA in International Economics and International Relations from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University, and a BA from YaleUniversity.  She is proficient in Spanish and fluent in Greek. 

Mindy Figueroa    Advisory Board

“I am passionate about life, helping people and making a difference in the world (I know it sounds cliché) but I really mean it. Ah, a secret....I have a victory dance, my team makes fun of me, I dance every time we achieve little triumphs... When our hearts connect with other human beings there is a music explosion in my head and I have to dance......we love the way music allows us to create a neutral playing field. Cheers to hope, cheers to Hope Sings!” Mindy is president and founder of Latin2Latin, the award-winning marketing company.

HELPING HANDS - now and in the past 

Kellee Joost     Operations Manager and Chief Cheerleader

Awesome at everything she does, Kellee is a Managing Director of Golden Seeds (angel investing for female entrepreneurs), is on the board of DayOne Response (innovative solutions for global disaster relief),  was a Pipeline Fellowship fellow and co-founder of Integrative Pet Care (would you believe doggie's getting PT on underwater treadmills?).  

Allie Silver    HS International Correspondent

Allie is a powerhouse and an intrepid citizen of the world. She recently founded Free Radical Productions, a bi-lingual (English/Spanish) music consulting company. Prior to that, she worked in artist management in Buenos Aires; before that, she worked as the World Music Director, Producer and DJ of the "Continental Drift" international music program at WNUR 89.3 FM (Evanston IL) and was Seasonal Producer of Chicago Summer Dance and World Music Festival. Allie is the co-founder of Women of the World, an organization created to engage and create a community for women in the international music industry and encourage female leaders of tomorrow to pursue their passions of working in world music at home and abroad. 

Alexandra McNulty         International Correspondent - Japan

Alex is a senior at Miami University, majoring in Mass Communication and minoring in Sociology. She has a passion for human relations, and spent her spring semester in Tokyo at Sophia University. Her worldview has been significantly expanded during her four months abroad having been exposed to the unique culture and society of Japan. It has been intriguing to her to observe what life is like for women in Japan, particularly the ongoing inequality in the workforce. She is not sure what her future plans after graduation are, but hopes there is another opportunity to venture back to Japan and truly believes in the mantra, “When nothing is sure, everything is possible”!

Zhaokun Ma    Resident Tech/On-line Business-building Dynamo

At age 9, Zhaokun Ma  moved to the United States without knowing more than five words in English. Today, to make up for his subsequent quietness as a child, Zhaokun writes, blogs, and socializes avidly, yet it is through his participation in business enterprises and entrepreneurship that Zhaokun ultimately hopes to lend a voice to the people and the ideas that are dear to him.  

Maggie MacPherson   Videographer

Maggie is a student of Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson University in Toronto. She loves photography and video and hopes to one day make everyone in her life’s dreams come true by sharing their talents with the rest of the world. In her free time she likes to sing, eat chocolate and practice yoga (but mostly just eat chocolate). She was born and raised in Beautiful British Colombia and hopes to one day return to live in Vancouver and work in the film or television industry.

Raul Silva Behrens    Hispanic/University Outreach Manager

Raul is currently pursuing the same degree as Ben Stein from the same school. He fully plans on following in his footsteps, including droning out "Bueller" in a remake of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Danielle Oliveira   Hispanic Music Partner Outreach

Danielle has helped organize/run both the Latin Alternative Music Conference (New York) and the Boston Latino Film Festival. Another from the Gang of Berklee.

Mandi Kitchen   Music Partner Outreach

Mandi, a pianist/singer/songwriter, has managed artists’ websites and promo pages for Red Light Management and taught music and music therapy. One of the brilliant kids from Berklee.

Robyn Metko

A fourth-generation musician and daughter of legendary accordionist Dick Metko, Robyn Marie was christened “Polka Princess” by her high school classmates.WAPL Morning Show host Rick McNeal would later grant Robyn Marie the esteemed title of “Prize Fairy” during her tenure with Woodward Communications Radio Group.

Hispanic Marketing and PR - a great way to connect with the Latin market.