Announcing the 2024-25 Midwestern National Leaders of Color Fellows

Tyler Brunsell

Madison, Wisconsin

Tyler Brunsell is a creative professional whose work is rooted in hip-hop and its culture of self-expression and community. After discovering his passion for music and digital arts in high school, he spent two years as a high school paraprofessional assisting with hip-hop workshops.

An emcee, Brunsell became deeply involved in Madison’s independent music scene, writing and recording as a solo artist, as half of the duo Homemade, and as a co-founder of Supa Friends. Supa Friends is a hip-hop group that hosted open mics and showcases, spotlighting and sharing the stage with a variety of local artists. A self-taught graphic designer, Brunsell creates event flyers and websites and assists with audio and video podcast production at Media 22, a local multimedia company.

In 2021, Brunsell joined Urban Community Arts Network, a nonprofit that advocates for equity in Madison’s music ecosystem. He has held roles including middle school teaching artist, administrative support, and project manager. Currently, as creative strategy coordinator for Greater Madison Music City, a collective impact project led by Urban Community Arts Network, Brunsell leads initiatives to position music as a key driver of tourism in Madison.

Hanh Bui

Bloomington, Indiana

Hanh Bui is an emerging arts professional and artist studying arts management with minors in creative writing and studio art at Indiana University. As the undergraduate internal programming assistant for the IU Arts & Humanities Council, she develops arts programming that brings communities together and highlights unique, intersectional narratives. She has curated and coordinated community art galleries on topics such as the Asian American diaspora, femme rage,and what it means to yearn.

Bui has curated and coordinated community art galleries on topics including the Asian American diaspora, femme rage, and the concept of yearning. Through her work, she strives to elevate marginalized voices, foster dialogue, and create spaces for connection.

As the racial equity intern for Hoosier Asian American Power, Bui is dedicated to building safer, more inclusive communities for Asian Americans and all Hoosiers. She believes in the arts as a tool to build and care for communities, envision more equitable futures, and amplify marginalized perspectives.

Bui is committed to furthering work in arts and racial equity, creating spaces for creative expression and social change.

Amia Moore

Porcupine, South Dakota

Amia Moore is the director of youth leadership development at Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, where she empowers Native youth and families on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Her work fosters cultural identity, wellness, and leadership through traditional Lakota teachings, promoting resilient and connected communities.

Previously, Moore served as manager of scholar advocacy at the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, supporting Indigenous Gates Scholars nationwide. She ensured equitable access to academic opportunities while honoring cultural identities. As director of the SAMHSA Native Connections grant at Marty Indian School, she integrated mental health advocacy, mentorship, and suicide prevention with traditional Lakota and Dakota knowledge, bridging cultural teachings and modern strategies.

Rooted in a traditional Lakota family, Moore grew up understanding the deep connection between art and culture. She has organized and facilitated programs preserving Lakota traditions, including beading, quillwork, moccasin making, archery, harvesting native plants, and re-establishing boys’ and girls’ societies.

Moore’s mission addresses cultural inequity by equipping Indigenous youth with resources to reclaim traditional ways of life. Through holistic wellness practices, she combats the effects of colonization, systemic oppression, and cultural erasure, fostering equity, diversity, and the restoration of Lakota culture for future generations.

Sarah Ndagire

Dubuque, Iowa

Sarah Ndagire, a Ugandan-born performing artist and cultural practitioner, founded AfriWell Hub, an initiative that fosters wellness, cultural connection, and inclusivity through African arts. With more than 20 years of practice in music, dance, and storytelling, Ndagire has honed her expertise through traditional training, community mentorship, and hands-on experience, making her a respected leader in cultural preservation.

Ndagire has performed globally, collaborating with renowned artists and captivating audiences with performances that blend traditional and contemporary African influences. Beyond the stage, she has worked as a radio presenter and led educational workshops influenced by African traditions, promoting cultural heritage and cross-cultural understanding.

Committed to inclusion and representation, Ndagire creates spaces for underrepresented voices and advocates for equitable recognition and support for diverse artists. She is preparing to launch “African Vibes,” a community engagement initiative celebrating African culture through music, dance, cuisine, art, and interactive workshops. The platform aims to foster meaningful connections, encourage cultural exchange, and showcase the talents of African immigrants.

Through her dedication to preserving and sharing African traditions, Ndagire enriches local and global cultural landscapes, inspiring a deeper appreciation and understanding of African heritage.

Alexander Paredes-Ruíz

Chicago, Illinois

Alexander Paredes-Ruíz is a Chicago-based, Miami-born cultural worker, artist-scholar, and writer passionate about creative praxis, reimagining narrative forms, and reinventing aesthetic traditions. He holds dual degrees in theater arts management (B.S.) and history (B.A.) from Ithaca College. He later earned a master’s degree in Latin American and Latino studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he also worked as a teaching assistant supporting instruction in Latinx culture and literature. His research focuses on Latinx and Latin American cultural production, with an emphasis on Latinx theater, performance, and aesthetics.

Paredes-Ruíz is the marketing director for First Floor Theater, a nonprofit storefront theater based in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood that specializes in new play development and premieres. He has also worked as a freelance translator for Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Spanish-captioned performances and as an archivist for Studio Theatre’s ongoing production history repository project.

He is an alumnus of The Public Theater’s BIPOC Critics Lab, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Intern Program. His writing has been featured by New York City Center, CUSLAR, and the Ithacan.

Rosari Sarasvaty

Bismarck, North Dakota

Rosari Sarasvaty is the children’s division coordinator at Northern Plains Dance in Bismarck, North Dakota. She earned a master’s degree in teaching dance in the professions with a concentration in American Ballet Theatre (ABT) pedagogy from NYU Steinhardt. She received the NYU 2022 Outstanding Service in Dance Education Award. Sarasvaty is an ABT®-certified teacher and served as a class assistant at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Additionally, she completed a teacher training program at the Mark Morris Dance Center.

Sarasvaty specializes in ballet, modern, and contemporary dance. She has performed and choreographed for Teresa Fellion Dance, Dunyc.hi, New York University, the Martha Graham Dance School, Dance FX, and Marlupi Dance Academy, among others.

As a dance educator, Sarasvaty is dedicated to teaching the next generation of leaders in the dance industry. She encourages creativity and critical thinking by fostering meaningful discussions and collaborative work in the classroom.

She is currently focused on expanding the Student Company program at Northern Plains Dance and serving as production manager for the North Dakota Asian-American Arts and Cultural Initiative Cultural Expo 2024.

Mirabel Fonyuy Umenei

Caledonia, Michigan

Mirabel Fonyuy Umenei, also known as Myra Maimoh, is a dynamic leader in women’s empowerment, cultural advocacy, and immigrant support. She serves as the executive director of the African Collaborative Network, leading initiatives focused on workforce development and empowering African immigrants. Recently appointed as the director of development at the Women’s Resource Center, she continues advocating for women, people of color, and New Americans by advancing equity and opportunity through innovative programs.

As founder and CEO of Motherland Cultural Connections LLC, Umenei has developed award-winning initiatives like the Motherland Cooking Xperience and Foods That Bind, which promote cultural exchange through food and storytelling. Through Motherland Coaching, she equips African immigrants with the tools to start their own businesses.

A sought-after speaker and advocate, Umenei remains dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and community building, which are central to her life’s work.

Sara Osman

Bloomington, Minnesota

Sara Osman (she/her) is a writer, filmmaker, and cultural practitioner based in Minneapolis. She is the co-founder and director of creative development for The Qalanjo Project, a Somali cultural organization and creative arts studio in Minneapolis that promotes cultural production, community archival work, and social change through the arts. Osman develops programs that uplift artistry in her community, with themes of home, belonging, and cultural preservation central to her work.

Osman earned a master’s degree in arts education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2019, where she developed an interest in film and media for youth. Her storytelling focuses on memory, place, and identity, with an emphasis on the evolving Somali identity in Minnesota. She also serves as the director of programming for the Black Europe Film Festival of Minneapolis & Saint Paul, where she develops workshops, strengthens local collaborations, and works with the festival team to plan a showcase highlighting the Black experience in Europe.

Her poetry appears in Crossroads: An Anthology of Resilience & Hope by Young Somali Writers, which explores the Somali youth experience in Minnesota. Osman is directing and producing two short documentary films and an audio-archival project examining the impact of government surveillance on the Somali community in Minneapolis. Her work has received support from organizations including NeXt Doc, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network, Firelight Media, and the City of Minneapolis Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Dayvon Nichols

Euclid, Ohio

Dayvon Nichols is a grants manager at Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, where he oversees a portfolio of approximately 100 nonprofit arts organizations across Cuyahoga County. He leads the Cultural Heritage program, which is designed to increase access to flexible funding for culturally specific organizations. Nichols also serves on the Core Racial Equity Work (CREW) team, which works to advance equity within the arts sector.

Previously, Nichols worked as the grants and community engagement coordinator at the Greater Columbus Arts Council, where he managed the Funds for Artists grant, the Aminah Robinson Fellowship, and helped create the Navigators program to support individual artist grantees. He grew up as a performing and visual artist and was a member of a hip-hop street crew.

Passionate about creative problem solving, Nichols strives to set an example for his community, demonstrating that success doesn’t always follow a traditional path. Although he did not complete his degree at Ohio State University, he believes that drive, curiosity, and audacity can open doors for anyone.

Outside of work, Nichols explores music across all genres, listening to more than 4,000 new songs annually, with aspirations to learn mixing or DJing.