My life was recently changed when I went to Medellín, Colombia. I met artists, creatives, performers, and many more people, and I saw the similarities between what is happening in other cities across the world. Having worked with global artists, I realized that they can and should be working together and learning from each other. Hence, this new global citizenship exchange, piloting between Oakland, CA, and Medellín, Colombia. The goal is to create a global network and hubs for artists to work together, learn from each other, and have a meaningful impact on the communities we go to—think WeWork but for studios, places to live, a community of creatives, and learning opportunities.

We are launching Raíces y Ritmos—a cultural exchange program that connects artists and community organizers from Medellín, Colombia, and Oakland, California, to collaborate across borders through art, music, movement, and storytelling. Both cities share powerful legacies of artistic resistance in the face of systemic racism, classism, and displacement.

Through this exchange, we’re creating space for Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and working-class artists to engage in transformative dialogue and collaborative public art projects that uplift voices often erased from international platforms while teaching future generations.

I've done the legwork; now we just need some funding to start the pilot project so creatives from the Bay Area can go to Medellín. Live. Work. Make a community contribution. Get paid. And vice versa.

But I need your help! I'm working on raising institutional and private donors, but that's months in the work. We need this to happen ASAP and prove this works so we can build a sustainable model.