Amanda’s professional journey began in the classroom with a profound passion for working with kids, dedicated to their growth and development. She received her BA from Barnard College of Columbia University. Amanda has leveraged her extensive experience to create enriching educational environments in which children can thrive. She leads with a commitment to innovation and excellence, ensuring every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. She is currently entering her third year as the Director of Camp Felix PRIDE, a camp dedicated to serving LGBTQ+ children in foster care in New York City. Amanda is looking forward to expanding her reach in transition to the role of Program and Operations Director for ABW.

LaTrisa Harper is an actor, singer, dancer, and educator. She has been a part of the A BroaderWay community since 2019 as a founding Creative Advisory Board Member, as a performer at our concerts, as a panelist at various professional development opportunities, as a collaborator to our Interns, and more. LaTrisa is excited to take on the role of Program Manager for ABW in 2021, at the beginning of their second decade as an organization.

LaTrisa‘s Performance Credits Include: Broadway: Color Purple (u/s Nettie, Squeak), Lion King (Cheetah). 1st National Tours: Motown (Mary Wells, Gwen Gordy), Color Purple (u/s Nettie, Squeak) Regional: Matilda The Musical (Miss. Honey), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Brenda), The Wiz, Center Stage; A.R.T. Witness Uganda, Off-Broadway: Invisible Thread, 2nd Stage, Plays: On Strivers Row (Cobina). Workshops: Beehive on Broadway with Debbie Allen. LaTrisa was a member of Ailey II, and received her B.F.A. from Towson State University. View her website here.

Shihan Van Clief is a multi-faceted writer/presenter with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. He has been rebranding the stories of clients for over 20 years with innovative ideas, creative solutions, and progressive strategies. He is built to enhance.

Shihan Van Clief is best known for his debut performance on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, This Type Love, in 2002. Since then, he has appeared seven times within the show’s six seasons. In the 7th grade he was exposed to poetry through his Language Arts teacher, Ed DePasquale. Shihan recognized the significance behind each poet’s story, especially since he knew many people who did not comprehend the value of their own voice.

In the mid 90’s, Shihan met Dante Basco, Devin Smith (Poetri), and Gimel Hooper (DJ Brutha Gimel). Shihan and his friends knew they wanted to pursue a career as poets, although the idea seemed far-fetched at the time. By 1998, Shihan, Dante, Poetri, and Gimel became founders of Da Poetry Lounge (DPL), the largest and longest running open mic in the United States. Shihan featured for Russell Simmons’s HBO series, Def Poetry Jam. Shihan naturally stood out by performing poems with a variety of subjects every, single time.

Nowadays Shihan says he is writing for an upcoming television series, Speak Life. The show will be about four friends who are figuring out how to be men, although they do not have male figures to guide them. It is expected for release in January 2019.

Mitsuko Clarke-Verdery is a versatile artist, artistic director, and dedicated arts administrator. Mitsuko embarked on her artistic journey by obtaining a BFA in Visual Art from Carnegie Mellon University, and she also completed the Independent Study program at the Alvin Ailey Dance School.

In 2015, Mitsuko, in collaboration with her partner Anya Clarke-Verdery, founded and currently leads MICHIYAYA Dance. MICHIYAyA is a contemporary dance company that is deeply rooted in queer and femme-centric perspectives.

With a parallel career in arts administration, Mitsuko has been actively engaged in the field since 2017. Her roles have included marketing and communications positions at arts organizations such as Gibney, Peridance Capezio Center, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and A BroaderWay Foundation.

Felicia Shulman is very excited to be back working with A BroaderWay. She started working at ABW in 2014 and is ready to jump back into a leadership role as the Girl’s Head Counselor this summer. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from NYU and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. Felicia taught nursery school and kindergarten for 6 years before transitioning to working as a Broadway Child Guardian in 2018. She is excited to return to camp this summer and the classroom as a nursery school on the Upper West Side for the school year of 2024-2025.

Spoken Word Creative Staff Member

Dance Creative Staff Member