MEET THE TEAM
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
ANN DICKSON
CEO, Creative Placemaking Communities
In February 2023, Ann assumed leadership of Creative Placemaking Communities, the leading professional development organization for the field of creative placemaking. In addition to being CEO of Creative Placemaking Communities, Ann is Principal of The Arts Hub, which provides a suite of services to small and mid-size art organizations, cities, municipal agencies, and businesses, bringing them together to harness the power of arts and culture for the betterment of the local community. Prior to founding The Arts Hub, Ann served as a consultant to Zoo Labs, a start-up arts organization that offers entrepreneurship training to music artists.
Ann also worked for the American Cancer as the Director of Major Gifts, where she raised funds from individuals, corporations and private foundations.
Ann is currently Chair of the Marin County Cultural Commission and serves on the Board of the Marin Cultural Association.
CURATORIAL
Conference Director
AYLIFFE BROWN
Ayliffe Brown is the Conference Director for Creative Placemaking Communities. Assisting in building conferences in Atlanta, GA; Montgomery, AL; and Chicago, IL. She is a creative technologist with a depth of skills geared towards foresting small businesses, impact investing and event production. In college, she studied Wearable Technology, leading her to compete on a reality TV show, America's Greatest Makers an Intel Experience. That experience drove her into working and designing business accelerators and impact investing processes for creatives. Since 2022, Ayliffe has been working to inform security and digital privacy standards within the VR, Wearables, and IoT devices.
Incubation Lab
KELSEY ZVELOR
Kelsey is a spatial strategist, design researcher, and founder of Mental Landscapes, an emotion-meets-design lab centered on public spaces. Her culture-shifting work partners with outdoor space stewards and institutions committed to creating spaces that comfort, support, and accompany people through mental health experiences over the course of their lives. Kelsey was named the Fall 2023 Artist-In-Residence at Allerton Park and Retreat Center, a SXSW 2024 speaker, and is a board member of Women in Planning and Development in Chicago.
Music Co-Lab
BRAD DOLLAR
Brad is a lifelong music builder, creative strategist, and industry innovator dedicated to reshaping how artists connect with audiences. From producing tracks with legends like Bob Weir and GRAMMY winners to co-founding ZOOLABS and leading artist and audience development at Songfinch, his work spans 1,000+ releases and countless careers. With a mission to make music more equitable, sustainable, and human-centered, he helps creators align their art, business, and purpose—turning sound into lasting impact.
PRODUCTION
Event Management
KENDALL KARG
Kendall Karg leads strategic & operational planning and events & project management via her company Kendall Karg Consulting, Ltd., through which she has worked with companies such as Arts Alliance Illinois, Broccoli Magazine, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Play On Shakespeare, The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, and United States Artists. She has previously served as the Producing Director for the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Managing Director of The Neo-Futurists, the Project Manager of Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks, and the Associate Producer at Culture Project, among other roles, and holds an M.F.A. in Arts Leadership from DePaul University.
MARKETING
Principal Designer
LILITH HAIG
Lilith is a Graphic and Motion Designer based out of NYC. Her work blends the realms of design, animation, and mixed-media artistry, where she excels in crafting captivating web designs, impactful branding solutions, and dynamic motion graphics.
Lilith has served a diverse clientele spanning from musicians to nonprofits, Fortune 500 companies, and esteemed higher education institutions. Notable projects include spearheading the brand makeover for Creative Placemaking Communities, orchestrating webpage motion tests for Verizon's myPlan launch, and co-creating the thought-provoking exhibition, "The Weight of This," at the Mandeville Gallery in Schenectady, NY.