Meet the Newest Benvenuti Arts Team Members

We’re so grateful for our team to have grown in the past few months! Meet our newest team members below. Also, keep an eye on this blog in the coming months to learn more about our amazing team. 😉 In the meantime, you can learn about us on our staff page.

Alli Knapp, Operations Manager (they/them) has worked in operations, event management, advocacy, and nonprofit administration for over 15 years. Alli has served on staff with Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Youth Collaboratory, Disability Rights PA, PA Care Partnership, and Youth and Family Training Institute. They have held leadership and/or board positions with Foster Care Alumni of America – PA Chapter, Proud Haven, Youth MOVE National, Peer Support Advocacy Network, PA Youth Congress, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Service Advisory Committee. Alli is originally from the small rural community of Piketown, PA – which is just outside of Hershey. Alli lives in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh, where they are the founding chairperson of a new holiday-focused nonprofit organization and where they manage events at a local “watering hole”.

Candace Tabbs, Grant Writer (she/her) is a performer, writer, creator and facilitator of movement-based practices including choreography, improvisation, movement as self-care and movement as social justice for movers and thinkers of all ages and abilities. She has performed at venues such as BAM Opera House and Lincoln Center, as well as internationally in Toronto, Canada and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Recently, she was the recipient of a 2019 Pepatián Dance Your Future Residency and premiered her first evening-length work “coming toward” at BAAD! (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance). Candace is also an ACE certified Personal Trainer and fitness instructor with over a decade in the fitness industry and earned a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior from Barnard College. Deepening her practices around self and community care, Candace shares energy healing work rooted in embodied listening as a certified Reiki practitioner. This passion for supporting the visions of others lead to working as a freelance editor for writers in all stages of their creative process. Candace is excited to join the Benvenuti Arts team. PC: Charles McCain

Anna Holmquist, Grant Writer (she/her) is a fundraising professional based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Anna splits her time between Benvenuti Arts and Liz Lange Consulting, a fundraising consultancy located in her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Anna is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, where she earned her Master of Arts in Public Administration. Prior to joining Benvenuti Arts, Anna worked with the Center for Philanthropy at the Pittsburgh Foundation and assisted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska’s campaign to protect the voting rights of incarcerated Nebraskans.

Alyona Solovyova, Administrative Assistant (she/her) is a cultural and innovation manager. After graduation with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management of Organizations, Alyona gained experience working as an analyst in a small consulting company. After she worked in the fashion industry, helped to build business processes and develop an ethical clothing brand (Only Me). Alyona loves working on the development of cultural startups — she participated in the creation of a startup called EU1697 in Amsterdam. She also created her start-up as part of Almacube in Bologna. Alyona lives in Italy, where graduating with her Master in Innovation and Organization of Culture and the Arts in University of Bologna.

Rebecca Mastrorocco, Winter/Spring Intern (she/her) has worked in live events organization and promotion, fine arts workshops and film industry productions. After obtaining her bachelor in Ethnomusicology and Global Popular Music in London – UK, she worked as music journalist for Rhythm Passport magazine, event promoter in London’s vibrant world music scene, and behind the Netflix series ‘The Crown’. She recently joined Benvenuti Arts as their intern, while graduating in Bologna with her Master in Innovation and Organization of Culture and the Arts.