Who We Are
Why ArtsRising Exists
ArtsRising was built around a simple belief: the future of progress will belong to the organizations that keep humanity at the center of technology.
We are entering a moment where artificial intelligence and automation are rapidly reshaping industries, markets, and communication. As machines become more capable, human imagination, creativity, and meaning become even more valuable.
The organizations advancing culture, education, thought leadership, and social impact often face a structural disadvantage: they are mission-driven but under-resourced, purposeful but overwhelmed by technology, and doing important work while struggling to navigate complex marketing systems.
ArtsRising exists to bridge that gap. We translate meaningful work into modern marketing infrastructure by combining strategy, technology, and AI-assisted systems that help organizations grow their reach and impact.
ArtsRising is not simply a marketing agency. We are a technology-enabled growth partner for organizations building a more human future.
Our Story
ArtsRising was founded by Grace Cho, an artist and entrepreneur who founded and led the New Orchestra of Washington. Like many nonprofit arts leaders, Grace wore countless hats: strategist, marketer, fundraiser, and visionary. That firsthand experience revealed how difficult it is for small, mission-driven organizations to keep up with modern marketing technology without the resources larger institutions can access.
Grace saw the need for a bridge between creative purpose and the sophisticated tools of the digital age. ArtsRising was created to make that bridge practical: a system that helps organizations clarify their message, strengthen relationships, and build scalable infrastructure around work that matters.
Today, ArtsRising blends innovation with empathy so nonprofits, small businesses, and transformative professionals can tell their stories, engage their audiences, and sustain their missions in a rapidly changing world.
People Behind the System
Two wings. One system.
ArtsRising combines founder-led strategy, a South Korea-based production engine, and a flexible leadership collective built around each client’s need.
Founder & Global Leadership
Grace Cho bridges ArtsRising’s global wings.
ArtsRising is led by Founder and CEO Grace Cho, a cultural strategist and entrepreneur originally from South Korea who bridges ArtsRising’s global wings.
Drawing on her unique perspective and deep experience working with cultural institutions, Grace leads the integration of creative production, marketing technology, and strategic leadership that defines the ArtsRising model.
Under her leadership, ArtsRising connects talent and expertise across continents, ensuring that every client benefits from both innovative creative systems and thoughtful strategic guidance.
East Wing
Technology & Production Team in South Korea
Core operators in technology, content, and production translate strategy into durable systems, campaigns, assets, and workflows.
West Wing
Leadership Collective in the U.S.
ArtsRising’s Leadership Collective is a collaborative network of experienced consultants, producers, PR leaders, creative professionals, and cultural strategists who can be assembled to support each client’s needs.
Ace Branding
Public relations and publicity
PR strategy, visibility, and campaign amplification.Lee Ann De Reus
Founder of Badass University
Leadership coach and organizational development.Lewis Flax
President, Flax Associates
Sponsorship coaching and fundraising sales training.Karen Lee
Leadership Collective Member
Strategic expertise available through the collective network.Ceylon Mitchell
Photographer and multimedia producer
Photography, media, and cultural storytelling.Larry Robertson
Leadership Collective Member
Strategic expertise available through the collective network.Geoffrey Silver
Founder and GRAMMY-nominated producer, Acis Productions
Photography, live event videography, and recording label expertise.Andrew White
Founder and CEO, a440.live
Interactive, immersive, digital playbill.
Vice President of Technology Management
Marc Lee
As Vice President of Technology Management at ArtsRising, Marc Lee brings a wealth of experience in auditing and redesigning MarTechStacks to empower nonprofits with innovative marketing solutions. With a focus on optimizing processes and amplifying audience engagement, he specializes in tailoring MarTech environments that align with each client’s unique goals.
Marc has worked extensively with arts organizations, including orchestras and museums. Through his unique methods and manuals, Marc has helped organizations navigate the complexities of modern marketing technology, from website development and CRM implementation to email automation and audience analytics.
At ArtsRising, Marc leverages this deep, hands-on expertise to drive meaningful impact by equipping nonprofits with tools that not only improve efficiency but also create lasting connections with their communities.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Marc is passionate about language learning and cross-cultural communication. He is fluent in Korean and English and has an intermediate command of Japanese and Spanish, with ongoing efforts to enhance his skills and become quadrilingual.
Content Associate
Yujin Kwon
As a Content Associate at ArtsRising, Yujin focuses on making branding seamless and accessible for every client. Her journey in the creative industry includes a stint as an Orchestra Marketing Intern, where she learned the importance of harmony-not just in music, but in consistent brand messaging.
Since joining ArtsRising, she has applied this harmonic approach to streamlining complicated marketing tasks, from visual design to strategic content planning. Yujin is passionate about finding the perfect rhythm for each brand she works with, ensuring their story is told clearly and creatively.
I am officially licensed to drive stick-specifically 1-ton trucks. I pursued it simply because I thought it looked cool. It actually took me three attempts to pass the road test, but I refused to give up until I mastered the manual transmission.
Content Associate
Wonji Chu
Wonji Chu is a content strategist who bridges the gap between global business insights and creative storytelling to drive growth for nonprofit organizations. Leveraging a structured and analytical mindset developed through her background in Global Business, she contributes to building integrated marketing systems that strengthen a brand’s digital presence.
Currently serving as a Content Associate at ArtsRising, Wonji specializes in narrative-driven content planning across social media and video platforms. She excels at transforming complex organizational missions into engaging, accessible digital outputs, with a particular focus on designing efficient and scalable content workflows that ensure the continuity of brand storytelling.
A dedicated homebody who finds her zen in knitting. She loves the slow, deliberate process of creating something stitch by stitch, which serves as the perfect creative balance to the fast-paced digital world.
Content Associate
Heeju Jung
As a Content Associate at ArtsRising, Heeju Jung contributes to the development and execution of content strategies for integrated marketing systems. Her work focuses on supporting nonprofit organizations.
With a background in Digital Media, she creates narrative-driven content that is visually engaging and strategically structured across digital platforms, including social media and video.
At ArtsRising, she supports content production and systematized workflows, translating creative concepts into scalable outputs that strengthen brand storytelling.
Outside of her work, Heeju enjoys musical theatre and has participated in multiple stage productions, where she developed a strong appreciation for storytelling, collaboration, and the process of bringing ideas to life, an experience that continues to inform her approach to creative work.