Fully Managed EP 211 – Kenn Kelly

Introduction and Guest Introduction

Shannon Penji (SP): At Penji, our commitment to helping those who are making sacrifices to help others. Thank you to those making a difference in your community. We are currently accepting applications for Penji for nonprofits. If you know a nonprofit or you are one yourself, head over to Penji.co and click on Penji for Good at the bottom of the website to learn how to qualify.

If you’re listening to this podcast and are not a nonprofit, well, welcome. Become a customer by using the custom coupon code in the podcast show notes. Proceeds from all sales go directly back to the nonprofit from this interview. Now, back to the show.

SP: All righty. Hello, everyone and welcome to Unified Purpose, the podcast where we share inspiring tales of compassion, resilience, and community spirit. Thank you so much for joining me. I’m your host, Shannon Penji’s partnership coordinator, and I’m here with a very special guest, Ariel Shelton from Philadelphia Culture Works.

Ariel Shelton (AS): Thank you for joining me today. I really appreciate it.

SP: Thank you so much, Shannon. Really appreciate you. I’m excited to be able to be in conversation with you.

SP: Thank you. Okay, perfect. So, start by telling us a little bit about yourself. How you got involved in Philadelphia Culture Works, what it means to you, and everything that you think is relevant to say in between.

Ariel Shelton’s Journey and Background

AS: Oh, okay. Cool. For sure. So, I’ll give a quick spiel about my background. I’m actually originally from Detroit, Michigan, and I grew up there for the first 18 years of my life. While I was there, I really benefited from a strong public education system. Around the age of 11, my mom, as a single mother raising three kids, immigrant coming from Jamaica, told me that if I couldn’t figure out a way to get a scholarship, I wasn’t going to get into college. I needed to figure that out.

AS: So, around the age of 11, I was in a band class because I was always into creativity. I was the kid who was always doodling in my spare time. I even won a vision board contest in the fourth grade. So, I signed up for band to try to continue figuring out this whole creative interest. The band director told me that if I played the French horn, the bassoon, or the oboe, I’d probably get a scholarship to college.

AS: I thought, “Okay, that sounds good.” My mom had given me that speech. I loved the French horn from the moment I discovered it. I thought it looked very cool, and when I learned that it was the major instrument for many movie soundtracks, like Star Wars, I became even more interested. There are so many life lessons I learned from exploring this interest, even outside of getting my scholarship to college. I eventually got a scholarship to Howard University, and that’s how I ended up in DC.

Career Development and Music Business

AS: While at Howard, I became really interested in expanding my understanding of what it meant to work on the business side of things, so I studied music business. I was inspired by my classmates, and I want to fast-forward through this period, but shortly after leaving school, I worked on a project called The Musicianship, where we provided after-school music lessons to kids in DC, many of whom didn’t have access to such opportunities.

AS: I also supported the Washington Women in Jazz Festival. As a woman playing a brass instrument at that time, especially, it was something I was excited about. We ended up traveling to Sweden to produce a jazz festival, which showed me the global impact that jazz has. That experience led me to work at the Kennedy Center in their social impact department.

Work with Philadelphia Culture Works

AS: All those experiences added up and showed me how many different options there were in producing work and being creative, and allowing space for those who are into the cultural landscape, like the French horn—things you experience but might not understand. When I found out about Culture Works, I was really excited. We support 94 different entities throughout the city of Philadelphia, and there’s never a boring day. I’m talking about projects like the Initiative for Better Gun Violence Reporting and organizations that support the films of folks from the Latino community.

AS: Being a fiscal sponsor means we’re the nonprofit that shares our EIN with these entities so they can go for grant funding and remain fully compliant. We also share a coworking space in Center City, Philadelphia, and I’m proud that we’re able to maintain this space in a sustainable way.

The Role and Impact of Philadelphia Culture Works

SP: That’s beautiful to hear, and it’s really great to learn more about Philadelphia Culture Works. It’s great to know that this initiative is happening. I went to college in Philly and learned a lot about how government funding works, which can be disheartening. Philadelphia is such a beautiful city with so much culture, and it’s good to see an initiative like this supporting nonprofits.

AS: I’m still getting the lay of the land, but I do agree—Philly is a special city. It’s humbling in a lot of ways because I’m learning so much from people who’ve been doing incredible work here. There’s just so much history, and we’re excited to support organizations that reflect that.

SP: Absolutely! It’s so wonderful to have so many organizations working together for common causes in Philadelphia.

Measuring the Impact of Philadelphia Culture Works

SP: How does Culture Works measure its impact, especially when it comes to the creative or cultural communities you support?

AS: As a fiscal sponsor, our primary stakeholders are our grantors or funders. We’re ultimately accountable for tracking the financial resources for the organizations we work with. We also have a small but dedicated team that manages our systems and makes sure everything is compliant. One of my colleagues, Johnny, is a genius at ensuring everything is tracked regularly. We also use technology to manage our work, which allows us to stay on top of reporting requirements.

AS: For me, my job is to get the word out that fiscal sponsorship exists and can help these organizations. It’s a relatively new concept for many nonprofits, but we’re always looking for ways to grow and expand.

Philadelphia Culture Works and Community Engagement

SP: It’s so great to hear about the work that you’re doing. I’ve learned a lot today, and I love how Philadelphia Culture Works is creating space for nonprofits to connect, grow, and work together.

AS: Absolutely, and we’re doing everything we can to make this work. We’re excited to keep expanding and learning from other organizations in the city.

Networking and Partnerships

SP: How do you cultivate partnerships with the 94 organizations you support? Do they come to you, or do you seek them out?

AS: It’s a combination of both. We recently refreshed our website and added a page dedicated to learning more about our fiscal sponsorship program. We also have an open application form year-round. We look at our capacity and evaluate which organizations might continue working with us or go in a different direction. We also partner with organizations like Urban Affairs Coalition and Fractured Atlas, who also offer fiscal sponsorship.

AS: A lot of our partnerships are formed organically as we keep connecting with like-minded organizations.

Closing Remarks and Future Plans

SP: It’s amazing to hear how Philadelphia Culture Works is growing. What are you most excited about for the future?

AS: There’s always something exciting on the horizon! One of the projects we’re working on is with Rising Wing, an organization that brings together arts administrators in Philadelphia. There’s also going to be a quilt-making class with Tiny Farm Wagon in February, and in March, we’re hosting an industry appreciation night for service industry workers. There’s always something happening, and I’m excited to be a part of it all.

SP: That’s wonderful! There’s so much going on in Philly, and it’s great to know that organizations like Culture Works are facilitating these opportunities. Thank you so much for joining me today, Ariel.

AS: Thank you for having me. It’s been a pleasure.

SP: And thank you to our listeners. Be sure to check out the show notes to learn more about today’s guest and Penji. Share this podcast with a friend and don’t forget to subscribe!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenn-kelly-20b1494

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