[Unified Purpose] Ariel Shelton from CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia Ep. 13

Introduction

Shannon Donnelly (SD): 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. Thank you for joining me today. I really appreciate it.

Ariel Shelton (AS): Thank you so much, Shannon. Really appreciate you. I’m excited to be able to be in conversation with you.

Ariel’s Background and Journey to CultureWorks

SD: Perfect. So start by telling us a little bit about yourself—how you got involved in Philadelphia CultureWorks, what it means to you, and everything in between.

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

Around that time, I was in band class because I was super into creativity—I was the kid always doodling. In fourth grade I won a vision board contest. In band class, the director said if you play the French horn, bassoon, or oboe, you’ll probably get a scholarship. I remembered my mom’s speech and thought, “Okay!”

SD: I love the very specific instruments. Like, “you’ll get a scholarship for these because no one plays them.”

AS: Exactly! But once I discovered the French horn, I was really into it. It looks cool, and I found out it’s the main instrument in a lot of movie soundtracks—Star Wars, for example. So many life lessons came from learning that instrument, beyond just getting the scholarship. I ended up going to Howard University in D.C. on scholarship and studied music business.

In D.C., I worked on a project called The Musicianship—providing after-school music lessons to kids who didn’t have access. I also supported the Washington Women in Jazz Festival. We even traveled to Sweden and produced a jazz festival there. Eventually I worked at the Kennedy Center in their social impact department.

All those experiences really showed me how many different options there are in being creative and supporting the arts. When I found out about CultureWorks, I was excited. We support 94 different entities in Philly. There’s never a boring day—everything from better gun violence reporting to Latino community film projects.

We’re a fiscal sponsor, meaning we share our EIN with these groups so they can apply for grants and do impactful work while staying compliant. We also share a coworking space in Center City, and I’m proud that we’re holding that space in a sustainable way. We’re in this together.

The Importance of Philly’s Cultural Landscape

SD: That is beautiful. And it’s so great to learn more about CultureWorks and what you do. I went to college in Philly, studied political science, and learned a lot about how the city’s funding works. It was disheartening because there’s so little money going to so many important causes—yet Philly has so much culture and potential.

Knowing CultureWorks exists to support a network of diverse initiatives is amazing. With nonprofits, each fills a need. But to see an initiative that supports them all as a group? That’s just very cool.

AS: I appreciate that so much. I’m still relatively new—about a year and a half in. But Philly has struck me in the same way. Coming from D.C., which had a lot going on, Philly has humbled me. The work happening here is just so layered.

People like Kasie, who supports the FDR Asian market—she’s a CultureWorks member and an incredible spoken word artist. There’s this depth to people’s backgrounds and contributions that I’m constantly learning about.

Discovering Community in a New City

SD: I totally relate. I’ve lived here over seven years and still learn new things about the city and its communities. Philly is small but so densely packed with culture. And it’s affordable! We love affordable Philly.

AS: We gotta keep it that way! But truly, yes—Philadelphia is a treasure. I gatekeep it sometimes! It’s rich with history, community, and creative expression.

Measuring Impact at CultureWorks

SD: So with so many organizations under your umbrella, how do you measure impact? I imagine funders want metrics and reporting. How do you handle that?

AS: Our main stakeholders in terms of reporting are grantors and funders. We’re responsible for making sure grant money is tracked properly. My co-executive director Melinda Staffy manages the fiscal sponsorship program with the rest of our six-person team. We have weekly finance check-ins, quarterly reports, and we use a lot of technology to stay organized.

Johnny on our team is a systems genius, and our finance director Ellen has been with us over 10 years. She’s built deep trust with our member organizations. If a funder calls needing clarity, Ellen’s on it.

We take our role very seriously because we hold the EIN and are ultimately accountable. My job is to raise awareness that this service even exists. Fiscal sponsorship is still emergent in the nonprofit space. Not everyone understands what it is or that it’s an option.

Building Awareness and Connections

SD: That’s so important. And I love that the coworking space you offer supports connection too—it becomes a network hub.

AS: Yes! When Melinda and I joined, we started virtual meetups and now we’re hosting a member summit at REC Philly for the first time ever. It’s a space to network, share experiences, and plan forward.

Connecting the Dots Between Nonprofits

SD: That is amazing. So many Philly nonprofits serve overlapping populations but don’t interact enough. This kind of cross-organization interaction can spark powerful collaborations.

AS: Totally. That’s part of the culture here—folks often know of each other, but it takes intentional space to really connect. That’s why we’re starting monthly Third Thursday events. In February, we’re hosting one on historic preservation, and we’re partnering with groups like Hidden City Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and more.

Coworking and Shared Resource Culture

SD: The coworking idea is wonderful. I miss in-person interaction so much. And the community you’ve built around that is so valuable.

AS: Totally agree. Our kitchen island has become a social hub. We even hosted a dumpling-making class recently! It’s cozy and collaborative. We just moved into this space last July, so I’m excited to see it grow.

Looking Ahead: Events and Energy

SD: Is there anything you’re particularly excited about this year?

AS: Oh yes—there’s always something. This Thursday, I’m going to an event by Rising Wing, a group that gathers Philly arts administrators. There’s also a quilt-making class by Misty Soul from Tiny Farm Wagon in February. And in March, our Drexel co-op intern Nana is hosting a service industry appreciation night with free drinks and art from service workers.

We also post upcoming events every month on our website under “News & Announcements.” I haven’t been to every event yet, but I’m working on it!

Philly Partnerships and Mural Arts

SD: That’s so exciting. Do you work with Mural Arts by any chance?

AS: I’ve met some of their team through Rising Wing. We don’t have a formal partnership, but I’m a massive fan. I fangirled a little when I saw Jane Golden. Their work is so impactful.

SD: I actually interviewed them! Chad was on the podcast and he was incredible.

AS: Love that! Definitely want to connect more.

Cultural Preservation and the Role of Government

SD: Speaking of preservation, have you heard about the Global Philadelphia Association?

AS: I haven’t, but writing it down now. That sounds aligned with what we do. And speaking of preservation, did you know the city is creating its first cultural plan?

SD: Wait, what?

AS: Yep! Val Gay from Creative Philadelphia is leading it. One early output is a citywide cultural calendar. It’s amazing to finally see structured investment in Philly’s culture.

Final Thoughts

SD: I love that. Unfortunately, we are so over time, but this has been such a rich conversation. I think a great note to end on is the importance of how we choose to interact—in person, intentionally, and meaningfully.

AS: Couldn’t agree more. I look forward to seeing you in real life sometime!

SD: I’ll come by the coworking space! Thank you again for such an amazing conversation.

AS: Anytime. Hope you have a good rest of your day.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeryelle

https://www.aeryelle.com