Alia was born in Washington, DC and grew up in Largo, MD.  She graduated from Spelman College and Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA and then moved to Cincinnati, OH to work in IT for Procter & Gamble.  The decision to move to New York for business school at NYU was easy because she has always loved the Big Apple!  On the journey from Wall Street to Broadway, she worked in financial services for the hedge fund industry.  After starting her own hedge fund services consultancy, she had time to work with the National Urban Technology Center on its bold educational technology initiative.  When presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to co-produce a Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, she jumped at the chance to combine business with the Arts.  Transferring the Broadway production to London's West End sent her abroad for 7 months and culminated with an Olivier Award!  She can usually be found working on her laptop.  She enjoys traveling, watching movies, Wii, long walks and leisurely days with family and friends.

Phillip was born in Chicago, IL and grew up in Silver Spring, MD.  He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and then circled back to Chicago to lead the Upward Bound College Prep Program.  On what was to be a short stay in Tokyo, Japan, he loved the city and decided to stay for 3 years!  He taught English and curated arts events before moving back to the States to complete the Arts Administration graduate program at Columbia University.  Phillip worked with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Museum of African Art in New York.  He then founded Natcreole.com, an online magazine, to promote global arts and culture while curating gallery exhibitions.  A regular contributor to the International Review of African American Art,  he is a Fellow of the National Endowment of the Arts and State Department International Visual Arts Institute as well as a JP Morgan Fellow in Arts Administration.  Professor Harvey is now teaching at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  Anyone who knows Phillip understands that he is a sports fanatic -- boxing, basketball, football, and tennis!  He also enjoys traveling, movies, reading, writing, sleeping, and spending time with family and friends.