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Our Team
Meet the team bringing the Cultural Caravan's ambitious programming to life.
Josh Halpern
Founder, Artistic & Executive Director​
Josh Halpern is a cellist, curator, and arts leader. He appears regularly as a chamber musician and soloist in the U.S. and abroad, collaborating with artists across musical traditions and disciplines, and has collaborated with artists and ensembles including Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Bruce Adolphe, Jorge Glem, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Rolston Quartet. As founder and Artistic & Executive Director of the Cultural Caravan, Josh has built the organization from initial concept to nearly $400,000 in annual operations, creating innovative programming that brings diverse musical traditions to audiences of all kinds. Learn more about him at joshuahalperncello.com.
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Email him at josh@culturalcaravan.org.
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Lauren Flaten
Chief Operating Officer
​Lauren Flaten is Chief Operating Officer of the Cultural Caravan, which she joined before its inaugural June Festival and has been instrumental in building into a thriving arts organization. A flutist and conductor, Lauren holds a Bachelor of Music from St. Olaf College and a master's degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, and is currently pursuing an advanced degree in conducting at Bard Conservatory in the Hudson Valley of New York. When she's not shaping the operations and future of the Cultural Caravan, Lauren can be found exploring the Colorado outdoors.​
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Email her at lauren@culturalcaravan.org.
Helen Masvikeni
Director of Community Engagement
Helen serves as primary liaison with our many community partners. A visual artist, photographer, and musician originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, Helen brings extensive experience in the arts and nonprofit sectors to her work. She has worked in video, theater, and film, and previously worked at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Helen is also a literary agent with a background in business and marketing. Through her Conversational Hub events, she creates spaces for meaningful dialogue on social and human issues. Based in Colorado, Helen is passionate about storytelling, artistic expression, and building connections between artists and communities.
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Email her at helen@culturalcaravan.org.
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Mike Grittani
Director of Digital Media
Mike Grittani is a photographer and filmmaker based in Chicago. Through Grittani Creative LTD., he works to bring classical music into a modern light, representing artists and performances in fresh, compelling ways. With a background as a cellist—he studied at Illinois Wesleyan University and Roosevelt University and performed with ensembles including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Aspen Festival Orchestra, and National Repertory Orchestra—Mike brings an insider's understanding to his photography and film work. His client list spans major institutions and festivals including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival and School, Music@Menlo, the San Francisco Symphony, and La Jolla Music Society. When he's not behind the camera, Mike travels the world in search of the the perfect cup of coffee.
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Learn more about Mike at grittanicreative.com.
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Colin Crake
Social Media and Logistics Manager
Colin is a multi-award-winning performer who has received prizes including First Prize from the North American Saxophone Alliance Collegiate Solo Competition and Third Prize from the Andorra SaxFest International Saxophone Competition. He has performed as a soloist with ensembles including the Eastman Wind Ensemble and the National Classical Orchestra of Andorra, and actively champions works by under-represented composers through his own arrangements for saxophone. In 2022, Colin co-founded the Hana Hou Music Program in Maui, Hawai'i, where he serves as Executive Director of an organization dedicated to providing free music education and resources to the community. Colin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Chien-Kwan Lin, and a master's degree with Grande Distinction from the Conservatoire royale de Bruxelles, where he studied with Vincent David.
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Email him at colin@culturalcaravan.org.
Liz Danekind
Photographer
Elizabeth Danekind is a photographer specializing in senior portraits, performances, events, headshots, and family portraits, and has been capturing the Cultural Caravan's work since 2021. Over those years, she has created thousands of unforgettable images documenting the organization's concerts, community partnerships, and artists. Liz is one of the Cultural Caravan's most passionate advocates—second only to Josh—and her enthusiasm for the organization's mission is matched only by her dedication to preserving its story through her lens.​
Learn more about Liz at eldphotography.net.
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Our Board
Margot Crowe
Alan Halpern
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gReg Silvus
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Rebecca Roser
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