2025 Board of Directors
Keli Hogsett
PRESIDENT
Born and raised in Austin, Keli first came across AFTS when she bought a painting almost 8 years ago just before leaving Austin to work in San Francisco and Boulder. Keli has worked in advertising for 10+ years and is currently a Creative Director at R/GA. A huge supporter of the homeless wherever she's lived, Keli joins the board in 2019 bringing strategic thinking, creativity and design leadership to the Communications Committee.
Molly Batschelet
VICE PRESIDENT
Molly Batschelet is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor with over 20 years of experience working in homeless services. Her experience spans direct practice, program coordination, technical assistance, policy development, and strategic planning. She has been a long-time patron and supporter of the program, having seen firsthand the impact it has on the lives of the artists through its fostering of community and creating a safe place for artists to share their stories through artistic expression. She was thrilled to join the board in 2023 and is now serving as Vice President and Co-Chair of the Community Connections Committee.
Libby Brennan
SECRETARY
Brennan was raised in San Francisco but has lived in Austin since 2005. From a young age she has been involved in working with nonprofits as a volunteer, promoter or third party fundraiser. Most recently she served on the board of the Central Texas Bluegrass Association. Her love of art, music and hospitality has taken her through many worlds; as an after school art and poetry teacher, event coordinator for a local brewery and most recently, a case manager. The pandemic inspired a desire to explore the nonprofit world in greater depth. In 2021 she started serving as an AmeriCorps at the Trinity Center, a day resource center for the homeless in downtown Austin. In July of 2022 she was promoted to a full time Case Manager. Libby has found great inspiration in those she serves and hopes to help build a bigger bridge to critical outlets and resources that AFTS provides.
In her free time, Libby makes jewelry paired with haiku, adventures with her 8 year old daughter, Paloma, and enjoys going to live music.
Hash Mham
Hash is a strategy professional with 8-10 years of experience at high-growth tech companies, holding roles in business development, strategy and operations, and as Chief of Staff. A native of Austin, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's in Economics and a Master's in Finance. Despite his technical and analytical background, Hash is also an artist who dedicates much of his time to painting and writing. He is thrilled to be part of this program, which allows him to work closely with other artists and contribute to Austin's vibrant art community.
Kenny Trice
Kenny has been involved in the arts since discovering photography while an undergrad at The University of Texas. After further study and work as an advertising and editorial photographer in both San Francisco and New York, he and his family moved back to Austin in 2008. Kenny began volunteering with AFTS in early 2014 and was part of the team that launched the first website dedicated to selling the wonderful artwork of the AFTS artists. He officially joined the board in late 2015 and currently serves on the AFTS Communications Committee.
Jodie King
Jodie King is an artist, instructor, author & speaker whose mission is to help others excavate their own authentic power, freedom and joy through the use of art and creativity. She possesses a combination of playful irreverence and spirituality with over 20 years of art experience that resonates with her audience from around the world. Jodie’s “no one is the boss of you” attitude about painting, life, and creativity have garnered her collectors from around the world who resonate with the rebelliousness and passion in her art.
Rich Gottbrath
Rich Gottbrath is Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Value Creation Strategies Holdings, an Austin-based private equity investment fund. He is also the Chief Financial Officer of Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey. Prior to joining VCSH, Rich spent time in private equity both in an investment capacity and in an operating capacity. He began his career in investment banking at Lincoln International, a Chicago-based middl market investment banking advisory firm, working across the firm’s offices in the US and Europe. Rich joined the AFTS board in 2019 after years as an avid patron of the program’s artists. He sits on the program’s Finance and Development Committees.
Sh'muel Avraham
Sh'muel Ben Avraham, an Austin native, serves as Managing Director of Avraham Holdings and is a licensed Texas attorney, bringing extensive financial and legal expertise to complex business challenges. With experience in financial management, fundraising, and law, he provides strategic financial leadership to organizations worldwide. Beyond his professional work, Sh'muel is an arts enthusiast who spends much of his free time in Austin's galleries, searching for local art to collect, and volunteering at Art From The Streets' open studio.
Megan Trinidad
Megan is a seasoned creative leader with 20+ years of marketing experience. She first became involved with AFTS through purchasing pieces at the annual show and now serves as chair of the communications committee. She strives to use her marketing experience to bring more attention and understanding to the program and its artists. In her free time, Megan can be found practicing yoga, playing tennis or, most frequently, rummaging in her craft closet in pursuit of her next creative project.
Mindy Marcks
Mindy is an HR leader with experience with companies like IBM, Samsung, and The Hershey Company. Currently taking a break, Mindy is focusing on volunteer work with Austin Pets Alive! And Art From The Streets. Mindy discovered AFTS when she moved to Austin in 2018 and has purchased art from the annual show every year since then. She began volunteering with AFTS in 2024 and loves working with the artists, volunteers and staff. Mindy hopes her passion for people will help AFTS continue to grow and thrive.
Allee Beatty
Allee Beatty is a seasoned art professional with a deep passion for contemporary art and collecting. Originally from Connecticut, she holds a BA in Art History from Wesleyan University and an MA in American Studies with a focus on Museums and Communities from Trinity College. Her experience spans prestigious institutions, including the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, and the Wadsworth Atheneum.
As the Gallery Director at West Chelsea Contemporary in Austin, Texas, Allee leads with a dynamic vision, curating exhibitions that celebrate both emerging and established contemporary artists. Founded in 2002 (formerly known as the Russell Collection), West Chelsea Contemporary is a world-class art gallery specializing in blue-chip, contemporary, and street art, alongside works by emerging artists. The gallery's program focuses on 20th-century and contemporary art, with a particular specialty in American and European post-World-War-II movements.
Allee has worked with Art From the Streets for the last several years, curating exhibitions at Canopy, providing artists with advice, and welcoming AFTS artists to West Chelsea Contemporary in an annual pop-up exhibition.
Staff
Kelley Worden
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kelley obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts from East Tennessee State University. Kelley worked for 5 years as a graphic artist post graduation, and then shifted her focus to volunteer work while raising her children. From 1997 to 2010 she held leadership roles supporting Canyon Creek Elementary School as the PTA Fundraising Coordinator, Fun Run Coordinator, and Green Team leader. She also co-founded a local non-profit organization, Chicktime Austin (now Hope Austin), which works with children in need in the Austin community. In 2010, Kelley began volunteering with AFTS, became a board member in 2013 and in 2016 she was selected to fill the Executive Director position.
Kayla Schroeder
ACCOUNTANT
Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Kayla graduated from The University of Texas with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. She joined the AFTS staff as the accountant in 2017. Beyond the numbers, she loves to connect with the artists at the shows as well as in the studio as they are creating their artwork. In her free time, Kayla loves to bake, travel and spend time with her family and friends.
Marla Johnson
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Marla attended her first AFTS annual show in 2016, in support of new friends who had moved from the streets into permanent supportive housing at Community First! Village. Marla served on the Mobile Loaves and Fishes Stewardship team at CF!V, where she helped inspire others to discover ways to engage in innovative solutions to address chronic homelessness. Prior to AFTS, Marla served as Director of Development and Operations at Central Texas Table of Grace, where she helped create a Supervised Independent Living program for vulnerable young adults who have aged out of foster care. She received her MBA with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship at Texas Tech University.
Artist Liaison
Layle Murray
AFTS Artist
Art is who I am and what I do.
I love to create and share a little piece of myself in my artwork. I experience healing every time I create and I hope that those who see my art will find healing, too. I’m so grateful to God, and proud to be a part of the Art from the Streets Program.
David Dominguez
AFTS Artist
I have been drawing since I was a kid with a focus on surrealism. I went on to take my passion for making people wonder what they were looking at and hit the streets in the form of graffiti. I have been fortunate enough to have spent over 20 years traveling the world and this great nation, collecting memories of people and places and things. I have had the chance to reflect on those times and interpret those emotions onto canvas. This has become my driving force in life. I wake up every day and can't wait to start painting and sharing these moments I have captured with the world and beautiful people around me.
Founders
Heloise Gold
CO-FOUNDER / BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE
Heloise is a performing artist, dancer, T’ai Chi instructor and co-founder of Art From The Streets. In 1990, co-founders began offering open studio art sessions for folks who were homeless. In 1991 they created the first Annual Show & Sale. Heloise has been involved with the program ever since taking on a variety of roles. Her love of the artists, making art in the community and seeing that AFTS flourishes is at the heart of her commitment.
Bill Jeffers
CO-FOUNDER / BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE
Bill Jeffers is a poet and sculptor and one of the co-founders of Art From the Streets. He helped produce the first public show and the 25 Annual Shows that followed. He produced marketing materials and graphic design for the project for many years, and has written the City of Austin Cultural Contract application since the 2nd annual show in 1992. He served as the organization's first paid staff. He is motivated by the wonderful people who make their art in the open studio and by the efforts of AFTS to address the inexcusable hardships faced by people who are homeless in such a prosperous society.
Art From the Streets relies on the generous support of people like you. Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly and donating to our program helps us to offer our free. Open Studio, outreach, supplies, and the sale and promotion of artwork on behalf of our homeless and at-risk artists.
