“You can’t be what you can’t see.”
Said perfectly by Marian Wright Edelman. Yeah, Art! is powered by a diverse team of artists and educators who reflect the classrooms we serve. Our teachers uplift our students through a first-hand understanding of our students’ challenges, and more importantly, their potential.
Ja Ronn Thompson
Co-Founder &
Executive Director
Ja Ronn Thompson is an East Oakland native and seasoned music instructor with over 15 years of experience. He founded and directs the San Francisco State University Gospel Choir and Ja Ronn & FLOW, and has led workshops around the world.
As Executive Director of Yeah, Art!, Ja Ronn provides visionary leadership, cultivates strategic partnerships, manages school relationships, and leads Vocal Performance workshops. His background with The Oakland Youth Chorus, SF Arts Education Project, and LEAP grounds Yeah, Art! in both artistic excellence and community impact.
Mike Blankenship
Co-Founder &
Managing Director
Mike Blankenship is an award-winning composer and music producer with over two decades of experience. He is the founder of Sticky Thing Music, a Bay Area music house crafting scores for film, ads, and cultural campaigns.
At Yeah, Art!, Mike oversees day-to-day operations, strategic planning, and financial management, while also teaching Music Production workshops that bring professional industry tools into the classroom.
In addition to his work with Yeah, Art!, Mike serves as a Governor and Education Committee Co-Chair for the San Francisco Chapter of The Recording Academy — amplifying music education and industry access across the region.
C.j. Johnson
Co-Founder &
Creative Director
C.j. Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist, producer, and educator. At Yeah, Art!, he leads event production for school showcases and community workshops, and teaches Songwriting and Music Production using tools like Soundtrap. His classes guide students through writing, recording, and producing original songs, helping them build creative skills and artistic confidence.
C.J. is also the founder of The Homeplace, a creative incubator and event space in East Oakland dedicated to supporting artists of color. The Homeplace offers a rotating calendar of public programs — including live performances, gallery shows, and creative workshops. Since 2022, it has become a key gathering space for Bay Area artists to create, collaborate, and share their work with community.
Madeline Lambie
Co-Founder & Communications Director
Madeline Lambie is a writer for an award-winning Bay Area advertising agency and a creative force behind purpose-driven campaigns across the nonprofit and commercial sectors. She began her career on Facebook’s global philanthropy initiative, rallying the tech giant’s workforce to engage with causes around the world — a project that earned her recognition as one of media’s “Rising Stars” by Shots Magazine. Since then, she’s lent her creative and strategic voice to campaigns for Amnesty International, Covered California, NBC Universal, and Vote From Home 2020, a nonprofit fighting voter disenfranchisement.
At Yeah, Art!, Madeline leads creative direction, marketing, fundraising, grant writing, and partnerships, while also teaching Media Arts workshops that fuse storytelling, design, and social impact.
Francesca Mauricio
Counseling Director
Francesca Mauricio is a driven and passionate academic counselor dedicated to helping young people discover their potential, purpose, and power. Currently a College Counseling Intern at City College of San Francisco, Francesca brings experience in both academic and career counseling, using a holistic and multicultural approach to guide students through their personal and professional development.
At Yeah, Art!, she serves as Counseling Director — leading youth support and wellness strategies across all programs. Francesca trains and supports Teaching Artists in trauma-informed practices, ensures curriculum is inclusive and adaptable for IEPs and other learning needs, and oversees program evaluation tools like student and teacher surveys. Her work brings the Bay Area a step closer to a more just and joyful world where every student can thrive.
Lauren Stevenson
Senior Executive Administrator, Human Resources
Lauren Stevenson manages Yeah, Art!’s day-to-day operations, providing vital support across all areas of the organization. Her work includes calendaring, document preparation, meeting logistics, board coordination, and community engagement. Lauren’s attention to detail and warm professionalism help keep the team connected and on track.
Alanna Mickles
Project Coordinator
Alanna Mickles is a dedicated project coordinator and community-builder working at the intersection of arts, education, and logistics. At Yeah, Art!, she supports the seamless delivery of programs across school and community sites — managing schedules, staffing, and on-the-ground logistics to ensure every workshop is well-resourced and student-ready.
In addition to her work at Yeah, Art!, Alanna is also a member of The Homeplace, a creative hub for artists of color in Oakland. Her work reflects a deep commitment to collaboration, cultural connection, and creating space where young people and artists alike can thrive.
Yeah, Art! is proud to pay our teachers $100 per hour.
This hourly rate reflects not just classroom time, but the prep, travel, and years of training behind our teachers’ artistic excellence.
This radically ethical wage (2-3x the regional average) allows us to deliver top-quality instruction for students and financially empower talented artists right here in our community.
The Yeah, Art! Board
Yeah, Art! is guided by an all-star executive and advisory boards of trailblazing leaders — artists, educators, and industry professionals who have paved the way for the next generation of creatives.
Yeah, Art! Executive Board
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Nikole Lim
NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP
Nikole is a Survivor-Advocate, Author and Founder of Freely In Hope, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to equipping survivors and advocates to lead in ending the cycle of sexual violence. Nikole advises Yeah, Art! on Nonprofit Leadership, schooling our team on management practices and helping us build toward our goals. -
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Wyn Skeels
EDUCATION
Wyn Skeels, Arts Education Manager at Berkeley Unified School District, has over 20 years of experience. He integrates arts into core curriculum, advocates for equity, and develops programs for underserved students. Wyn holds a Master's in Arts Education from UC Berkeley, fostering creativity in young learners. -
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Darrell Booker
TECHNOLOGY & RACIAL EQUITY
Darrell spends his days leading fight toward greater racial equity in tech at Microsoft, where he founded and heads the Nonprofit Tech Accelerator for Black-Owned Businesses. For Yeah, Art!, Darrell advises on all things tech, helping our team fuse art’s timeless fundamentals with the exciting new digital tools at our fingertips. -
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Rickey Minor
MUSIC BUSINESS
A living legend, Rickey Minor is one of the most respected names in the music industry today. Rickey has served as music director and instrumentalist for some of the biggest names in music, from Stevie Wonder to Whitney Houston to Beyoncé. His next collaborators? The budding young stars in Yeah, Art!’s classrooms. -
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Keith Dawkins
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
As the former Executive Vice President of Nickelodeon (2003-2017) and the current President of The Harlem Globetrotters, Keith knows a few things about kids entertainment. Keith advises Yeah, Art! on just that, establishing smart strategic and media partnerships and helping us rocket launch arts education into the 21st century.
Yeah, Art! Advisory Board
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Erin Williams
BROADCAST PRODUCTION
Erin built her name in the halls of Viacom Entertainment as the Head of Broadcast Operations and BET NETWORKS. Now as the Director of Production of Operations at ESPN, Erin is paying her excellence forward, advising Yeah, Art! on video production and helping to create exciting media opportunities for our students. Learn more about Erin > -
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Angel Adedokun
EDUCATION (YEAH, ART! CO-FOUNDER)
Angel Adedokun is a bilingual vocalist, songwriter, actress, dancer and choreographer. She uses these talents to bring out the unique and artistic gifts of her students. Angel is a prolific contributor to the Bay Area arts scene. She conducts musical workshops with Bay Area Children’s Theatre, serves as Casting Manager at Ray of Light Theatre, Director at Tomorrow Youth Repertory and performer at Bay Area Children’s Theatre. Angel’s debut EP, Love Always, Angel is an expression of her sweeping creative experiences and influences.
