SOZO FELLOWSHIP
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP COACHING FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVE PRODUCERS
SOZO Fellowship runs from June through December 2025
Application Deadline: Friday, April 18, 2025 at 11:59pm PST
Notification: Mid-May 2025
Estimated time to complete the application: 60-90 min
SOZO Fellowship is a groundbreaking coaching program designed to equip full-time working, mid-career independent artists with sustainability and entrepreneurship training to reach new heights in their livelihood and creative endeavors.
Using a holistic framework, Artists and Producers as Entrepreneurs and Changemakers (APEC), the program is facilitated in collaboration with a group of experts from the Wellness, Finance, and Startup business world.
By addressing systemic gaps in support for creative practitioners, we aim to unleash their fullest potential, enabling them to lead with their expansive vision.
“[SOZO’s] expertise and love and commitment to artists’ thriving is palpable, rare, and in my view, trailblazing.”
— Samita Sinha, 2024 SOZO Fellow
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HIGHLIGHTS
Expert guided learning, synthesis and reflection through a unique holistic framework that includes:
• Vision & Artist Identity:
Clarifying purpose, values, and artistic horizon.• Sustainability & Wellbeing:
Cultivating physical/mental/emotional vibrancy, and managing time and personal finances.• Entrepreneurial Strategies:
Building teams, business acumen, revenue models and project development.• Fundraising:
Understanding funder landscape, cultivating donors, and relationship building strategies.• Community Support:
Accessing peer mentorship and expanding your network.• Future Opportunity:
Pitch a project to a panel of leading arts professionals. -
STRUCTURE
SOZO Fellowship will run virtually for six months from June to Dec 2025 and includes:
• Up to 2 required group sessions (4 hours total) per month via Zoom led by SOZO and experts in wellness, finance and startups.
• Approximately 2 hours of additional required individual learning per month.
• One-on-One Coaching: Personalized guidance and support.
• Asynchronous Learning: Online materials and resources; Access to recordings to revisit discussions.
• This fellowship is designed to be cumulative, where each session builds upon the knowledge gained in previous sessions.
• An intimate cohort of fellows that grow together throughout the fellowship.
• A $1,500 honorarium paid to each Fellow for full participation and completion of the program.
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ELIGIBILITY
US-based independent artists who are…
• Creating original work, with preferences given to contemporary, multi-disciplinary performing arts, new media and technology.
• Mid-career, defined as having a minimum of 10 years of professional paid work experiences in the business of arts, such as touring and developing commissioned works.
• Able to commit focused time for learning and synthesis.
• US citizens, green card and work visa holders.
• BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and others from historically marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.
• Artists whose primary income is from outside the arts and culture sector are not eligible.
• Artists whose primary income is from full time teaching positions related to your artistic/cultural practice are eligible.
“It's a powerful framework and invaluable resource that will benefit my practice for the rest of my life…more than a roadmap, it grounded me while challenging me to identify and break down self-limiting beliefs.”
— Siciliana Trevino, 2024 SOZO Fellow
Our ten inaugural fellows for the 2024 Pilot included:
AnAkA (Los Angeles, CA) - Holistic World Builder, Story Doula, Archivist, Alchemist, Artist.
Michele Byrd-McPhee (Jersey City, NJ) - Dance Artist & World Builder.
Thais Francis (Los Angeles, CA) - Multi-Passionate Artist.
Molly Joyce (Charlottesville, VA) - Composer / Performer.
Olivia Komahcheet (Austin, TX) - Music Producer.
Samora Pinderhughes (New York, NY) - Composer, Lyricist, Filmmaker, and Multidisciplinary Artist.
Samita Sinha (Jackson Heights, NY) - Artist, Composer, and Educator.
Siciliana Trevino (Richmond, CA) - Designer.
Nadhi Thekkek (San Francisco, CA) - Dancer / Choreographer.
Ixchel Tonāntzin Xōchitlzihuatl (Pahoa, HI/Mountain View, CA/Brownsville, TX) - Peace Builder, Eco-Social Acupuncturist, Intergalactic Scyborg, Cultural Strategist.
"I have attended other workshops where the end goal is personal growth... but I really also needed new ways to look at my work as a business, in a way that can still be aligned with my mission and values and personal goals, and this was exactly that.”
— Nadhi Thekkek, 2024 SOZO Fellow
LEADING THE CONVERSATIONS
SOZO Fellowship is a multi-year initiative designed and led by SOZO in collaboration with a group of experts from Wellness, Finance and Startup communities serving as coaches and program advisors. Together, we are co-creating a holistic framework for sustainability and success.
We are honored to work with partners who believe passionately in the cultural currency propelled by artists and are actively engaged in addressing systemic gaps in support system.
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RIKA IINO
LEAD DESIGNER & SOZO FOUNDER
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DR. ONNA LO, MD
CO-DESIGNER & COACH
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TAMARA BATES
CO-DESIGNER & COACH
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KAITLYN BOYER
PROGRAM ASSOCIATE & CO-FACILITATOR
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BRYAN LATTIMORE
ADVISOR
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NINA ROBINSON
ADVISOR
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Sarah Benvenuti
COACH
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Xavier Rernard Cunningham
COACH
“We must expand the definition of ‘artistic excellence’ to include equitable and sustainable practices and leadership capacity of artists.”
— Rika Iino, SOZO Founder & Fellowship Lead Designer
PROGRAM PARTNERS
“[SOZO Fellowship] reinforced the idea that we’re not doing this work alone. Being part of a community like this was a reminder of the strength we find in showing up for one another and holding space to grow together.”
— Michele Byrd-McPhee, 2024 SOZO Fellow
FAQ
Q: I want to know more about the framework used in this program, “Artists & Producers as Entrepreneurs and Changemakers (APEC).”
APEC is a framework designed by SOZO in response to the nonprofit industrial complex in the US, which has perpetuated funding inequities, power imbalances between institutions and artists, and prioritization of established art forms. Artists and creative producing entities running as small businesses from traditionally marginalized communities have been disproportionally impacted, making them particularly vulnerable and the process of developing and distributing new work often unsustainable, and their impact and wellbeing undermined. APEC centers diverse artists and creative producers working side by side to break down the cultural hegemony, build business resiliency and innovate a new economic paradigm for independent artists. APEC learning is anchored in a methodology called the Artist In(ter)dependence Matrix, developed by SOZO, to help artists map their journey towards self efficacy and resilience.
Q: What does the honorarium cover?
We recognize that artists require resources in order to take the time needed to develop new skills and build their creative enterprises, just as they would when creating new artistic works. For full participation and completion of the fellowship, an honorarium of $1,500 will be awarded to each fellow.
Q. How are the Fellows selected?
After we confirm the completion and eligibility of all applications, Fellows are selected with input from a panel comprising coaches, advisors and creative producers. The panel will use a score system based primarily on the following criteria: a) Personal and professional growth potential; b) Proactive commitment and bandwidth for mindful reflection and synthesis; c) Artistic integrity and potential to meaningfully engage and inspire diverse audiences; d) Social relevance of the artist’s vision, and whether it speaks to the issues of our time; and e) Readiness to level up their business, building upon past successes and challenges.
Q: I am not sure how I will make the time for this. What’s expected of me during the program?
Fellows are not required to present or create specific artistic projects during the Fellowship. However, Fellows are asked to invest their time and focused energy towards mindful participation and engagement during the live sessions. We believe the more you are able to intentionally participate, the more benefit you will receive in your personal, artistic and business development! For Fellows who are ambitious in their learning goals, we highly suggest you take advantage of asynchronous learning material.
Q: How do I know if this program is a good fit for me?
If you are an artist who creates original work with a vision to make impact in the world, and you tend to wear many hats, this program is a great fit for you. Our focus at SOZO is to cultivate a creative ecosystem whereby artists can deeply examine their sustainability on their journey to becoming cultural leaders. SOZO Fellowship provides the tools, insights and support structure to nurture that.
Q: What are my potential takeaways from the Fellowship?
While there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to designing a fulfilling artistic career, we hope that through the SOZO Fellowship, the Fellows will be better equipped to develop: a) self-efficacy to be a more optimized version of themselves; b) a pathway towards improved personal and financial sustainability; c) an entrepreneurial & leadership mindset; and d) access to new support systems.
Q: Does the Fellowship address accessibility needs?
We are constantly improving our ability to accommodate accessibility needs, with a keen eye on the Zoom platform. We are still learning and welcome any accessibility recommendations! Feel free to connect with us via email at office@sozomedia.com.
Q: I am not a US citizen, can I still apply?
In order to be considered for this program, you must have a work visa which allows you to receive both payment and a 1099 form from us. We are investigating how we might include international artists in the future, but as of right now, our program is limited to US citizens and artists with a US work visa.
Q: I have a creative partner in my practice, can we apply together?
Yes you are eligible to apply together. If you collaborate on your projects as a partnership, we would consider your joint application as “one” artist. If selected as a fellow, your honorarium would be for “one” artist.
Q: How much experience qualifies me as a mid-career artist?
We encourage independent artists who have been paid to develop/produce/present their original work for at least 10 years to apply.
Q: Do my references need to be previous collaborators?
We are asking for 2 references who can speak to your work and/or your impact in the world at large. They do not need to be artistic collaborators, though you are welcome to include them if you so choose.
Q: I’m just learning about the fellowship, but the application deadline has passed. Is there any way I can still apply?
Unfortunately, we are only able to consider applications that have been submitted within the open application window.
Questions? Email us at office [at] sozomedia.com