OUR TEAM

FOUNDER & CEO

Rika Iino (she/her) embodies two decades of purpose-driven work at the intersection of social impact, innovation, and culture. As an entrepreneur and creative producer, her dedication to artists as change agents has shaped global projects. Deeply engaged in independent artist advocacy and leadership development, Rika serves as a coach, mentor, and speaker at institutions like Stanford, Yale, and UC Berkeley. Co-chair of Building Ethical and Equitable Partnership, a national initiative on equitable contracting, Rika made history in 2021 as the first woman of color to receive the Patrick Hayes Award for transformative leadership from the International Society for the Performing Arts. In 2023, she earned the Mentoring Award from Western Arts Alliance and the CALI Catalyst Award from the Center for Cultural Innovation, acknowledging her extraordinary efforts in realizing greater inclusion and equity in the cultural sector. In 2024 she earned a certification in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School. She is currently the lead designer for SOZO Fellowship, a groundbreaking artist entrepreneurship and sustainability program.

VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF SALES

Ichun’s work as a creative producer & manager spans more than a decade, leading and overseeing numerous live and digital projects with artists and organizations in various sectors globally. A producer with the business acumen for creative environments, Ichun secures resources and talent to take ambitious projects from conception to fruition. She specializes in discovering and cultivating innovative contemporary works that fuse art, social impact, and technology, often as a translator between artistic expression and business execution. Skilled in relationship building between humans, art, technology, and experiences, Ichun’s understanding of cultural nuance makes her effective in producing performances, exhibitions, and installations globally. Recent work includes facilitating large-scale international collaborations between artistic entities across several countries, and serving as the executive producer for The Dream Machine Experience, the first-ever mixed reality experience at Lincoln Center. She is highly regarded in the industry for her exceptional leadership, as well as her uncanny prowess in finding delicious cocktails wherever in the world work takes her.

SENIOR MANAGER & PRODUCER

Born into a multicultural family, Chisa simultaneously celebrates her passion for tradition and innovation. Her desire to discover, collaborate, and deepen her connection with people, place and planet has taken her to 6 continents whether embarking on community service projects, undertaking family pilgrimages, or gracing historic stages and theaters as a professional dancer for over a decade. Driven by intuitive nurturing and a zealous need to contribute joy to the world, she avidly advocates for interdisciplinary art and collaborative practices as means to dissolve perceived barriers to open emotional and physical pathways to truth, justice and love. Fervently on a mission to align her personal power with her professional values, Chisa brings her caring presence, grounded discipline and deep listening to everything she undertakes and creates; she most recently celebrated her stage directorial debut with Lincoln Center’s 2021 Restart Stages Series and continues her role as Creative Producer on SONIC TRAILS. Mindful to balance her psyche with fire and nectar, she nourishes herself with yoga, sending hand-written letters, burpees and never turns down a glass of bubbles.

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Orquidea Hale (she/her) brings 8+ years of experience advancing social impact through strategy, operations, and finance across nonprofits and values-aligned ventures. With a steady hand and systems-level thinking, she has helped organizations grow their reach, sharpen their decision-making, and align resources with purpose. From designing climate justice initiatives to managing multimillion-dollar budgets, her leadership is grounded in integrity, equity, and a belief in the power of collaboration.Orquidea’s career spans roles in finance management, organizational development, and cross-sector program design. She has led teams through complex transitions, supported executive leadership during pivotal growth phases, and built the infrastructure that allows bold, creative work to thrive. She is especially drawn to visionary organizations that center community care and are unafraid to evolve.She grounds her practice in cultivation of deep relationships, curiosity, and collective responsibility—and believes sustainable impact is only possible when people are treated with dignity and clarity. A lover of beauty and problem solving, she can be found tinkering away on a number of crafts or reading a book and expanding her imagination.

MANAGER & PRODUCER

Dana brings her theatrical experience and knack for collaboration to support the development of creative projects across SOZO’s portfolio ranging from dance to new media. Her work as a theater director has been seen throughout New York City as well as internationally, extending east to Romania and south to Argentina. She spent years working under avant-garde titan Lee Breuer, and was invited to continue direction on his last production after his passing.  She guides projects from concept to execution, from directing Daniel Bernard Roumain’s The Telling at FirstWorks to creative producing EARTH.SPEAKS by Osage artist brooke smiley and The Dream Machine Experience, a mixed reality project by Nona Hendryx. Dana teaches Theater Directing at Pace University.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE

Kaitlyn’s artistic expression began when she was 5 and eagerly climbing onto the piano bench. Now a multifaceted artist with a boundless curiosity for life’s nuances, Kaitlyn harnesses her black girl magic in pursuit of comprehensive and compassionate communion. Kaitlyn brings to the team her organizational prowess, collaborative nature, and drive for equity. For enjoyment, Kaitlyn can be found creating delicious dishes in the kitchen. She practices mindfulness, always stopping to smell the roses.

MANAGER & PRODUCER

Annie is happily the longest-running member of SOZO, working alongside Rika since 2003. She has a contagious passion for live production and loves supporting game-changing artists who elevate our everyday experiences through their works. Her dedication, flexibility, and proclivity for mastering new skills have made her a Jill-of-all-trades, Annie can type 70 WPM, write tour riders, negotiate booking contracts, reroute audio signal, edit your website, and parallel park a 15-passenger van. As manager and producer Annie’s current role with SOZO ranges from day to day management of artists to producing international tours including The Just and the Blind with Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Daniel Bernard Roumain. Annie now lives in San Jose, CA with the love of her life and their two young children.

FUNDRAISING LEAD, THE DOTS BETWEEN

Tamara Bates combines a career in finance with more than two decades of leadership in philanthropy and the arts. She worked as a financial advisor with UBS and Raymond James, completing the UBS Wealth Advisor program and earning the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS®) designation. Alongside her financial work, she has held senior roles across the nonprofit sector, including Executive Director of Searchlight New Mexico, Vice President of Strategy and Programs for Innovate+Educate, Development Director of the Santa Fe Waldorf School, and Program Officer at the Schott Foundation for Public Education.

In 2020, Tamara launched the dots between, a national financial coaching program that supports artists in building financial stability and long-term sustainability. Her commitment to creative and civic life extends to public service, having served as an Arts Commissioner for the City of Santa Fe and as a board member of Creative Capital. She holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning and Child Development from Tufts University.

DEVELOPMENT LEAD, BENVENUTI ARTS

Sarah Benvenuti has worked in arts and culture for almost 20 years, gaining experience across the country in theater, dance, film, education, and other cultural fields. She has worked with over 350 small and midsize arts organizations and individual artists across the United States, assisting them with fundraising, financial, administrative, planning, and interim needs.

Sarah is currently an Adjunct Professor for the Master of Arts Management program at Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and for the GIOCA Master of Arts Management program at the Università di Bologna in Italy. She has also been a guest lecturer for arts administration courses at Bard College, Brooklyn College, St. Lawrence University, and Mercyhurst University. She has sat on a number of grants and conference panels concerning arts management, real estate, emerging leadership, and creative partnerships.

Sarah is a writer, digital nomad, and proud zia, currently based out of Pittsburgh, PA. 

FINANCE, SUTRO LI

BOARD MEMBER - SECRETARY

BOARD MEMBER - TREASURER