Karisa has over two decades of experience in group facilitation. Her learning environments are rich, interactive, and creative, with a touch of humor here and there. Based on the breadth of knowledge acquired over the course of her career, Karisa has designed and presented a broad range of courses and workshops, including strategic design, career development, wellness, and music. She has worked extensively with early childhood, elementary, pre-college, college, and older adult students in rural, urban, and suburban environments. In addition to designing new educational programs grounded in equitable practices, Karisa conducts detailed evaluation of program quality and impact. She also creates professional development and training opportunities for staff, students, and partners of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Karisa is an advocate for youth-driven spaces. In partnership with students in the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensembles, Karisa co-designed Senza, a professional development program for and with youth from communities underrepresented in classical music. Senza is a personalized curriculum of courses, mentorship, cultural experiences, community engagement, practical experience, and networking, driven by participants’ experiences and goals. While the program design is individually responsive, there is a strong teamwork component; Senza is specifically designed to build a strong cohort of high school students who learn, lead, and grow together over their time in the program, and continue their involvement into their post-graduation years, through peer support and mentorship of new program participants.
Leadership development and employee well-being are two of Karisa’s specialties. She completed her Career Development Facilitator studies through the National Career Development Association, and she is a Certified Practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Assessment. She has served as an Alumni Career Advisor at Stony Brook University.
In addition to earning a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University, a Master of Music degree from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Grand Valley State University, Karisa holds an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Baruch College. She is certified in Results-Based Accountability™. Karisa was a Carnegie Hall Choral Fellow; she has studied Arts in Aging at the Creative Center, Dalcroze Eurhythmics at the Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center, and Motivational Interviewing at New York University.
