Michelle Cheripka (Founder & Managing Director)

Michelle Cheripka graduated from Columbia University, and has since been working in film and media production. She wants the Visible Poetry Project to help poets and filmmakers explore interdisciplinary approaches to visual self-expression.

Tamsin Pargiter (Development Consultant)

Tamsin Pargiter is involved with helping the Visible Poetry Project expand however she can, including through podcasting, event production, and pursuing institutional sponsorships and artistic collaborations. She hopes the intersection of visual, auditory, and poetic mediums can re-define what poetry is capable of, who can be considered a poet, and how poetry can impact us.

Martin Clark (Events Coordinator)

Martin Clark works in business development at Nielsen helping some of the largest advertisers with their digital marketing. Martin is interested in exploring the intersection between poetry and film with the Visible Poetry Project. He hopes VPP can serve as a platform for individuals with unique voices and perspectives to find and develop their craft through uninhibited creative expression.

CJ Strauss (Media Coordinator)

CJ Strauss is a Junior at Barnard College majoring in English. Poetry has been a passion of theirs for many years and they hope that the Visible Poetry Project will expand and diversify the medium.

Alex Max (Head of Production)

An NYU graduate with a master's from Tsinghua University, Alex Max has been working in television and media production for several years. Hooked on the idea since Michelle first approached him on set, he looks forward to ensuring that the Visible Poetry Project becomes an important and enduring part of National Poetry Month.

Alina Sodano (Producer)

Alina Sodano is a graduate of Barnard College, where she studied English and Film. Thus the Visible Poetry Project was the perfect merger of her two great passions! Alina's favorite thing about the Visible Poetry Project is the collaborative spirit of all involved, and the global community of artists that has since materialized. Check out her website here.

Hannah Boysko (Director of Partnerships)

Hannah Boysko graduated from Barnard College and has worked in the nonprofit world as an educator, program developer, and administrator since then. She currently serves as a Poetry Reader for The Adroit Journal and writes essays, poetry, and sketch comedy. Hannah is passionate about Visible Poetry Project’s dedication to increasing poetry’s accessibility and exploring the intersections across mediums.

Sahil Ansari (Audio Technician)

Sahil Ansari is a Brooklyn-based record producer, instrumentalist, and composer. He hopes the Visible Poetry Project can help connect the dots between words, vision, and sound, inspiring filmmakers and poets alike to defy prescriptive creation. Check out his website here.

Christina Ellsberg (Senior Producer)

Christina Ellsberg graduated from Barnard College, where she studied medical anthropology and poetry writing. Christina hopes the Visible Poetry Project will encourage new poets to take pride in expression beyond formal publication.

Sarah Sparkman (Producer)

Sarah Sparkman graduated from Columbia University with a degree in film studies and has been working in production for Nickelodeon, National Geographic, and NBC. She’s excited to see the Visible Poetry Project create a community of creatives using their art to intentionally start conversations and create dialogue.

Simone Norman (Casting Director)

Simone Norman is a freelance casting director in addition to being an actress and comedian. You can catch her performing each week at the People's Improv Theater where she is a resident house improviser. She loves using her creative connections in the industry to cast the videos that bring written poetry to a visible screen.