Board of Directors & Advisors

Hendrik Gideonse MA, MMSRT, Founder

Hendrik was born and raised in Cincinnati, a wonderful musical collision point on the Mason-Dixon line. Blues, jazz, and soul migrated North at the same time that bluegrass spread West from the coal mines. The Ohio River brought zydeco, swing bands and jump blues via the Mississippi River. Hendrik moved to Medford to attend Tufts University and formalized his path as a bassist, singer and audio engineer. Hendrik earned a BA and MA in Music Composition from Tufts, playing in Boston bands in the 90s. He started Indecent Music, a record label to release his own music and later several hip-hop albums that he produced.

Hendrik found his spirit in his recovery from addiction starting in 2003 and has worked to help people and build connections ever since. In recovery, Hendrik taught audio at the New England Institute of Art, Bunker Hill Community College, and at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. Hendrik completed a Masters degree in Music at U. Mass Lowell in Sound Recording Technology with a focus in Acoustics for Audio. The work for that degree yielded two patents and helped to launch a studio design and acoustic treatment business called XIX Acoustics.

Hendrik has worked as an audio engineer, a studio designer, a record producer and label owner. His most important job is being a father to his two girls and a good partner to his wife.

David Johnson, Treasurer

David grew up singing in church, took a few piano lessons as a teen, designed lighting for theater and dance in high school and college, and continued to find community in Boston-area rock clubs in his twenties and thirties. He is a graduate of Tufts University and Boston College, works as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and holds a significant leadership position at a large healthcare organization. He lives in Medford with his wife and son.

Safiya Leslie, Director

Safiya Leslie is a dedicated Music Community Builder and the visionary Founder of Travel Through Music. With an unwavering passion for uniting people through music, Safiya excels in curating immersive experiences that transcend boundaries. With an impressive background in curating memorable music experiences, Safiya thrives on fostering connections between artists and audiences.

As the force behind numerous Cultural Music/Dance/Art programs in Boston, Safiya’s passion for inclusivity shines. Her knack for orchestrating DEI-driven, interactive music groups has resulted in stronger community bonds and meaningful interactions. Her strategic partnerships and innovative curation have led to the creation of three paid platforms featuring over 100 world musicians.

Beyond her entrepreneurial success, Safiya’s commitment to fostering community engagement shines through her work. As the Music Manager at Friendshipworks, she orchestrated over 200 Music/Dance/Art programs in Boston, creating spaces for residents to connect and celebrate diversity.

Eric Walker, Director

From Eric:

I have been the General Manager of a mobile DJ company called QNR Productions since 1997. QNR was formed by Tufts students to provide funds for the astronomical cost of attending one of the world’s most expensive universities. Most of us were first generation college students and men of color. There were huge financial shortfalls even with the financial aid, federal grants and loans that we relied on to attend university.

Labor pioneer A. Phillip Randolph, civil rights leaders John Lewis and Huey P. Newton, and former President Bill Clinton are all members of my fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. This network was the foundation for building QNR Production into a commercially viable entity. To increase my reach further, I became a Freemason, a brotherhood with an estimated 6 million members worldwide.

I took QNR Productions over from the founders and scaled the operation up so that more DJs could perform at a greater number of events. Many of my DJs have gone on to careers in law and medicine, crediting their experience DJing parties with their current professional success. In 1997, I won Tufts University’s Montel Prize for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

But times changed. Music became more accessible. I had to adapt and change the business focus from parties and local pubs to life events and fundraisers for nonprofits. I also had to get a day-job that allowed me to continue running QNR full time. I went to work for human services companies. I have been a direct care staff person, a therapeutic mentor, a case manager, school culture specialist and finally a Social Worker Technician for the Department of Children & Families (DCF.) Many of the skills I learned from playing music translate directly to supporting vulnerable children and their families. Combining these two careers has also allowed me to seamlessly pursue my life passions and earn a living.

I have been fortunate to see many of the children that I served, who are now adults, in the community.

Laura Rótolo, MALD, JD, Director

Ted Gideonse, PhD, MFA, Advisor

Ted Gideonse is Associate Professor of Teaching in the Department of Health, Society, and Behavior at the University of California, Irvine and Director of Undergraduate Affairs for UCI’s Program in Public Health. Ted is a psychological anthropologist, and his research and teaching are focused on understanding and explaining the psychocultural effects of health discourses in order to improve healthcare policy, delivery, and research ethics. Ted received a BA in Sociocultural Anthropology from Harvard University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School University, and a PhD in Anthropology from the University of California, San Diego. Before academia, Ted was a journalist, a literary agent, a film critic, and, rather briefly, a judge for Guinness World Records. He lives in Downtown Los Angeles with his partner Derek Tywoniuk and their cats Bob and Kip.