The Folks Behind the Scenes
MEET THE INGENUITY TEAM
Programming & Sustainability Manager
russa wenzel
Russa is a Cleveland native who has spent the last decade overseeing all kinds of events within our city! With a strong passion for inclusive spaces and community engagement Russa first came to Ingenuity in 2018 as a Volunteer Coordinator, her role has since grown to Programming and Sustainability Manager- helping to grow Ingenuity's programming, Ingeneers and annual festival.
In her free time she enjoys kayaking and exploring the outdoors.
Marketing & Development Coordinator
Sarah Bene
Sarah is an Emmy-nominated producer and marketer native to Cleveland, OH. She is a strong visual storyteller with a passion for multimedia production. She joined the Ingenuity team in 2026 with the goal to advance the mission of the organization through digital media strategy.
She earned her BFA in Film & Media Arts from Cleveland State University with minors in Marketing & International Film. With a special interest in grassroots nonprofits, she also works as a Digital Media Coordinator for BorderLight Theatre Festival.
Sarah loves walking her dogs, going to the movies, and attending IngenuityFest!
Site Coordinator
Arron Bound
Arron Bound is an Ohio City native, local artist, photographer and builder working in Cleveland. He joined the Ingenuity team in 2024 and works to support IngenuityLabs infrastructure, programming, and more.
Strategic Consultant
emily appelbaum
Emily Appelbaum served as Program Director, and then Executive Artist Director, from 2015-2025.
Emily joined Ingenuity in 2015, after returning to Cleveland from the Bay Area where she helped make places awesome through collaborative design, large-scale public art, earthshaking events, and outreach to underserved communities.
She has a degree in Architecture and Urban Studies from Yale, and she has a passion for creative place-making through artist involvement. She serves as Art Director for Brite Cleveland, and worked previously with LAND studio, City Architecture and Westlake Reed Leskosky (Cleveland); and (in San Francisco) American Steel Studios, the Box Shop and the late, great San Francisco Bay Guardian. She has been instrumental in visioning and bringing the Hamilton Collaborative to life.
Bringing Time, Talent, & Treasure
MEET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Committee
President
Kristen Hoover Boutton
AmTrust Financial Services
Vice President
Michael Bruder
Case Western Reserve University
Co-Treasurer
Brian Wheatall
Swagelok
Co-Treasurer
Jay Lowry
CBIZ
Co-Secretary
Radhika Balasubramaniam
Visa
Co-Secretary
Rob Karlson
Ernst and Young
Directors
Cena Hilliard
Case Western Reserve University
Laura DeMarco Petkovic
Greater Cleveland Partnership
John McGovern
Central State University
Grant Marquit
MAGNET
Ivana Vucenovic
Deloitte
Barry DiJulius
Cuyahoga Community College
Jeff Metzger
Enbridge Gas Ohio
Ben Foote-Huth
McDonald Hopkins
Jeff Culliton
CMO Confidential
Emeritus Board
James DeRosa
Commissioner of Real Estate, City of Cleveland
Joe Marinucci
Former President & CEO, Downtown Cleveland Alliance
Doug Hoffman
Emeritus Principal, Weber Murphy Fox
Grafton Nunes
Former President & CEO, Cleveland Institute of Art
Tony Sias
President & CEO, Karamu House
Deborah Wilcox
Retired Partner, BakerHostetler, LLC
David Tabor
Former Director of Gas Field Support, Enbridge Gas Ohio
Nigamanth Sridhar
Senior Vice President and Provost, Cleveland State University
Holly Little
Attorney and Community Advocate
Brett Altier
Partner, Ice Miller