A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Michele has worked as a dancer, arts administrator, researcher, communications professional, and advocate for the arts and social justice. As The New York Community Trust's Program Associate for Thriving Communities, she conducts grantmaking and convening activities within and across the Arts and Culture, Civic Affairs, Community Development, Environment, and Historic Preservation portfolios. She seeks to advance principles and practices around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in philanthropy through research at the foundation and participation in DEI-focused initiatives within the larger sector. At The Trust, she also coordinates the New York City Cultural Agenda Fund, a donor collaborative that builds the capacity of arts advocates to advance cultural policy and equity; recent grants from the Fund ensured that diverse groups of New Yorkers were able to meaningfully participate in the development of the City's first-ever cultural plan. Her previous roles include work at Dance/NYC, Columbia University, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and the Global Fund for Women. Michele has an undergraduate degree from Brown University and a masters from Columbia University. She is a trained dancer in African disaporic traditions from Brazil, Guinea, Haiti, and Mali.