Karla Estela Rivera

Karla Estela Rivera (she/her) is a writer, performer, activist, and arts advocate that has leveraged her gift of storytelling to uplift and create opportunities for, with, and in underserved communities. For over a decade, Karla has balanced her artistic practice and serving in community-based organizations, beginning as a teaching artist and youth worker, to making national history in systems-level leadership and policy. She now proudly serves as the founding executive director of the Arts Administrators of Color Network (AAC).

Prior to her role at AAC, she had the honor of being the executive director of the historic Free Street Theater. She is currently a company member of 2nd Story, is a co-host of the Creative Generation’s Why Change? Podcast, and the author and narrator of the first-ever commissioned young audience piece for the Joffrey Ballet, Rita Finds Home (a co-production with the Miami City Ballet).

Karla continues to perform in venues and Zoom rooms across the country, actively teaches storytelling and consults on arts education, social justice, and advocacy initiatives. She is a native of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and holds a B.A. from Columbia College Chicago, with graduate studies at New York University.