Expert-in Residence Program

Emily Mathis Corona (NYU PAA ‘20)
Director of Development, NYU Steinhardt

Emily Mathis Corona is an arts fundraiser and communications strategist in New York City. Emily served the Staten Island Museum as Director of Advancement, and previously worked with Ballet Hispánico as Assistant Director of Institutional Relations. She is currently Director of Development for NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She holds a master’s degree in Performing Arts Administration from New York University, and undergraduate degrees with  honors in English and music from the University of Texas at Austin. Emily has extensive experience in institutional giving and development, campaigns and major gifts, strategic communications, and social advocacy. She was a Village Voice Writing Fellow with the Dallas Observer, focusing her coverage on culture, education, and immigration, and served in the editorial division of Oxford University Press. Her writing centers on the intersection of cultural and artistic expression, social justice, and policy impacts, and has appeared in the Village Voice, the Texas Observer, and KUT News (an NPR affiliate), among others. Emily maintains a vibrant artistic life, performing in theaters  in the New York City region. She is a working board member and grant writer for Born Dancing, an organization that provides dance access, education, and resources to New Yorkers with disabilities. Since 2021 she has been the instructor/course creator for “Worker Artists: A quick-guide crash course, providing practical know-how to working in the arts” at Mayday Space, a community center and organizing space for NYC grassroots groups, artists, and activists.

Mengtong Guan
Associate Director, Artist Programming, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Mengtong Guan is an active change-maker promoting cross-cultural collaborations in the non-profit performing arts field in the past 10 years. She was the Executive Director of Ping Pong Productions, an international organization with the mission to Bring People Together through the Performing Arts. She joined Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City since spring 2022 and is currently the Senior Producer on the Artistic Programming team. Mengtong is an alumnus of Atelier for Young Festival Managers by the European Festival Association, and Emerging Leaders of New York Arts Fellowship program. She currently serves on the Membership and Global Fellowship Committees of International Society of Performing Arts. Mengtong Guan received a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Indiana University Bloomington, and Bachelors of Arts, from Peking University. She grew up in Beijing, China, but now calls New York City home.

Albert Martínez-Fernández (NYU PAA ‘23)
Manager of Strategy and Planning, Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation

Albert Martínez-Fernández is a business strategist specializing in arts and entertainment. As Manager of Strategy and Planning for the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, he leads strategic development, innovation, and operational efficiency. He also serves as an Expert-in-Residence for NYU’s MPA program. Previously, he built strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies at the Metropolitan Opera and held leadership roles in high-growth startups and multinational firms across travel, financial services, and technology sectors. A frequent lecturer at Columbia University, NYU, and CUNY, Albert's work has been recognized by the Association of Arts Administration Educators and the “La Caixa” Foundation. He is a graduate from NYU, Aarhus Business School, and Pompeu Fabra University.

Mara Vlatković
Co-founder, Young Professionals in the Arts
Digital Communications Analyst, United Nations Population Fund

Mara Vlatković is a marketing and communications professional currently working as a digital communications analyst at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Previously, she worked at The Juilliard School for seven years, ultimately as the Marketing Director, Community Relations, leading all digital and print marketing efforts for earned and contributed revenue across the school. Prior to Juilliard, she worked in digital communications at the New York Foundation for the Arts and a start-up in London. She has specialized in analyzing data for the purpose of making data-informed marketing and communications decisions in organizations and institutions. Mara is also the Co-founder of Young Professionals in the Arts (YPA), a networking community that provides professional development and support for art professionals in New York City. She is a contributor to The Profitable Artist, a comprehensive “how-to” guide to being a working artist. Mara has a M.A. in Culture, Policy, and Management from City University London and a B.Sc. in Sociology from the London School of Economics.

Caylin Waller (NYU PAA '22)
Founder and Executive Director of Theatre Advocacy Project
Caylin Waller holds an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from NYU Steinhardt, a B.F.A. in Music Theatre Performance with a minor in journalism from Central Michigan University, and is the Founder and Executive Director of Theatre Advocacy Project. She is an artist, activist, and award-winning scholar and entrepreneur. Her original research titled Creating Accountability in American Theatre, was selected winner of the NYU Steinhardt 9th Annual Research & Scholarship Showcase. This work also earned her the title of Distinguished Graduate for outstanding contributions to the field, upon graduation from NYU's Performing Arts Administration masters program. Caylin speaks regularly on her industry research and startup knowledge. She was a featured panelist at the NYU Steinhardt event titled Curtain Up: Spotlight on Financial and Social Sustainability for the Performing Arts, as well as the NYU Entrepreneurial Festival event Women Entrepreneurs Responding to Pressing Needs. Caylin was also selected as a recipient of the Mark & Debra Leslie Fellows grant through the NYU Female Founders Fellowship program, and an inaugural member of the institute's Female Founders Circle. Outside of her work in the arts, Caylin works in early childhood education as both a Head Teacher and a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Coordinator.