Deborah Davidson (she/her) FOUNDER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Deborah is an artist, curator and educator. She received her M.F.A. from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University and B.A. from Binghamton University. She is the founder and artistic director of Catalyst Conversations, a non-profit organization devoted to the dialogue between art and science. She is currently part of the core faculty of the MFA in Visual Arts program at Clark University, maintains a studio practice and directs the Suffolk University Gallery.

Alberta Chu (she/her) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Alberta is a cultural producer and creative entrepreneur. In 2022, Chu launched Facetopo, a personalized software platform for beauty and wellness. She is the Founder of ASKlabs, a digital content production company, established in Boston in 2004. As cultural producer and documentary filmmaker, Chu works collaboratively to develop transformative and engaging content and experiences, including science programming, art documentaries, and mobile apps that bring creativity and innovation to global audiences. Alberta's award-winning documentaries often explore the intersection of science and art and the process of making.

Linda Pagani (she/her) BOARD CHAIR

Linda is a multidisciplinary artist and experiential designer, exploring the interconnectedness of space and time. Her work is rooted in the influences of environment on the personal. Pagani has pursued diverse creative collaborations in art, design, fashion and travel, aspiring to bring more attention to collective synergies. She utilizes her education in Economics, Interior Architecture and Fine Arts to promote the intersections of art and the social sciences. Pagani’s interest in cultural understanding is woven into her creative practice and stems from her Polish heritage. Her work is exhibited nationally and internationally, and held in private and public collections, including MFA Boston.

Jason Weeks (he/him)

Jason is the executive director of the Cambridge Arts Council, a city department and public nonprofit agency that engages residents and visitors through programming designed to stimulate awareness, participation, and support for the arts. Jason works with an advisory board, trustees of the nonprofit Cambridge Public Art Commission, elected officials, city administration, and agency staff to oversee an award-winning Public Art/Percent-for-Art program, the Cambridge Arts Grant Program, Cambridge Street Performer Program, and a variety of annual produced events including Cambridge River Festival, Summer in the City, and Cambridge Open Studios.

Karen Thurston BOARD TREASURER

Karen Thurston is a business strategist with over 15 years of experience partnering with organizations to navigate intricate strategic and operational challenges. Through her boutique consultancy, Clarity, she serves as a confidante and collaborative partner, providing insight into the root causes of challenges and a tactical, results-driven, pathway for business leaders to move confidently from vision to execution.

Beyond her consulting work, Karen owns Sweet Laundromat in Somerville, MA, a mission-driven small business focused on offering employment opportunities to underserved populations. She nurtures her lifelong passion for art as a visual artist through her studio, ArtBecomesYou.

Catheline van den Branden (she/her)

Catheline is a multidisciplinary artist and seasoned non-profit executive. She is the former president and executive director of the French Library/French Cultural Center in Boston and a former cultural attaché for the government of Québec. In 2018 Catheline was named Knight in the Order of Academic Palms (Chevalier dans l’ordre des Palmes Académiques).  In 2021 Catheline was awarded the Robyn Gittleman Teaching Fellowship at Tufts University. Aside from art-making, teaching and doing related research, Catheline is also a long-time committee member and supporter of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.

Eva Zasloff MD (she/her)

Eva is a family physician and a painter.  She is the founder of Tova Health, a home-based model of care for newborn and postpartum medicine. She is also one of the sisters of Sisters Body, a clean hair and body line that donates 40% of their profits to reproductive rights organizations. She is an artist who focuses her work on birth and the biology that surrounds it. Her work is gestural and experimental — often working on large surfaces and incorporating natural materials including wood resin, egg, and clay. She has a studio / work space at The Barn of Schwamb Mill in Arlington, MA where she hosts and curates art exhibits and community gatherings.

Nitasha Manchanda PhD (she/her)

Nitasha is a geneticist and philanthropist. She is the Founder of The Indian Edit podcast.

More coming soon!

Laura Zittrain (she/her)

Laura is a curator, teacher and writer who studies science and spirituality, including the rituals and practices of those disciplines. She designs and leads workshops, classes and exhibitions that concern technology, mysticism, and the body. Her work extends from archival research in the history of chatbots and AI, to organizing hackathons like “Make the Breast Pump Not Suck,” and creating immersive soundscapes of celestial and human bodies.

She is partial to dystopian science fiction and Busby Berkeley numbers, and can often be seen in a cowboy hat in Cambridge, MA where lives and works.

Amber Krasinski (she/her)

Amber Krasinski is a brand communications and PR strategist and content creator. She is the Founder and principal of Ivy Hill Strategies.

More coming soon!

Alyson Jenkins (she/her)
MSW, NASM-CPT | Health Coach for Women

Alyson is a health coach dedicated to helping women strengthen the mind-body connection through evidence-based strategies and sustainable habits. She blends her background in mental well-being, fitness, and lifestyle design to support women in creating lasting change.

Alongside her coaching practice, Alyson spent 13 years working in nonprofit leadership and social media strategy, amplifying voices and missions that drive meaningful impact. This dual experience allows her to combine creativity, communication, and wellness in unique and powerful ways.

After spending more than a decade raising her family in Japan, Alyson brings a global perspective to Catalyst Conversations, blending mindful living with curiosity-driven dialogue. Her work encourages audiences to look beyond boundaries and discover how creativity and science inform the way we live, work, and thrive.

Ethan Vogt (he/him)

Ethan is a filmmaker, curator, and placemaker whose work explores the intersection of culture, community, and the built environment.

He studied Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard College, and has produced three theatrically released independent films, including Funny Ha Ha (dir. Andrew Bujalski), as well as large-scale public art events such as Bring to Light (Brooklyn, NY) and Camden Night Gardens (Camden, NJ).

His curatorial projects include The Laboratory of Longing, an exhibition on art and science with artist Ani Liu.

Currently the Executive Director of East Boston Main Streets, Ethan leads creative programming that supports small businesses and celebrates cultural diversity in East Boston.