Meet The BATS
Team
About BATS
You can think of BATS Improv as a multi-headed monster, failing constantly since 1986, yet gaining strength every day. One head of the beast is the performing company, the longest running improvised theatre company in Northern California. Another is the BATS Improv School, where beginners and experienced improvisers come to learn from some of the most talented and inspiring coaches in the world.
Still another head is BATS @Work, offering corporate training to companies of every size. And then there’s the BATS Community: students, audience members, staff, volunteers, our Board of Directors… let’s make them the body of our creature. Their joy, curiosity, passion, generosity and laughter are the life force of the strange animal that is BATS Improv.
Staff
Artistic Directors:Â Karen Brelsford and Derek Yee
Managing Director:Â Marilyn Langbehn
Head of BATS School of Improv:Â Stephanie Dennison
Director, Improv @ Work:Â Jo McGinley
@ Work Sales Associate:Â Â Corey Rosen
Community Coordinator:Â Shayd Bowers
Musical Director:Â Joshua Raoul Brody
Production Supervisor:Â Sage Simms
Musical Improvisers:Â Joshua Raoul Brody, Win Meyerson, Willie Rusert, Sage Simms
Lighting Improvisers:Â Craig Good, Tony Cardoza, Alfred Spormann, Ryan Shaver, John Holmes, Nick Rice, Tanya Yek, Magdalena del Castillo
Senior Manager, Marketing:Â Rebekah Renne
School Administrator:Â Will Gutzman
Board of Directors
Basel Al-Naffouri, BATS Coach and Senior Staff Software Engineer, Google
Edmund Bondoc, Marketing Director, VISA
Ethan Karson, BATS Company Member and Staff Software Engineer, Sony Interactive EntertainmentÂ
Jade Shipman, President, Principal, Jade Shipman Economics
Dr. Jason Myrowitz, Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Management, Northern Arizona University
John Holmes, Audit & Risk Management, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Pat Pow-Anpongkul, Treasurer, COO of ReadMe, BATS Guest Player and student
Sana Ahmed, Interim Secretary, Finance & Strategy, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Shweta Mogha, Co-Founder eWOW and Coactive Coach
Website Photography
. Jenn Dorn
. William Hall
. Dan Heller
. Petr Jerabek
. Ben Long
. Stephanie Pool
. Corey Rosen
Open Board Roles
We are seeking two new Board members that are interested in supporting improv in the Bay Area. The Board is a diverse group of fun people that help to support the Managing Director and Artistic Directors as they guide BATS to the next part of the journey. A love of improv is appreciated and we are also happy to introduce you to improv if you are willing to learn more.
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The Board meets every other month currently by zoom for 2-3 hours. All Board members also participate in one committee (finance, marketing, fundraising, EDI) that meets monthly for 1-2 hours.
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Board Member with Legal Expertise:
We are seeking a Board Member to be an expert voice to ensure we are including legal considerations in board discussions. We are seeking a board member willing to support on a variety of topics that may arise for an arts organization of our size and scope.
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Board Member with Marketing Expertise
We are seeking a Board Member to be an expert voice to ensure we are including marketing considerations in board discussions. We are seeking a board member willing to give feedback on our ongoing marketing and PR efforts, and also to support on a variety of topics that may arise for an arts organization of our size and scope.