Board of Directors

Julie Stover

ArtHouse Studio is led by Executive Director, Julie Stover. With degrees in Art Education and Art History, Julie developed an art education program known as ArtHouse Kids, which focused on art history, art exploration & world culture, for over two decades.  In 2021, Julie transformed this successful model into a non-profit, ArtHouse Studio, where she serves as Executive Director. The Arthouse mission and primary focus is to address the disparity in creative and entrepreneurial opportunities within underprivileged communities through the power of art. Julie’s unwavering mission has always revolved around engaging both companies and communities to aid, inspire and connect to the youth that surround them, with our unique “youth art galleries” that connect us all.

Julie’s entrepreneurial spirit is fueled by her passion to teach students that they can, despite their circumstances, draw on their innate creative ability to use their imaginations, innovate and find their own passions. We have glowing testimonials from parents, educators, superintendents and social workers including those in the the mental health facilities affirming the profound importance of our program. But these are not just statistics; they represent the lives our teachers have touched, the talents we’ve nurtured, and the untapped creative potential we’ve unlocked. We are thrilled to continue our journey and in our dedication to making a profound impact on the youth we serve through art education.

Jila Malek-Salehi

Dr. Jila Malek-Salehi joins ArtHouse Studios as a board member with over 15 years of teaching and curriculum design experience. Her career in education began teaching K-8 and coaching volleyball at middle, high school, and college levels. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management and has been teaching Child and Adolescent Development at De Anza College and San Jose State University. In addition, Jila works in the Teacher Education Masters of Arts in Teaching and Credential Programming at SJSU.

Jila brings administrative experiences from working at Notre Dame de Namur University, where she helped place student-teachers in different schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has recruited and maintained faculty and school partnerships. Outside of the classroom, Jila also mentors new teachers and provides them with support while demonstrating how to create inclusive spaces for learning.

Jila specializes in the art of teaching. She believes in preparing teachers for the field of education through evidence-based approaches to learning. She utilizes Universal Design for Learning and active learning strategies to enhance anything she has the opportunity to teach and share with others. Beyond the classroom, Jila also has a strong passion and focus on equity, diversity, and social justice which she shares with the ArtHouse team to raise awareness and tools for best practices.

Jila is thrilled to bring her educational background and experience to support ArtHouse Studios’ mission and vision.

Kimberly Mulcahy

Kimberly Mulcahy serves as the acting Board Chair for ArtHouse Studio. Her career has been centered on business and organizational development in both public and private sectors. Her focus has included community building, child development and health and wellness. With over 30 years of involvement in the Bay Area Community, Kimberly has a deep commitment to this region.

One of her core beliefs is in the significance of art in fostering creativity and cultivating a lifelong approach to thinking and learning. She recognizes that creativity extends beyond traditional artistic expression. Instead, she sees creativity as a fundamental aspect of how the brain approaches problem-solving and thinking. She loves being a part of an organization that is instilling creativity in our youth every day.

Elizabeth Santana

Elizabeth C. Santana is the Early Life Stress and Resilience (ELSRP) Program Administrator at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. She oversees and manages numerous ELSRP projects and directly supports executive faculty in the department. Elizabeth collaborates with numerous faculty and staff members to develop and manage community initiatives and programs and engages in various aspects of programmatic focus on mental health and wellness including the design, implementation, and management of internal cross-disciplinary initiatives.

Tracy Edkins

Tracy Edkins has been a board member at ArtHouse Studio since 2020, where she has leveraged her passion for access to education, innovation and art for students in underserved communities. Tracy works with the leadership and the board at ArtHouse Studio on strategy, planning, marketing and corporate partnerships. Tracy brings 25+ years of experience as an executive working with industry leaders including Splunk, eBay and Starbucks. She currently serves on the boards of D2L, Happy Money and is an Advisor to Generation IM, Thought Exchange, Leviti.com, and Findem among others.

Rayna Friendly

Dr. Rayna Friendly has over 15 years of experience designing, implementing and evaluating teaching-&-learning programs, specializing in psychology, child development, music, and adult learning. Rayna has taught developmental and cognitive psychology courses at San José State University, in the Child and Adolescent Development Department. Her passion is promoting trauma-informed diversity, equity and inclusion practices, while building community and enhancing culture within and across organizations.

Natalia Mercadal

Natalia is a key program & corporate partnership advisor and brings insight into Title I schools and corporate partnerships.