(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- Katie Enna has joined One River School of Art + Design, a company built to transform art education, as Vice President of Strategy and Development. She is based at the school’s headquarters in Englewood and reports to Founder and CEO Matt Ross. In this new position, Enna leads development and strategy promoting One River School’s unique franchise concept that provides an innovative business ownership opportunity in the arts to professionals across America.
Launched in 2012, One River School of Art + Design opened its second company-owned school in Allendale, NJ and its first franchised school in Frisco, Texas earlier this year. The company plans to open 100 schools nationwide within the next five years.
Enna brings extensive experience driving fast-paced growth in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. As Executive Director of Gallim Dance in Brooklyn 2014-2016, Enna enabled the young dance company to double its educational revenue and grants income, and expanded its Board of Directors. She also developed the company’s first interdisciplinary arts partnerships by collaborating with visual arts titans such as the Frieze Art Fair and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Previously, she oversaw strategic investments for the entertainment and restaurant industries at American Express in New York City.
After receiving a B.A. in Art History from Columbia University in 2005, Enna joined Christie's Old Master Paintings department, where she managed global client relations, logistics, and legal affairs, and optimized operations to enable a record-breaking $75 million sale. She then earned her MBA at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, where she was also an adjunct faculty member in the school’s Strategic Leadership course.
Enna, a native of Kansas City, Missouri who currently lives in Manhattan, said her interest in the intersection of the arts, business and entrepreneurship has culminated at One River School, where she returns to her roots in the visual arts.
“Katie has the perfect blend of art and business sensibility, and she is well-positioned to advise our partners on how to open and scale a One River School in their communities,” said Ross.
“I'm excited to partner with Matt Ross on our growth strategy because I'm inspired by his leadership and genuine commitment to the arts and artists,” she says. “With the model and culture he has developed for One River School, we are building a network that is sustainable - and most importantly, a creative home for hundreds of thousands of students to develop their own artistic voices."
Since 2012, One River School of Art + Design has offered a new direction in art education for suburban kids, teens and adults, providing the kind of exceptional, creative learning experiences previously only available in major cities. Using proprietary teaching methods, world-class instructors and interactive processes, the schools deliver experiences that “change people’s lives,” according to Ross. Each school also presents exhibitions from emerging artists as part of its commitment to be the voice of contemporary art in its community.
