Randi Pupkin, Founder of Art with a Heart
Name: Randi Pupkin
Founder: Art with a Heart
Who is Randi Pupkin?
I was a practicing attorney for many years and when I was not feeling fulfilled in that work, I decided to do something that I thought really helped people and started Art with a Heart. In 2000, I left my law practice and started teaching weekly hands-on art classes to at-risk teens at a neighborhood rec center run out of a rowhouse in East Baltimore. I ran the non-profit from my home (and my car!) for about a year and finally rented a tiny office space. It's wild to think that we are about to celebrate our 25th anniversary in March 2025!
In less than three sentences tell us about your company and what you do.
With a staff of 18 caring humans and hundreds of volunteers, Art with a Heart provides engaging, educational and interactive visual arts classes to under-resourced Baltimore area children, youth and adults in schools, group homes, shelters, community centers, veterans facilities, senior facilities, and hospitals. To achieve our mission of increasing access to visual arts for everyone, mission, we work to harness the benefits of arts education to cultivate positive, long-lasting changes in the lives and communities of the people it serves.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
For me, it's about having something that I am passionate about and knowing that my work makes the world a better place – especially for people who often do not feel heard or seen. Being a FoundHer also gives me the opportunity to collaborate with and support other women in Baltimore and beyond. There is always more to do and that keeps me motivated and excited to keep building on what we've created.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
I attend many women's events, network with other female-led organizations and often help those coming up in the business and nonprofit world. I also enjoy working with the young people on my staff in order to help them grow in their careers. I attended the "It's Never Wrong to Do What's Right" event at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and was extremely impressed. What a wonderful event. Building community is very important to me and you are so good at it.
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
I knew that even though Art with a Heart is a nonprofit, I have always kept my lawyer hat on. We are run like a business...but a business that really cares. We have a solid foundation financially and our Board of Directors is extremely diverse and filled with professionals who specialize in various areas like finance, marketing, law, commerce, nonprofits, etc.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company (you, an internal team member, an outsourced solution?) and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
My assistant, Amy Legg, runs our social and our audience is very engaged with our content. I also post AWAH content on my Instagram, that is very important to reach additional audiences. The secrets are consistency, content that is both fun and informative (based on what we do) and of course telling stories about PEOPLE. Your audiences have to care and people definitely care about people and seeing how the organization is making a real difference.
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