Tasha Michelle Smith, Director, BIV Arts & Education Programs

Tasha Michelle is a singer, songwriter, actress and author originally from Pittsburgh, PA now residing in New York. Tasha has been found on many stages singing back up for artists such as Renee Elise Goldsberry, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Patti Labelle, and Lalah Hathaway, to name a few. She has also been a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices for over 15 years. Regional Theater Credits; Being Alive, Into The Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, The Crawford Grill present Billie Holiday and Mahalia: The Mahalia Jackson Story. Tasha loves mentoring youth interested in the Performing Arts and advocates for Performing Arts in schools and afterschool programs. Tasha released her first children’s book “Saturday My Favorite Day” in the summer of 2021.

Tiffany Cole, Assistant Director of Operations for Arts & Education Programs

Dancing since the age of three, Tiffany has always had a passion for artistic expression. Early on in her career, she found that she also loved the theater. After a three-year adventure in New York where she made her Broadway debut in Escape to Margaritaville as a swing, pit singer, and principal understudy, she is now happily back in her home state of California. Her recent credits include Paradise Square directed by Moises Kaufman, (Berkeley Rep), Dreamgirls, (TUTS), and Rock of Ages Las Vegas as a swing, assistant dance captain, and principal understudy. She received her BA in Theater Arts from California State University, Fullerton.

LaDonna Burns, BIV Arts & Education Program Coordinator

LaDonna Burns is a New York based singer and actress,  born and raised in Indianapolis. Some of her recent credits: Caroline, or Change (Caroline Thibodeaux), Follies (Stella Deems), Sister Act  (Sister Mary Lazarus), RENT (Seasons of Love Soloist, Joanne understudy) and Seussical the Musical (Sour Kangaroo). She teaches Acting the Song at the Manhattan School of Music and coaches people on Pop/Rock vocal performance technique for musical theater.

Ben Chavez, BIV Arts & Education Program Coordinator

Ben Chavez is honored to be a member of the Broadway Inspirational Voices. As a performer, he was recently featured in the National Tour of Disney’s Aladdin,The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, and Marry Harry at The York Theatre Company. Regional credits include: Asolo Rep, The Rep/St. Louis, Cape Playhouse, and Sacramento Music Circus. Ben is the Award-winning composer of The Cobalteans (NYMF) and a proud graduate of the NYU Tisch New Studio on Broadway. Throughout the pandemic, Ben hosted a weekly livestream piano bar show which raised a total of $20,000 for various different charities.

Judith Franklin, Coordinator, BIV Arts & Education Programs

Judith Franklin’s interest in performing was ignited as a young girl while singing in her hometown of Missouri City, Texas in the Sunshine Choir at church. She later graduated from Houston's Grammy Award-winning High School for the Performing & Visual Arts as a vocal and dance major and received a music scholarship to Clark Atlanta University, graduating with a BA in Theatre Arts. In 2017, Judith’s Broadway dream came true as she traveled the world in the National Broadway Company of Motown The Musical. She struck Broadway gold two years in a row and made her principal Broadway debut in 2018, understudying the role of the late great Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. She is currently a company member in the Original Broadway Cast of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Additionally, she’s performed throughout the United States, Caribbean, Africa, Europe and South American and it has blessed her with the gift of seeing the world and experiencing the arts on 5 of the 7 continents.

Matthew Sims Jr., Coordinator, BIV Arts & Education Programs

Matthew Sims, Jr is a people loving, fast talking, energetic and talented ball of sunshine. Matthew is from the great state of Louisiana but has lived in Los Angeles, New York and most recently moved to Atlanta. In his spare time you can find him binge watching something on Netflix, in a boxing class, cooking and/or trying to make himself sneeze. Matthew’s most recent credits include, The Book of Mormon National Tour, Motown National Tour and a series of commercials. Matthew is a performer to the core and is passionate about making the day of everyone he meets a little bit brighter. Matthew is thankful to God, his supportive parents, other relatives and friends who have helped him every step of the way.

Kai Stanton, Volunteer Coordinator, BIV Arts & Education Programs

Keirsten ‘Kai” Stanton is originally from Pittsburgh, PA. She has a 20+ year background in Photography and Technical Theater. She is proficient in Lighting and sound design, as well as stage management and technical directing. She has been a volunteer with BIV for over 13 years and is grateful to step into the role of Volunteer Coordinator.