OUR TEAM
Holland Tredwell
Founder/Executive Director
Holland Tredwell emerged into the art world at a young age. She grew up in a diverse environment surrounded by several of the country’s most distinguished artists and experimentalists. She has worked with some of the best influencers and mentors in the art world. Through fortuitous events, her mentors have included Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Robert Indiana, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg, Jamie Wyeth, and legendary Art Dealer Leo Castelli.
She is the Founder of the Portsmouth Museum of Fine Art, where she utilized her strong ties to the art world to create a new art museum and educational institution in an environment that became a compelling center of contemporary art and culture. She believes that the arts, artists, and the institutions that support them play pivotal roles in promoting broad civic engagement and creating more open societies. The power of the arts is needed to bring about needed positive change in the world.
Tredwell has been involved in 5 successful start-up companies in Science, Technology, and the Arts- in both the private and non-profit arenas. She is the founder of the Portsmouth Museum of Fine Art, The Antaya Foundation for Science and Technology as well as the Emerge Foundation For Contemporary Art. She serves on the Advisory Board at the Merchants House Museum NYC-New York Historical Society.
Robert Ryan
Founder/CFO
Bob Ryan is the Chairman and Co-founder of the Emerge Foundation for Contemporary Art. Ryan brings to the foundation nearly three decades of financial management experience in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. He brings experience in a broad range of industries, including public utilities, venture capital management, health care, strategic internet technical and creative consulting, nonprofit, and specialty recruiting.
Mr. Ryan is the Principal of the Iso Medical Corporation, Boston MA, which offers IT consulting and project management to medical companies in both the profit and non-profit arena. Ryan graduated from UVM with BS in Finance/Business, and an MBA from Bentley University in Business and Information Systems.
Michael Berkowitz
Director/Fashion Design
Michael Berkowitz has created fashion, design, and brand icons for the world’s most successful labels: Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, Vera Wang, Lululemon, Bruce Weber, Ralph Lauren RLX, JAY Z, Gap, Narciso Rodriguez. Nike, Victoria’s Secret, and most recently, his own line TEAMKIT.
Berkowitz’s strategic design process helps his clients leverage their unique assets to achieve market growth, elevate brand visibility, and evolve product portfolios for a targeted contemporary audience.
Michael has worked teaching and mentoring fashion design students worldwide, including Parsons School of Design NYC, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavik Iceland.
Terry Koren
Director/Art & Culture
Artist, interior designer, memoirist, scholar, and cultural advocate – Terry is the Director of Art and Culture at the Emerge Foundation. With more than three decades of experience in education, philanthropy, and beyond, Terry Koren builds partnerships at Emerge to support the arts and humanities while strengthening educational institutions and cultural organizations across the world.
Terry was born in Uganda Africa, she has lived and traveled to many places worldwide. She has had and continues to embrace opportunities to experience diverse cultures and environments. Terry brings to the Emerge Foundation, a diverse cultural perspective that inspires creativity and drives innovation.
Terry is the Co-Founder with her husband, Pini, of the Koren Foundation. The organization is a Non-profit institution dedicated to the promotion of African artists and the advancement of contemporary African art and culture.
Olga Kalenda
Director/Marketing/Brand Design
Olga brings a devoted approach and enthusiastic energy to the Emerge Foundation. Her passion for architecture, design, luxury product marketing, and development has been an added advantage to the Emerge Foundation. Ms. Kalenda came to the Emerge Foundation in Boston with a diverse and accomplished background. Olga currently is a Realtor in Boston’s Seaport and South Boston Neighborhoods. Prior to real estate, Olga worked in different business sectors in the profit and non-profit arena.
Olga Kalenda is originally from Eastern Europe-she has lived and worked in NYC and Boston. She is an active member on the Board of Directors for the “Emerge Foundation for Contemporary Art Boston” 501(c)(3), and on the board of advisors of “Bright Now” nonprofit NYC.
Eric V. Fields
Director/Performing Arts
Eric Fields is a Boston-based actor, standup, and improv comedian as well as a writer. He’s performed and written comedy for the Boston 48-Hour Film Project, The Improv Asylum Show, The Vermont Comedy Club, The Hartford Improv Festival, and several other Improv Festivals and Comedy Clubs around the country.
Eric is well-known for his work in the comedy genre, yet he has also had success in his acting career, which has included theatre, voice-over, and film.
His performance background highly influences his desire to support, promote and cultivate the arts community and its creative expression as an avenue for social and political change.
Eric is a graduate of MA College of Pharmacy and his “day job” is as a Senior Pharmacist in one of Boston’s top hospitals.
Amanda Zhahdi
Director/Fashion Design
Ms Zhahdi has over 25 years of experience in the fashion industry, from designing her own label to heading Los Angeles-based luxury lifestyle brand Azadi Atelier.
Born and raised in Southern California, Amanda graduated from FIT in New York. She won Women’s Wear Daily - WWD award and the industry’s Children’s Business Award for the young designer of the year. While modeling in Paris, she took an apprentice job at Maison Lesage, to learn the business and techniques of the famous Parisian embroidery atelier that has worked with many of the fashion world's elite haute couture designers including Givenchy, Chanel, Balenciaga, and Dior.
Amanda's entrepreneurial ambition and experience positioned her to start her own ventures, C’est Chouette Couture, Inc. and Azadi Atelier. Ms. Zhadi has established business relationships with some of the most successful fashion companies and partnered with E-Commerce businesses nationwide.
John Graham
Director/Music & Culture
John Graham is a proven business enterprise creator with music and voice-over expertise. He is a long-time member SAG-AFTRA. John is well known for his V.O/acting talents, he is widely recognized as the legendary weekend voice of WBCN Boston. His voice-over work has been featured on major radio and network television programs; national radio, television, internet commercials, promos, and corporate sales events videos. Graham has recently been involved in several music-based projects including his role as Executive Producer of the “Rock for Wood” CD, which benefits Walden Woods, in his hometown of Concord MA.
John's career includes 30+ years of experience in design and architecture. His design career began while working with his father, who created the renowned architectural firm Graham Design Architects, an award-winning, architecture and interior design firm. Graham Design Architects is a world-renowned design company, known for its design of luxury hotels recognized throughout the globe. John is the creator of his own spin-off company, where he made his own success by creating his own brand of opulent custom carpets.
In his spare time, John enjoys spending time with his daughter Shelby, exploring the city’s cultural, art, and food scenes as well as routing for his favorite Boston sports teams. GO Bruins!
