MAGIC Board of Directors
Paulina Gadda
President
Paulina is a Bay Area native and lover of creative arts. She was active in music programs and musical theater, and so she believes in creativity as a form of personal expression. With her Communication Studies, Paulina can better connect with others using their own communication style to promote a welcome environment. As a mom with a daughter born prematurely who has some social and developmental delays, she encourages others to express themselves in the best way they know how.
During the day, Paulina works in administration at a local county hospital and previously worked with Santa Clara County’s Department of Public Health. Her priority is keeping MAGIC healthy and safe so we can continue to serve our community. Paulina and her family are frequent world travelers, but her favorite place to be is Disneyland, USA!
Jacqueline Wood
Board Member
Jacqueline Wood manages Woodcrest Inc that encompasses an academy and a philanthropy to support alternative education programs across the San Francisco Bay area and beyond. She is a home educator that provides a communal environment for homeschool children of all abilities and she is an active literary Ambassador for Barefoot Books, a vibrant and diverse community focused on sharing books that inspire children to be compassionate, creative and inclusive.
Jacqueline's career spans over 20 years of experience as a service, product and user interface designer for software applications, online social media networks, publisher’s platforms and other high-trafficked websites. She combines visual design and technology and delivered solutions for brands such as Time Warner Cable, Ford Motor Company, Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. She has lectured at private colleges such as Loyola University; spoken at mini-panel sessions at South By Southwest over motion graphics, is the Winner of the 2002 Broadcast Design Association Bronze Award and was featured in the Hong-Kong-based design magazine, iDN: International Designers Network. Jacqueline is a member of the Broadcast Designers Association, The Interaction Designers Association and the American Institute of Architects.
Russ
Board Member
Russ White is an LA native and has been a Bay Area resident for over 10 years. He has been a supporter of MAGIC over the last 3 years. Throughout this time, he has helped support marketing & fundraising efforts for the organization. The future is bright for MAGIC, & he’s ready to be a part of the journey.
Tripti Thakur
Board Member
Tripti Thakur is a 2x Startup CFO, ex-Wall Street, ex-Loyalty ecommerce, ex-AT&T professional. She was CFO of a $100M retail company and helped buy and sell Loyalty e-commerce companies during her 10 years at MyPoints and Prodege. She is an Angel investor and is currently the founder of Pitch Perfect, an app designed to reduce bias in venture capital. Tripti has an undergraduate degree from Baruch College, a graduate degree from New York University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Leadership from USC where she is focusing on the gender equity gap in venture capital.
Chelsea Sioxson Laxa
Executive Director & Founder
Chelsea has been dancing since the age of four and grew up in the South Bay Area. She is trained in ballet, pointe, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, modern, jazz, and tap. Chelsea has been instructing children’s dance classes for almost 20 years. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, has a Masters degree in Early Childhood Special Education, a Bachelors degree in Psychology, and a minor in Dance Studies. She is also certified in Autism Movement Therapy.
Chelsea has experience working with neurodiverse individuals as a respite caregiver, a developmental interventionist, a special education teacher and a behavior consultant. She has served on the advisory council for San Jose City College’s Early Childhood Education department and has been asked to speak as a guest lecturer for various classes at San Jose State University. As a professional in both the educational and performing arts fields, Chelsea is dedicated to uniting people of all abilities through creative outlets and artistic expression.
Eidref Laxa
Treasurer & Co-Founder
Eidref received his Bachelors degree in Public Health from California State University of Los Angeles. He enjoys learning about the population he currently serves through MAGIC and is excited to help push this company to expand its reach in the Bay Area. Eidref co-founded MAGIC and primarily focuses his time managing business operations and financing.
During the day, Eidref works as an organizer for a national labor union. However, his true passions lay in making pizza and traveling. When he is not brainstorming ways to fundraise for MAGIC, you can find him interviewing pizza businesses on his podcast or updating his travel blog for honeymooners.
MAGIC is recruiting new board members!
We are a community of individuals working together to fulfill the mission of MAGIC Dance Arts, Inc. Our Board is run by volunteer-based members currently focusing on expanding our artistic services and building partnerships within the community. Board members include former MAGIC instructors, parents of current students and community members who aspire to dedicate their talents and skills to our mission. We are currently seeking to add diverse new members to our board. Initial terms run for 1 years under the current bylaws. Expectations and needs include but are not limited to the following:
EXPERIENCE
Nonprofit policy
Nonprofit management
Grant writers
Fundraising & sponsorships
Marketing
Event planning
Finance/Accounting
expectations:
Applicants must affirm to their support for MAGIC’s mission statement
Applicants must affirm a commitment to undertake volunteer tasks during their term (approximately 1-10 hours per month). These tasks include but are not limited to:
Planning fundraisers
Treasury, bookkeeping, accounting
Communications: Design, website, newsletter, blog, social media, etc.
Information & Referral
Community outreach
Commitment to attend 4 quarterly board meetings per year, typically held on a Saturday via video conference
Personal contribution (through direct donation or fundraising efforts) of $100 per year
WHY JOIN OUR BOARD?
Access and networking opportunities with professionals from a variety of fields and backgrounds: Design, Education, Public Health, etc.
Professional and personal development
Gain great leadership skills and practice your craft in a relaxed environment
Experience being part of an intimate, grassroots organization
Support for and from your local community
The chance to make a difference!
If you are interested please fill out the Board Application form below. Questions?
Email us at elaxa@magicdancearts.com. Thank you!