ABOUT US

Cena Loren/Executive Director

Business owner, Educator, Mentor, Dancer, and Chicago Native Cena Loren continues her mission to be invested in providing quality educational programs throughout Chicago for the past 19 years. Gaining her education and expertise from Northeastern Illinois University, Ms. Cena remains proactive developing art integrated curriculums for programs of the non-profit sector to communities where programs are scarce. Influenced by her background in theatre, dance, and mentoring kids, Cena’s belief in spreading opportunities in education remain steadfast as she aggressively advocates for programs to be built in and around schools. After anchoring her own business, We Like Clean, which employs women who are in search of opportunities and independence, she simultaneously focuses on ways their services can be beneficial to their surrounding communities. Cena remains passionate in providing a large list of dance, visual arts, and theatre programming were mentorship is the underlining importance. Presently, Cena’s company has expanded their business model to balance the importance of mentorship programs for young teens. Aside of all the seriousness Ms. Cena Loren enjoys cooking, making people laugh, and spending time with her own kids.

Past work: Northeastern Illinois University’s Beyond the Bell programming, workshops for Chicago Family & Youth Services, Dance technique workshops in Baguio, Philippines & El Salto, Mexico, dance instruction for Steadfast Dance studio, NEIU, and Chicago Park Districts. 

Allison Burke/Program Director

Born and raised in Metro Detroit, Allison is an artist, trained dancer and choreographer, teacher, and creative event organizer who graduated with a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. Allison has a particular passion for creating workshops, events, and performances that include and spotlight youth and adults who are practicing their art form for the first time. Creating spaces that allow early-career artists to feel comfortable and inspired while accessing the resources they need has become a core element to Allison's teaching values. 

Allison has a history with non-profit arts organizations and has spent 8 years teaching dance and art in studios and public schools. She currently teaches for Beverly Arts Center and Opportunities for All in Chicago and is engaging with Chicago Lawn youth for various community art projects.

She is also a dancer for NYC based dance company C-LS and choreographs dance for bands and back-up dancers, music videos, school musicals, and more.

Jessica Reddick/Artist in Resident and Community Liaison

Jessica Reddick is a 27 year old Artist, Entrepreneur and mother. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Throughout her life, Jessica moved around the city, attending various schools and engaging in extracurricular activities ranging from sports and art to student politics. Jessica’s interests and passions developed through visiting college campuses with her family and friends. She was also influenced by her peers and personal experiences in the community. Art has always gave a way for Jessica to express the positive and negative whether it be painting, writing or acting. Jessica has been a background actor in shows and films such as Empire, The Chi, Chicago Med and Widows. She began to professionally pursue her art during the pregnancy of her daughter. After she gave birth, she used her art and writing as a way to cope with Postpartum Depression. She is an advocate for expressing trauma through the Arts. Jessica is now a traveling freelance artist, face painter and painting party instructor. She still resides in Chicago with her beautiful 5 year old daughter Naila enjoying the Museums and Parks of the city.