Hope Steinman-Iacullo featured in the Philadelphia Gay News
Leeway Hires Out Activist
by Jen Colletta, Philadelphia Gay News
December 10, 2009
New York native and recent college graduate Hope Steinman-Iacullo moved to Philadelphia this past summer, bringing with her a history of LGBT and social-justice activism, which she will incorporate into her new position with a local grantmaking agency.
Steinman-Iacullo was hired last month as a program assistant at the Leeway Foundation, which funds the work of local female and transgender artists. She will support office operations and assist the organization in raising awareness about the connection between art and social change.
At 22, Steinman-Iacullo, who identifies as a queer woman, already has a long list of her own social-change endeavors.
Before she arrived at Leeway, she worked with LGBT youth of color at the Education for Liberation Project of the Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment in New York City.
Steinman-Iacullo graduated earlier this year from Wesleyan University, where she majored in African-American studies, with a concentration in gender and sexuality studies.
She said that, through her work with Leeway, she’s eager to expand her understanding of the connection between grantmaking agencies and social-change developments.
“My work at nonprofits made me interested in where the money comes from and what type of foundational support exists for groups and people doing radical work.”
She said she was drawn to Leeway because of its inclusion of the transgender community.
“Sometimes I think foundations can still replicate some of the injustices in the broader society by not paying attention to certain communities and by funding things that are considered to be more palatable and less radical, instead of really thinking about who’s not being represented.”
Denise Brown, executive director of Leeway, said Steinman-Iacullo’s experiences and interests made her the top candidate for the position.
“Hope is enthusiastic, motivated and passionate about art and social change,” Brown said. “As Leeway works toward creating change in our community on several fronts — in addition to our support of individual artists — we are delighted to add someone to our team with Hope’s unique combination of knowledge, skills and experience.”
