Arete Arts

CO-FOUNDER

STEPHANIE SLUKA

Steph, a co-founder of Arete Arts Foundation, grew up outside Chicago and is now based in South Africa. She focuses on the intersection of philanthropy, conservation and sustainable development, with a particular passion for entrepreneurship and social enterprises. Fundamentally, Steph sees healthy ecosystems as a requisite for peace, security and global justice - and art as a powerful way to shape narratives and promote meaningful connections that can lead to transformed realities.

ARETE ARTS COMMUNITY CIRCLE

SOPHIE BRAINE

Based in London, Sophie advises on individual arts projects working with a broad range of collectors and artists. She joined the Arete Arts Foundation to curate the content for ‘Afroprophetic: Art transforming minds and nature’ (2023). She worked for a contemporary gallery in Mayfair, having worked for almost ten years for Christie’s London as Associate Director and Head of Sale. She inaugurated the Nordic Art and Design sales and served as the Executive Editor of ‘Nordic Contemporary; Art from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden’ by Thames & Hudson.

ARETE ARTS COMMUNITY CIRCLE

BEVERLY BURDEN

Beverly “Beezie”, has lived in East Africa for fifteen years, namely the Serengeti and Kenya. Her career has been dedicated to conservation, developing and implementing communication strategies for organisations looking to demonstrate social and environmental impact and connect with a broader audience. Over the years she has been inspired by storytelling as a tool to transcend cultures, places and perspectives on the Environment. Beezie collaborates with various filmmakers, always looking at ways to promote conservation storytelling, bolster local narratives and work with African artists.

ARETE ARTS COMMUNITY CIRCLE

OMO BELLO

Omo is a French-Nigerian soprano who serves as an Ambassador for Arete Arts Foundation. After five years studying Cell Biology and Genetics, she devoted herself entirely to music, studying at the Conservatoire de Paris. The recipient of many awards over the years, she made her debut in the role of Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro) at the 2012 Verbier Festival. Her debut album, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn was released in 2013 She performs with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Orchestre national de France, the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, and the Orchestre de Paris. Omo took part in the Operabuja festival in Nigeria, an ambitious project with a vision to build a music conservatory in Nigeria and in doing so promote classical music and lyrical art.

ARETE ARTS COMMUNITY CIRCLE

Tiphaine de Mombynes

Based in Paris, Tiphaine is an environmental expert (agricultural engineer / PhD in Environmental management sciences). As a visual artist, she is convinced by the power of emotions. This led to the creation of the Metis Arts and Development Fund, an alliance of public and private actors in search of sustainable development impacts, housed within the French Development Agency (AFD). With an overarching aim to ‘share emotions, create transformation’ artists become actors to advance environment, gender, education issues. Previous to her role as Director of the Metis Fund, she built and managed the Agency's first research program dedicated to biodiversity. She also financed biodiversity projects (through loans and grants) in emerging and developing countries (Latin America, Africa, Asia, Middle East). Learn more about the Metis Fund here.

ARETE ARTS COMMUNITY CIRCLE

SONIA LAWSON

Sonia is the Founding Director of the Palais de Lomé in Togo, an ambitious renovation, cultural and environmental project, funded by the Togolese State, which opened its doors at the end of 2019. She was entrusted with the conception, management, design and oversight of the transformation of the former Governor’s Palace into a centre for art and culture after it laid abandoned for twenty years. She also curated in 2017 and 2019 exhibitions of design and crafts from Togo at Révélations Biennale des Métiers d’art, the international fine craft and creation biennial at the Grand Palais in Paris. She previously worked in Europe in management consulting, and international brand management at large multinational consumer goods corporations. She graduated from Sciences Po Paris and HEC Paris school of management.

ARETE ARTS COMMUNITY CIRCLE

RIA KULENOVIC

Ria grew up in Yugoslavia and in her early 20s had to flee a war ravaged Bosnia and embark on a refugee journey to Boston, USA. Ria’s love for art was born when she worked for a local theatre that serves as a temple of spiritual resistance during the siege of Sarajevo, staging over a thousand performances in the middle of the war. Her career in international development is propelled by a commitment to social justice and she maintains a love for art and wildlife conservation. Ria is currently working in Ethiopia.

ARETE ARTS COMMUNITY CIRCLE

EKEOMA UDENSI

Ekeoma was born into a family with a love for art and all things beautiful, including art and antiques inherited from his Nigerian family. He now serves as the CEO of All Art Collector and promotes African art and emerging artists from across the continent.

ADVISOR

DR SARAH MEISCH LIONETTO

Sarah’s work draws on the power of the arts to bring people together, build trust and create opportunities via partnerships and cross-cultural collaborations. She is passionate about how the arts can play a transformative role in the lives of people and strengthen more inclusive societies.  Sarah has a PhD in Literature (South Africa) and an MA in Modern Art and Comparative Literature (France). Her research interests include multilingualism, identity, belonging and translation in the context of multi-cultural studies. Sarah currently leads on the Arts, Culture and Sports portfolio for the British High Commission in South Africa.

ADVISOR

JAN VAN DER DOES DE WILLEBOIS

Jan is the where he co-founder of Purple Elephant Ventures, a venture studio that reimagines the travel and tourism sectors. Focused on leveraging technology and innovation, Jan is committed to building scalable and sustainable tourism businesses that address critical challenges and unlock opportunities in Africa.
He has spent the last 20 years immersed in the African art scene. As a collector, he has amassed a substantial portfolio of works from talented artists, underscoring his belief in the transformative power of art to inspire, connect, and create cultural value.