early era collective

Thank you, Austin, for the creativity, growth, and community throughout our first Embolden Workshop weekend! Through Embolden, we strive to help Central Texas performance artists gain the business skills we were never taught, prevent burnout, and build community.

Originally developed in 2021 by Early Era Collective, Salvage Vanguard Theater, and Ground Floor Theatre, our 2025 rendition was a weekend full of professional development, performance, and networking.

There are so many people who contributed their time, energy, and experience to this experience. Additionally, HUGE thank you’s to:

* Dougherty Arts Center, the Artist Access Program, and James Byers

* The City of Austin Economic Development Department

* Our sponsors Thai Fresh and Carpenter Hotel

* Behind-the-scenes team Lily Zapatero, Purna Bajekal, Maddy Leitner, Lisa del Rosario, Earl McGehee, Greg Burton, Cristina Jesurun, and Stephanie Patrick

* Our hosts Daniel Broxton, Soupmakesitbetter and Stephanie Patrick

* Our technical team Patrick Anthony, Casey Lee, and Kristie, Nomar and Freddy

* ALL panelists for Matching Talent with Business and Thoughts That Move, and artists who performed in our spectacular open mic showcase

* Our audience!!

Thank you for making Embolden happen and for sharing this community experience with us. We hope you walked away with new tools, relationships, and inspiration. Until next time!

This project was supported, in part, by the City of Austin Economic Development Department, the Artist Access Program, and Dougherty Arts Center.