Olisa Enrico has worked with The Residency since its inception as a teaching artist. Her skills and passion for teaching are a huge part of how she arrives back to the organization as our Executive Director.

Olisa Enrico is an accomplished artist, educator, and administrator who leverages the power of art to cultivate community and culture. With a profound background in music, theater, and storytelling, Olisa brings the unique ability to connect with young artists and inspire them to reach their full potential. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance and an MFA in Theatre Pedagogy, with certifications in Ritual Poetic Drama and Acting and Singing with Archetypes. As the Founder and Executive Director of Ase Theatre, Olisa has demonstrated her commitment to engaging the community through cultural practice and performance. Her extensive experience in professional development, curriculum development, and workshops will be invaluable to The Residency's mission. Previously, she held roles with Arts Corps and most recently, led the newly formed Cultural Space Agency.

Upon accepting the new role, Olisa offered this to The Residency community: “what hip hop teaches us is ingenuity and resilience. As a teenager, hip hop - the outlet it provided, the power of spittin’ my truth as a youth, a community where I could belong - saved my life and provided the opportunities needed to grow into the human I am today. It’s an honor to pass that gift on to the next generation through The Residency. Hip hop don’t stop.”

Jace ECAj is a veteran MC and proud community member of Seattle who uses the art of hip hop as his platform to share ideas, concerns, triumphs, and challenges. He is also a teaching artist that has worked in the creative writing community for over twenty years and has helped organize panel discussions that range in topic from the accountability and responsibility of artists, to why fostering culture and honoring legacy are crucial to the continuation of the art. Jace is half of the hip-hop soul duo, Black Stax. Black Stax prides itself as being the voice and soul for the voiceless, visiting schools, libraries, and juveniles to share and listen to stories and talk about elevating and honoring our youth and ancestors. Jace is The Residency’s Director of Community and Artist Development. He is honored to be a part of The Residency team that continues the work guiding and preparing youth for their futures, especially as they relate to the music business and hip hop culture.

Luis Lopez is a Mexican-American professional trumpeter who has cut his teeth in the Seattle music scene over the past 10+ years. Luis currently performs and tours as an Improvisational Soloist alongside his bands: TMB Brass (New Orleans Second Line), The Cumbieros (Latin Dance), and Soundwave (Sounders FC Band).  Luis is part of the modern era of working class musicians who aim to uplift their community through art and is excited to help foster the next generation of  hip-hop leaders, as part of The Residency Team. He is grateful to have shared the stage with international acts such as Celso Piña, Mariachi Flor de Toloache, Son Rompe Pera, Death Cab for Cutie, 24kgoldn, and local favorites like Marmalade, Joe Doria, Jimmy James, and Acid Tongue. We are happy to have Luis as The Residency’s Administrative and Program Coordinator.