Taking Risk is essential, but how much, when and why? Taking risks effectively is as much of an art as it is a science and we’ve asked some of the brightest folks in the community to tell us about how they think about risk taking.

MC De la Cruz

I don’t think of risk as jumping without looking. I think of it as believing in something enough to take the first step, even when there’s no guarantee anyone else will follow. One of the biggest risks I took was deciding to become an independent filmmaker. As an Afro-Latina actress, I wasn’t seeing enough opportunities that reflected the diversity of the world around us. Read more>>

Jackie Litscher

I’ve always believed that growth lives on the other side of fear. Every meaningful opportunity in my career has come from doing something that scared me…moving across the country, starting over in New York City, saying yes before I felt completely ready, and trusting that I would figure it out along the way.  Read more>>

Gio Imani

Risk has been part of every chapter of my career. I don’t see it as something to avoid. I see it as the price of building something meaningful. Right now, I’m in one of the biggest risk-taking seasons of my business. I’m expanding Epidermis Esthetics Lab from a solo practice into a storefront in downtown Lawrenceville. It’s exciting, but it’s also full of unknowns. Read more>>

Danjale Williams

As of recently, I’m writing a lot about the current state of the social and political climate and it’s direct effects on underrepresented communities. In lieu of the current political regime, it is a constant risk to speak up and speak out against the injustice committed against people daily. Read more>>

Dorothy Reavis

I highly encourage taking risks; playing it safe will only get you so far and if you really want to become successful or do something on a grander scale then get outside your comfort zone and put your efforts into taking risks. Read more>>

Delta Williams

Risk is necessary in order to live a transformed life. Many times our humanity shows us that we don’t have all the answers to life and especially not to our professional careers. I have been faced with brick walls time and time again and have had to pivot into other lanes to keep progress and momentum moving upward. Read more>>

Robert Drake

I think risk and failure are essential in performing arts success. If a creator doesn’t try, does have something new to give, then the entire enterprise is for naught. Risk yields innovation and when contextualized properly, it can be understood. Every new show is a risk. Can the production do the idea justice? Will it find an audience? Read more>>

Dinesha Haynes

Risk has been one of the defining forces in my career. Some of the biggest moments in my life came from taking leaps of faith and depending on God before I had every answer. Looking back, I realize that I’ve often been willing to bet on myself when there were no guarantees. If you take one step, the Lord will do the rest. Read more>>

Sutton Szoke

I love taking risks and trying new things. In preproduction for the films I work on, I’m always pitching unique lighting approaches. whether it be a certain style that you don’t see anymore, or a specific selection of lights and equipment. Read more>>