Seena Hodges is a connector who loves people and is passionate about equity, feminism, and access to brave spaces for all. Seena started The Woke Coach as she witnessed the Nation’s awakening to racial injustices. She saw an opportunity to help shepherd people through their transformational journeys, so we can all realize the American dream of being seen, heard, and validated every single day.
Seena is a trained equity, diversity and inclusion facilitator and a certified administrator the The Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®)—the premier cross-cultural assessment of intercultural competence. She has also received a professional Train the Trainer certificate from the University of Minnesota.
Seena is a dynamic communications professional with extensive experience in marketing and communications who has worked in both the commercial and non-profit theater industry as a producer, marketing director, publicist, development director, and audience development associate. She has also worked in the non-profit sector as a communications manager and marketing director.
Seena is a staunch equity, diversity and inclusion champion who began her career at the Urban League—a non-profit organization committed to issues of social justice. Prior to founding The Woke Coach, Seena was the Associate Vice President of Strategy and Communications at The Saint Paul & Minnesota Community Foundations.
Seena has a long record of positively impacting arts organizations, previously Senior Director—Marketing and Development for Theater Latté Da and Communications Manager for the Guthrie Theater. During her tenure at Theater Latté Da, the organization increased its annual operating budget by 65%, tripled the number of active subscribers, and achieved a record number of single ticket sales.
Seena began her theater communications career at New York press agency Boneau/Bryan-Brown, developing audiences and creating media opportunities for several Broadway shows including: FENCES (with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis), THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, ANYTHING GOES, THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE, THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES and THE BOOK OF MORMON. Seena also served as marketing director for the 2010 Fringe NYC and 2011 GLAAD Media Award-winning play WHEN LAST WE FLEW by Harrison David Rivers.
Seena is a graduate of the Theatre Management and Producing MFA Program at Columbia University where she was a Dean’s Fellow. She’s passionate about art in all of its forms and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Walker Art Center (serving on the Governance and Nominating and Individual Giving committees) and is co-chair of Avant Garden—the organization’s annual $1 million fundraiser.
Seena is a member of the 2018-19 Leadership Twin Cities cohort and a participant in GroundWork—a public art consultant cohort hosted by Forecast Public Art.