Board of Directors
Nick Cannell
Co-founder & Executive Director
Nick graduated from Colgate University in 2002 with a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish. After college, he served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer and currently works at Sun River Health (www.sunriver.org), a network of non-profit community health centers serving primary and preventive health care to nearly 300,000 people per year throughout New York State. Nick also works as a freelance filmmaker, writer, and graphic designer, and supports the fundraising efforts of numerous non-profit organizations in the US and in Haiti. In 2016, Nick earned a Master's in Public Administration from Baruch College in NYC.
Romel Jean Pierre
Romel is an award-winning filmmaker, actor, artist, and educator. Born in Port-au-Prince, Romel discovered his passion for film at a young age with his personal film project Tele Ghetto, a TV show in the Haitian Ghetto, and learned his skills by assisting the Haitian multimedia artist Maksaens Denis. In just a few short years, Romel has amassed a amazing body of work spanning many artistic mediums including film and sculpture, and has traveled the world exhibiting his art. Highlights include his film collaborations with French artist and 2011 TED prize winner JR for “Inside Out: The People’s Art Project” and with Roberto Gomez for “Rèv ou / Dreams” (Winner at the Plural + Video Festival in NYC, 2011).
Lavalasse Russell
Lavalasse (a.k.a. Rama) led our operations team in Haiti for over 8 years. Currently, Rama is living in Brooklyn, attending school and pursuing a career in health care. He is also an aspiring filmmaker and photographer. He has taken courses at the Haiti Response Coalition and has shot numerous films and pictures for Art in Motion and Konbit Mizik.
In-Country Staff
Djimmy Sylvestre
Program Coordinator
Lithjohn Jean Rene
Program Coordinator
Djimmy Sylvestre (a.k.a. HK Masdulos) is the point person for Konbit Mizik artists, organizing recordings, rehearsals, performances, video shoots, and media impressions. He also is a leading member of the music group Brain Master.
Lithjohn Jean Rene (a.k.a. Seven Thirty Rhymez) is a music artist and community organizer in the Bas peu-de-choses zone of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He is a well-known young leader who advises, plans, and executes many of Konbit Mizik's programs.