Meet Arianna Ross, CEO & Founder of Story Tapestries
Arianna Ross is a literary artist, educator, and nonprofit executive whose work centers story as a foundational tool for learning, leadership, and community life. For more than 26 years, she has worked across education, nonprofit leadership, and community development, helping individuals and organizations communicate with clarity, purpose, and shared understanding through the arts.
Reflections on the Impact and Need for Arts Programs
Story as Leadership, Reflection, and Responsibility
Early in her career, Arianna worked at the National Endowment for the Arts reviewing historical funding for writers during a period when individual artist grants had been eliminated. That experience shaped her enduring commitment to literary arts and to building visible, sustained pathways for writers, lyricists, and poets. Story Tapestries was founded from this foundation. The organization is grounded in story as both art and practice—supporting writing, performance, and publication in traditional and nontraditional venues—and shaped by stories that are historical, stories being written today, and stories helping pave the way to the future.
Since founding Story Tapestries in 2010, Arianna has led the organization as Chief Executive Officer, guiding its growth as a mission-driven nonprofit that addresses complex challenges through creative practice. Under her leadership, Story Tapestries has reached more than four million individuals, strengthening communication, supporting mental health, and increasing access to expressive and literary arts across communities.
MD Nonprofit Summit Plenary (2025)
Narrative as a Tool for Organizational Leadership and Future-Building
Arianna’s leadership spans communication, nonprofit governance, corporate visioning, and community improvement. An expert in education and multidisciplined storytelling, she is a sought-after writer, keynote speaker, and consultant working across sectors. Leveraging a performance-based communication vocabulary grounded in story, she addresses complex challenges—including mental health, organizational culture, and community engagement—through creative strategies proven to strengthen connection and effectiveness.
Arianna is an accomplished consultant for Standards for Excellence™ and has completed advanced leadership training through the Standards for Excellence Institute. She has also participated in Leadership Montgomery and Leadership Maryland, reflecting a sustained commitment to ethical leadership, accountability, and cross-sector collaboration.
Internationally, Arianna has performed and taught workshops and residencies across the United States, Canada, India, Vietnam, and Brazil in festivals, concert halls, schools, community centers, hospitals, museums, libraries, and national conferences. Her work has been presented at venues including the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian National Museums, the National Storytelling Festival, the National Theatre Family Series, Hillwood Museum, the National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, and the American Alliance for Theatre and Education.
Arianna believes in the power of the arts to meet any objective or goal when communication matters. Her leadership is grounded in a commitment to elevate voices and strengthen community through story. Her guiding principle remains central to her work: Find your voice. Tell your story.
Millennium Stage Performance, Kennedy Center (2022)
Literary arts as public storytelling and cultural memory
Testimonial
“I have known (Arianna Ross) for several years through my work as the partnership director for one of the largest school systems in the nation. She is one of my BEST examples of an amazing nonprofit leader! She is talented, passionate, professional, astute, kind, organized and giving to name a few. Schools not having money or barely any money to offer programming for underserved students is not a barrier for Arianna bringing programming to students. Arianna goes out and finds the money to provide rich experiences to our most under-resourced students.
Arianna is an amazing leader who is not afraid to speak up for what she sees and believes to be right. She’s an advocate anyone would want on their side. I have watched Arianna over and over lead with grace and the utmost professionalism. On top of all of this, she is a fun person to be around!”
-Elaine Chang, Director, Department of Partnerships, Montgomery County Public Schools
Ready to Book?
Would you like to speak with Arianna and the Story Tapestries team? Fill out the booking form below and/or contact administrator@test.storytapestries.org, and we will get back to you!
Are you looking to bring in a dynamic and remarkable speaker to teach a workshop or inspire your audience? Arianna can lead a workshop, speak at your upcoming event and/or customize a program to meet the needs of your audience, adjusting the duration or learning objectives of any engagement to support your goals.
Sample Programs
Previous topics covered:
- Entrepreneurship: Growing from the ground up
- Reignite your Creativity: Wipe out the cobwebs of burnout
- Express Yourself: The impact of the arts on mental health
- Arts and Education: How to boost learning with arts-centered strategies
- Demonstrating leadership: Collaborate, Partner and Trust the Team
- Women in leadership: What does this mean?
Sample Workshops Available:
- Collaborate, Create and Dream Together: A Creative Approach to Team Building
- The Heart: Creativity Improves Mental Health & Wellness
- Write Your Story: Find your voice, Tell your story
- Launching an Arts and Education Program: From building your curricula to executing a program
- Raising money: How do you communicate your ideas to the right audience and raise money?
- Accessibility and Inclusion: Create an environment that honors all voices and abilities; Taught in collaboration with Open Circle Theatre
Let’s meet!
Request a time for Arianna to come speak, lead a workshop or inspire your team.
Booking Form