Our Team
We are a female-inspired movement.
Salonnière Founder
Julie Egan
Julie likes to foster "bold, persistent experimentation" at the intersection of art, activism and diversity. Building on over two decades of global partnerships experience, including as a diplomat and senior official in The White House, Julie launched Salonnière to perform a different kind of diplomacy—one aimed at bringing diverse cultural talent and social brain trusts to the table to inspire exchange, provoke candid conversation and build collaboration. While at the State Department, Julie created and executed innovative public-private partnerships and global strategic alliances in areas as varied as entrepreneurship diplomacy, city diplomacy, art diplomacy, fashion diplomacy and food diplomacy.
Egan served on a team of senior advisors sent by President Obama to Detroit after an historic municipal bankruptcy, where she launched global initiatives and city-wide conversations on how subnational and cultural diplomacy could be used in Detroit's renaissance. A fourth generation Detroiter, Julie is a Fulbright Scholar, and has lived and worked in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. She is the senior fellow for global partnerships at the Michigan Municipal League Foundation, a member of the Detroit Institute of Arts Board of Directors for African and African-American Art and is appointed by the Governor of Michigan to the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.
Chief Operating Officer
Danielle Waddell
Danielle has over two decades of experience in event planning and operations, and dedicated her career to serving disadvantaged youth and increasing awareness of workforce development opportunities through public service and the non-profit community. Danielle played an instrumental role in the development of The Suitor's Academy, an organization dedicated to moving youth in Chicago from the concept of being consumers to producers through engagement in the fashion, textile, and merchandising industry.
Director of Programming and Community Engagement
Leah Hill
Leah is an arts and culture producer. She leads on programming and community engagement for Detroit Salon. Leah returned to her hometown of Detroit to create and launch Kindred Music & Culture Festival. Kindred was inspired by the love and admiration of Detroit’s unique culture and determination to create a platform for her peers. Leah brings a strong understanding of business and processes, the importance of storytelling, the Detroit creative ecosystem, and a love of building platforms for creators to all projects she is involved in. Leah holds a BBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
Director of Exhibitions
Juana Williams
Juana is a Detroit-based curator and arts worker. She leads for Salonnière on exhibitions and curation. She previously served as the Associate Curator of African American Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Director of Exhibitions at Library Street Collective, and as Adjunct Faculty in Art History at Wayne State University. Prior, she was the Exhibitions Curator at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and held multiple positions at various art institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Wayne State University Art Department Gallery, and the Elaine L. Jacobs Gallery. She holds a BA in Art and an MA in Art History, both from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Director Communications Strategy
Andi Harris
Andi Harris leads on Communications, Digital Strategy, and Content for Salonniere. Andi is a Communications Strategist who specializes in Digital Marketing for art world players, global brands, non-profit organizations, corporations + beyond. After beginning her career as the Marketing & Social Media Lead at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, Andi transitioned to the fast-paced world of professional services. At a top strategic communications firm in New York, Andi served a flurry of global clients in digital strategy and go to market audience engagement. In 2020, Andi joined Art Basel leading social media strategy for the fair’s four expos in Hong Kong, Basel, Paris, and Miami Beach. Andi holds a Masters in Visual Arts Business from New York University and BA from Western Michigan University.
General Counsel
Kim Clayson
Kimberly Ross Clayson serves a diverse client portfolio including in business law and health law. She provides counsel to operating businesses as well as to creditors of financially distressed businesses and individuals. Kim has extensive experience restructuring business debtors and representing Chapter 7 trustees in fraud investigations and bankruptcy litigation. She was appointed and presently serves as one of only five Subchapter V Trustees in the Eastern District of Michigan under the Small business Reorganization Act of 2019. Kim resides in Detroit and serves on the Board of Directors for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation of the City of Detroit.
Director External Relations and Spokesperson
Heather Joy Thompson
A native Detroiter, Heather Joy Thompson, Esq., is a lawyer and award-winning career diplomat. She leads on external relations management, strategy, and in her role as chief of staff and spokesperson for Salonniere. Previously, Heather Joy worked in the entertainment industry and as a liaison to the Detroit City Council. Heather Joy developed a love for elevating culture, food and lifestyle experiences through traveling the globe. Heather Joy served as a representative to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and was a Fellow at the Aspen Institute. She was previously the State Department’s Diplomat-in-Residence and a Senior Fellow at UCLA. She also has served in Washington, D.C., Mexico City, and Johannesburg.