Meet the Team
Who we are:
BravaArte Foundation was created by students for students and has a talented officer team dedicated to addressing the gap in arts education accessibility.
Charlotte Qian
Founder, CEO, and Custodian of Records
Charlotte Qian, a senior at Henry M. Gunn High School, discovered the mesmerizing nature of the arts after watching Giselle at the age of three. Since then, she has performed in countless ballet productions, as well as numerous piano recitals and competitions. She has trained at various dance schools including Osipova Ballet Academy, Silicon Valley Ballet Academy, and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. She also placed 3rd in the BAMA International Music Competition and completed the MTAC Advanced Level Certificate of Merit.
Aside from the arts, she also enjoys participating in competitive business events. As a member of her school's Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) Competition Team, she participated in myriad conferences and placed top 18 internationally in Business Growth plan at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in 2024, 1st in Business Growth Plan at the Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC) in 2024, 4th in Business Growth Plan at the California State Career Development Conference (SCDC) in 2024, 1st in Principles of Business Management (PBM) at SCDC in 2023, 2nd in PBM at SVCDC in 2023, qualified for ICDC 2023 in Orlando, FL, and qualified for ICDC 2024 in Anaheim, CA.
In her free time, Charlotte enjoys participating in club events at school, reporting for journalism, and practicing golf.
Rin Sanami
Director of Visual Arts
Rin Sanami, a senior at Henry M. Gunn High School, has been devoted to the visual arts through creativity and imagination since the age of seven. Since then, she has competed in many art and drawing competitions, such as the AAPI Multimedia Art Exhibition 2023 and Celebrating Art, and has received multiple awards for her work.
Outside the arts, Rin has diverse interests in sports and sports medicine. She is part of the Gunn Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) competition team and an athlete for the school varsity volleyball team.
Besides the arts and sports, Rin enjoys playing the guitar, hiking, and creative writing.
Yiyang Zheng
Director of International Relations
Yiyang Zheng, a senior at Wuhan Britain-China School, has been partisan to the arts since an early age and has been invested in piano competitively since the age of four. A notable competition she participated in is the Xinghai Cup.
Other than the arts, Yiyang has experience in leadership: she is the co-leader of Polar Business Club at her school and attended Barnard College’s Young Women’s Leadership Program in the summer of 2023. She is also well-versed in economics and received the Team Silver & Top Scoring Individual title in the Adam Smith Division of the National Economics Challenge.
Outside of the arts, she enjoys playing badminton, reading, and writing.
Kevin Arakaki
Director of Outreach & Communications
Kevin Arakaki, a senior at Moorpark High School, discovered his passion for music in 4th grade through a violin ensemble offered at his elementary school. Since then, he has transitioned to the viola and has performed with various string ensembles, most notably the Honors Performance Series Film Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, NY.
In high school, Kevin expanded his musical pursuits by joining the marching band, where he leads his section as the Front Ensemble Captain. He has also marched with the Vessel Drum and Bugle Corps during their 2024 season, participating in competitions across California and Arizona.
Besides music, Kevin is greatly involved in his school’s chapter of the California Scholarship Federation, serving on the officer team that organizes events that offer his peers an opportunity to give back to their community.
Sophia Wissmann
Director of Southern California
Sophia Wissmann, a senior at Alhambra High School, has had a passion for the arts since the age of six. She has taken various art classes and worked on school projects to share her artistic abilities with others.
She also studies business through researching investment strategies and learning about various other topics such as economics, business procedures, and entrepreneurship. She attended the Wharton Global Youth Program at the University of Pennsylvania and has taken real estate courses at East Los Angeles College.
Other than art and business, Sophia also likes hiking, reading, and writing in her free time.