Meet the Team
Joshua Borenstein | Founding Principal
Josh Borenstein (he/him) is an arts consultant, executive, and teacher with over 25 years of experience, and he has advised on nearly 100 consulting engagements. Representative clients include producing theatres, presenting organizations, museums, local and state governments, historic preservation organizations, advocacy organizations, symphony orchestras, and funding organizations.
Prior to founding Odyssey Associates, Josh served at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut for 13 years, including 8 as its Managing Director. During his tenure, Long Wharf transferred several productions to New York; created education and community engagement programs that achieved national recognition; and raised over $25 million in operating, capital, and endowment funds. Josh has also held positions in theatre organizations throughout New England, including at the Huntington Theatre Company (Boston, MA), Trinity Repertory Company (Providence, RI), and Yale Repertory Theatre (New Haven, CT).
Additionally, Josh was a project manager at AMS Planning & Research, a consulting practice devoted exclusively to arts and culture clients. At AMS, he led or supported dozens of consulting projects, and strategic planning clients including Americans for the Arts, the Miami Children’s Museum, and the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
As a faculty member of the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University since 2017, Josh has taught classes on strategy, financial management, and industry trends to arts administration graduate students. He is currently the chair of the theater management program and holds the rank of Assistant Professor Adjunct.
Josh has served as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, and the Greater Hartford Arts Council, and he has been a presenter at conferences hosted by Theatre Communications Group and the Alliance for American Museums. He has been interviewed by numerous podcasts and media outlets including the Associated Press, American Theatre magazine, and Connecticut Public Broadcasting. Josh is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.
Affiliated Practices
Amy Harris | Amy Harris Consulting
After 25 years working at institutional theaters, Amy Harris (she/her) started Amy Harris Consulting in 2019. She strives to support organizations that focus on creating bold new work while partnering with their communities to ensure the arts are accessible to all. A native of Minnesota, Amy has worked as an administrator, teaching artist, and grant writer from coast to coast. A varied career has afforded her the opportunity to work in New York City for two decades, most recently as the Director of Education and Engagement at Primary Stages and the Assistant Education Director at Manhattan Theatre Club. She has also held positions at Seattle Children’s Theatre and Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, as well as at The Shakespeare Theatre and Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Amy has specialized in theater education, community engagement, and workforce development. She has served as both a panelist and moderator discussing workforce development programs at ART/NY, NYU, The American Theatre Wing, and on college campuses along the East Coast. Amy also proudly serves as a Board Member for the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable and has helped plan the annual Face to Face Conference for the past 15 years. Representative clients with Odyssey including Goodspeed Musicals and the Educational Center for the Arts.
Amy holds a BA in Performing Arts from Washington University in St. Louis and an MA in Theatre Education from New York University.
Lupe Ramsay | Lupe Ramsey Consulting
Lupe Ramsey (she/her) is a seasoned nonprofit executive with over 15 years of experience enhancing the impact, efficiency, and financial sustainability of mission-driven organizations. Projects with Odyssey include strategic planning with Teatro ECAS in Providence, Rhode Island.
With a strong background in fundraising strategy, grant writing, and leadership development, she has helped organizations secure significant gains in leadership, funding, and growth. Previously she served as Director of Economic Development and Fundraising at the Flatbush Development Corporation for over 8 years, where she led program strategy and secured long term investments in small business development, public art, affordable housing, youth services, and public health initiatives.
During her 7-year tenure as Executive Director of Dos Pueblos, Lupe demonstrated outstanding leadership, increasing the organization's budget from $1M to $4M through strategic fund development, resulting in a 60% expansion of programs. She secured grants for sustainable economic development, public health, youth development, and environmental awareness in low-resource rural Nicaraguan communities. By forging strategic partnerships with foreign government agencies, volunteers, and local stakeholders, Lupe unlocked significant resources for long-term investments, advancing the organization's mission.
Lupe is a graduate of The New School, where she earned an MA in International Affairs with a focus on socio-economic development.
Melissa Shillingford | Make Ideas Work
Melissa Shillingford is the visionary founder of Make Ideas Work, a boutique consulting company dedicated to empowering organizations committed to positive social change through human-centered management training and capacity-building services. Representative clients with Odyssey include the City of Newburgh Arts & Cultural Commission.
With over a decade designing, managing, and facilitating cohort-based programs, Melissa has an acute ability to inspire and elevate teams. Her passion lies in supporting organizations with ambitious goals and helping staff reach their full potential.
As a certified Wiley DiSC Authorized Partner, Melissa deeply understands team dynamics and communication strategies. Her academic background includes a Project Management Certificate from CUNY Baruch, a joint Masters in Human and Community Development and Urban Planning for Social Justice from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and studies in Deviant Behavior and Social Control at CUNY John Jay College, where she also earned a certificate in Dispute Resolution.
Melissa’s dedication to social change, combined with her vast experience and expertise, makes her a powerful ally for organizations looking to make a lasting impact.