User:Michaelpw97/sandbox

Education
Liz studied undergrad at Harvard university. Liz, who was enrolled from 2006 to 2010, studied Sociology and graduated Cum Laude. While at Harvard, Liz was the captain of the Harvard sailing team, bringing the team to the nation championships thrice. Liz also founded and directed a nonprofit called the “LIFT bike project”. This project, under the umbrella of “The Awesome Foundation”, attempted to “address transportation issues among homeless and low-income residents in the Boston Area by donating refurbished bicycles to those in need.”Lift Bike Project She also regularly volunteered at the Harvard square homeless shelter. Liz received her master’s in interdisciplinary creative practices from the University of Edinburgh from 2011 to 2012. While there, she ran art groups in a homeless shelter and founded an art show for artist experiencing homelessness. Education and Work Experience

Innovation
Liz, who had worked with combining art and helping the homeless in the past, thought about the ways she could use art as a way for the homeless to both express themselves, and also earn some money to help them on their way. In her words: “Amazing works of art were being produced only to end up forgotten in the closets and basements of shelters. After observing that the same problem existed at thousands of art programs across the country, I became committed to helping share their creations with the world. I realized that art could be a transformational path to financial stability for these artists and countless others nationwide; they just needed a digital marketplace to connect with a larger audience. This invisible talent needed to become visible.” About Liz Liz founded “ART lifting”, a company designed to lift up the homeless through self-expression. Her role at the foundation is as the “chief happiness spreader”. Liz “Founded ArtLifting in November of 2013 along with her brother Spencer Powers. After securing a grant post-graduation from Harvard, Liz spent a year establishing art groups in homeless shelters throughout the Boston area. Liz was immediately struck by the incredible talent that she saw and wanted to share these creations with the world. She realized that art could be a transformational path to financial stability for these artists and countless others nationwide as they just needed a digital marketplace to connect with a larger audience.” Mission of Artlift

Successes
ARTlifting has grown significantly since beginning. Starting with only 4 artists, her platform now has over 150 active homeless artists who use the online platform to sell their art and have a sustainable income. The artists hail from 20 different states and represent many backgrounds and ethnicities.