Walter Zooi is an award-winning arts entrepreneur and organizational leader with over 20 years of experience in program development, strategic planning and driving organizational change. As executive director of the Young Musicians Foundation (YMF), he oversaw a comprehensive refocusing and restructuring of the organization’s mission and program model to provide access to music and media arts education to those who would not have access otherwise.  YMF now brings culturally responsive, long-term programming to over 5,000 students at 27 schools in underserved, under-resourced communities across Los Angeles County. He is the founder and prior executive director of South Pasadena Music Center & Conservatory which he led through 12 years of dynamic growth. As director of communications at the California Institute of the Arts he oversaw the branding and development communications program for both the Institute and the Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Walter held a similar position with USC’s Thornton School of Music where he was part of the development that helped secure Flora L. Thornton’s $25 million naming gift to the school.