Case Study: WOCoB Inc.
🔗 www.wocob.org
Timeline: June 2018 – December 2020
Client: Women of Color on Broadway (WOCoB), Inc. Project Type: Organizational Brand Development Consulting Services: Brand Marketing & Creative Producing
Brand Director & Creative Producer: Victoria Velazquez
Origin
Women of Color on Broadway Inc. (WOCoB) began in 2018 as a single tribute cabaret created by two recent college graduates to honor the musical and cultural contributions of Black and brown female pioneers on Broadway. The performance established a powerful generational model: honoring the history of the past, championing creators of the present, and nurturing artists of the future—all while making musical theater accessible to the local community. What started as a single event addressing racial and gender exclusion on Broadway quickly revealed an overwhelming demand for sustainable, collective empowerment. The founders saw an immediate opportunity to convert this early momentum into a structured movement, strategically scaling a one-night musical showcase into a resilient, fully operational 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Legacy for WOCoB meant honoring the rich history of Black and brown pioneers in musical theater to create an intentional through-line from past theater legends to present-day talent. By anchoring a brand-new organization to this rich artistic heritage and successfully executing these historic tributes, WOCoB established immediate industry credibility, creating opportunities to secure grant funding, mobilize strategic partnerships with corporate and cultural organizations, and deepen trust with Broadway audiences and stakeholders.
WOCoB’s community connected through a deep, multi-generational belief in theater equity and the empowerment of women of color on and off stage. By buying out ticket inventory, sharing communal networks, and giving their voice to the cause, this deeply engaged network of theatergoers and industry professionals fueled massive organic momentum—spreading the movement from local tri-state neighborhoods straight onto digital platforms and national media.
WOCoB combined theater history and community advocacy into a public movement for representation.
Impact & Metrics
Today, WOCoB stands as a leading voice in New York City’s musical theater ecosystem as a platform for equity, representation, and community advancement. By translating a themed cabaret into a distinct social mission, the platform proved that an arts organization can simultaneously dominate theater and media spaces while remaining deeply rooted in neighborhood-level advocacy.
This intentional brand strategy created a permanent blueprint to develop sustainable musical programming that continuously delivers on its foundational promise. By honoring the history of the past, championing creators of the present, and expanding vital career networks for theater students of the future, WOCoB successfully merged art with civic advocacy—ensuring that musical theater remains an innovative industry that is also deeply accessible to the local community.
Financial & Operational Growth
$78,000
Raised in Combined Program Funding
$15,000
Raised in Individual Donations Generated
$7,375
Sold in Ticket & Merchandise Items
Strategic Institutional Alliances
1
Federal Grant Secured
2
Paid Corporate Partnerships Secured
8
Artistic Program Partnerships Secured
Community Advocacy & Influence
35
Industry Brand Ambassadors (mobilized for grassroots and digital campaigns)
4
Community-Engagement Program Partnerships Secured
Audience Reach & Media Footprint
163,000
Total Online & Digital Program Streams
3,000
Cumulative Program Attendance
15
Top-Tier Press Features (inclu. Playbill, The Daily Beast, Allure)