The Founder's Trap
The Founder's Trap
Market
Archetype
Mechanical
Natural
Tier
Stable
Trajectory Thumbprint
The Founder's Trap
What does this mean?
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
The Path Forward
The Dispersal
Forces succession planning and structural maturity. It requires raising capacity-building funds to decouple the organization's survival from the founder's personal sacrifice.
The Dispersal
Institutional Health Scores
5-yr trend: The Founder's Trap ↓
Overall
51
Score
Governance
58
Score
Financial
40
Score
Program
60
Score
Title
-
Institutions
-
Avg Revenue
-
Risk Profile
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Financial Era
Governance Era
Trajectory Era
Founders Trap
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 0.0% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 3.2% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 26.5% | 46 | Fragile | Gov Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 16.3% | 47 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 3.3% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 16.2% | 47 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 7.5% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 5.8% | 54 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2015 | — | — | 13.9% | 44 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2014 | — | — | 14.6% | 48 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2013 | — | — | 5.6% | 54 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 19.1% | 37 | Financially Distressed | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | 17.1% | 43 | Financially Distressed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2026
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn Randall | Board Member | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Jamie Richards | Board Member | — | ||
| Lou Liberatore | Board Member | — | ||
| Donna R Ward | Board President | — | ||
| Russell G Jones | Board President | — | ||
| Eddie Boroevich | Secretary | — | ||
| Jacqueline F Strayer | Board Member | — | ||
| Akyiaa Wilson | Board Member | — | ||
| Danielle Covington | Board Member | — | ||
| Denaka Perry | Board Member | — | ||
| Chau Haber | Board Member | — | ||
| Janet Zarish | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn Randall | Board Member | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Lynette R Freeman | Board Member | — | ||
| Lou Liberatore | Board Member | — | ||
| Donna R Ward | Board President | — | ||
| Russell G Jones | Board President | — | ||
| Eddie Boroevich | Secretary | — | ||
| Jacqueline F Strayer | Board Member | — | ||
| Robert Jaffe | Treasurer | — | ||
| Denny Denniston | Board Member | — | ||
| Denaka Perry | Board Member | — | ||
| Chau Haber | Board Member | — | ||
| Janet Zarish | Board Member | — | ||
| Jerry Zaks | Dir. Emeritus | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Vitucci | Secretary | 9.2% of Rev | ||
| Graeme Gillis | Interim AD | 7.9% of Rev | ||
| William Carden | Artistic Director | 5.4% of Rev | ||
| Shawn Randall | Board Member | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Erin Cherry | Board Member | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Robert Jaffe | Board President | — | ||
| Jerry Zaks | Board Member | — | ||
| Donna R Ward | Board Member | — | ||
| Russell G Jones | Board Member | — | ||
| Eddie Boroevich | Board Member | — | ||
| Kelli Lynn Harrison | Board President | — | ||
| GH Denniston Jr | Treasurer | — | ||
| Ilena George | Board Member | — | ||
| Robert S Isaacson | Board Member | — | ||
| Dee Dee Perry | Board Member | — | ||
| Sharina Martin | Board President | — | ||
| Janet Zarish | Board Member | — | ||
| Kenneth Mandel | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Carden | Artistic Director | 10.7% of Rev | ||
| Susan Vitucci | Executive Dir. | 9.1% of Rev | ||
| Sharina Martin | Board President | 0.3% of Rev | ||
| G H Denniston Jr | Treasurer | — | ||
| Bob Jaffe | Chairman | — | ||
| Kelli Lynn Harrison | Board President | — | ||
| Kenneth Mandel | Board Member | — | ||
| Ilena George | Board Member | — | ||
| Robert Isaacson | Board Member | — | ||
| Russell G Jones | Board Member | — | ||
| Shawn Randall | Board Member | — | ||
| Donna R Ward | Board Member | — | ||
| Jerry Zaks | Board Member | — | ||
| Janet Zarish | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM CARDEN | Artistic Director | 10.7% of Rev | ||
| SUSAN VITUCCI | Executive Director | 2.1% of Rev | ||
| ABIGAL GAMPEL | Board Member | — | ||
| G H DENNISTON JR | Treasurer | — | ||
| ERIN CHERRY | Board President | — | ||
| BOB JAFFE | Board President | — | ||
| FRED BERNER | Board Member | — | ||
| SHARINA MARTIN | Board President | — | ||
| KENNETH MANDEL | Board Member | — | ||
| MELINA BROWN | Board Member | — | ||
| ILENE KRISTEN | Board Member | — | ||
| RUSSEL G JONES | Board Member | — | ||
| JANET ZARISH | Board Member | — | ||
| JERRY ZAKS | Board Member | — | ||
| BOB ISSACSON | Board Member | — | ||
| SHAWN RANDALL | Board Member | — | ||
| DONNA R WARD | Board Member | — | ||
| BRUCE GEISMAR | Board Member | — | ||
| WAYNE KABAK | Secretary | — | ||
| ILENA GEORGE | Board Member | — |
Officer contact details, exact compensation figures, and active litigation are available to verified members.
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Score breakdown
Score breakdown
Financial resilience
40 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
58 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
60 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
51 / 100
Stable
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 1,226 other orgs in NY with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 31 points above the peer median (60 vs. 29).
5-year trend: The Founder's Trap
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 0.0% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
What would change this score
No specific high-impact levers identified — this org's score is balanced across components.
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.