About Us
PURPOSE
In a time of growing nationalism, white supremacy, and deepening divisions across races, cultures, religions, gender identities, and generations, our world faces unprecedented challenges. These divisions have erected formidable barriers to unified action in workplaces, educational institutions, communities, activism, and politics. Building CommUnity was created to address these fractures, driven by the belief that true progress requires a collective awakening to the power and positivity of coming together across these divides. Our purpose is to restore the essence of "Unity" within the word "CommUnity," fostering a multicultural and multiracial society that embraces diversity as its greatest strength.
MISSION
Our mission is to bridge the persistent gaps in multicultural and multiracial relations by actively engaging in conversations and initiatives that break down the barriers of distrust and division. We strive to create inclusive spaces that promote open dialogue, mutual respect, and collaboration among individuals from all walks of life. Through education, cultural and business development, community-building activities, and advocacy, Building CommUnity seeks to unite people around the shared goal of creating a purposeful, powerful, and prosperous multicultural and multiracial community. We are committed to fostering environments where unity is not just an ideal but a lived reality.
VISION
At Building CommUnity, we believe that embracing diverse voices and celebrating multiculturalism strengthens us all, enabling everyone to thrive and prosper together.
Aaliytha Stevens, Co-Founder
AALIYTHA STEVENS was the Chief Operating Officer of SpotCo, the world’s leading full-service advertising, marketing and branding agency. She served at SpotCo for over 20 years and left the company in 2023. She was the highest-ranking person of color that was a business professional representing marketing, publicity, and advertising across the entire Broadway industry.While there, Aaliytha founded the company’s Direct Mail & Print Svcs, Operations, Human Resources, and Audience Development departments.
Aaliytha is passionate about philanthropic giving, fair workplace practices, and equity and diversity throughout the Broadway industry: and was a trendsetter and cultural-shaper, improving its statistics from the root up. In addition to spearheading Equity, Diversity & Inclusion initiatives for the industry and beyond, Aaliytha proudly sits on the board of the Black Theatre Coalition, the New Heritage Theatre Group, on the advisory council of The Theatre Leadership Project, and co-chairs The Broadway League’s Multicultural Taskforce while being a member of their EDI and Business Development Committees. She also is proud of her memberships with Broadway Women's Alliance (BWA) and Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA).
Building CommUnity is her soul food and as such, she founded a grassroots organization called D4K Live (which has served the community since 2007). She more recently founded Ashé Collective (2022), a consulting firm specializing in Audience Development, CommUnity Partnerships, and CommUnity Commitments – connecting the entertainment industry to the audiences of tomorrow through innovative, developmental activations.
Aaliytha hails from the Bronx, NY and is also the mother of three and grandmother of one who enjoys family time, cooking, dancing, and traveling. She is proud to hold a Mental Health First Aid Certification, a Google Analytics Certification; she completed the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) training and is an alum of cohort 17 of Citizen’s University’s Civic Saturday Program.
Aaliytha was most recently (2022) awarded an honor by Houses on the Moon Theatre Company for “championing the unheard voice”. She co-founded Building CommUnity with Amy Sprecher to continue to do the work needed for humanity to enjoy shared prosperity and true CommUnity.
Amy Sprecher, Co-Founder
AMY SPRECHER is a multi-award-winning producer and senior manager with a comprehensive background in communications, branding and marketing, and multi-media content. She has specialized in social mission-focused content and human solutions, including strategy and implementation of narrative change and cultural transformation, and centered on improving the lives, access, and success of children, families, educators, and workforces of all races and cultures. She is passionate about creating spaces for deep dialogue between people of all backgrounds to overcome divisions and build movement solidarity and unity and believes that one must have resilience and persistence to find new ways to achieve equitable human rights for all.
Fortified with a recent Master of Public Administration from the Colin Powell School of Civic and Global Leadership, Building CommUnity is an outgrowth of a Changemaker Fellowship Amy was awarded for the design of a hybrid workshop series using a unique blend of elements to help transform culture and narrative, and create a pathway toward building positive and purposeful multicultural and multiracial collective action. Amy and her partner, Aaliytha Stevens, have continued their dream of expanding the work of Building CommUnity into business, education, community and activism environments. In addition, Amy is a Civic Saturday Fellow of Citizen University, under the stewardship of Eric Liu. Citizen University’s mission is to build a culture of powerful, responsible citizenship across the country. She has also trained with Dr. Gail C. Christopher in RX Racial Healing, and with the Sustained Dialogue Institute.
As a compliment to Building CommUnity, Amy has owned The Sprecher Company, LLC since 2000 and has worked extensively in live entertainment, programming, production, development, gaming, acquisitions, home entertainment/digital streaming, licensing, marketing/branding, community outreach and education. She is currently Producer (along with Voza Rivers of New Heritage Theatre Group, Lynda Blackmon Lowery, and Miranda Barry) and General Manager of the streaming and live musical production of Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom, the true story of the youngest marcher (Lynda Blackmon) in the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March of 1965. Other select associations include: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical; The Education Trust-New York; PBS Distribution; Ohmland Holdings (The Moblees health and wellness brand); Global Angel Ventures; Discovery Kids/Ready Set Learn!; Sesame Workshop; PolyGram Video; Lifetime Television and more.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Amy started marching for human rights with her family at a young age and continues marching today. Additionally, Amy has a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University, Bloomington. She currently lives in New York City.