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About Us

Meet a Different Kind of Company

In our management careers we ran into challenges as our shows grew larger and more numerous: redundant work, miscommunication, mistakes.

Plus, we couldn’t find anything out there that seemed to be built for our needs.

So we started Propared, a company devoted to thinking up better ways for theatre, arts, and event managers to organize shows and day-to-day operations. Propared’s software platform embodies a management philosophy that we practiced throughout our careers working in events and contributions from people like you.

We build Propared so you can take this knowledge and use it to find success in all the amazing things you do.

RYAN KIRK

Ryan held management positions in theater, TV, fashion, corporate events, and venue operations for 20 years. He co-founded Tinc Productions, a Broadway production management company based in New York City. He served as president for 10 years taking it from a small group of freelance managers who wanted to do shows the right way to one of the major production companies in NYC. Ryan holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech and a MBA from NYU. He cherishes the time he spends working with arts organizations to improve their workflows; enabling them to continue their missions. Ryan also loves to cook, ski, play piano, and travel.

MELISSA JOHNSTON

Melissa grew up in theater and has served in a variety of management roles. In 2007, she co-founded Tinc Productions, a theatrical production management firm based in NYC and served as its Vice President. She believes that management and business training for theater professionals (in all roles) is critical to the continued growth of the industry. She is a graduate of Emerson College. In her spare time, Melissa can be found hiking, gardening, cutting gem stones, and using her microscope to study everything she finds.

DEREK KNODERER

Derek leads a double life in the arts and technology. He’s spent the last 20 years working in IT Systems and Operations and has held technical and management roles in live event sound design and engineering. Derek holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech and IT certifications for all sorts of whiz-bang things with ridiculous acronyms. He enjoys strolling city streets, whacking random objects with his umbrella to see what sort of sounds they make, and slowly converting his lawn into a wildflower meadow.

JACKIE MULLEN

Jackie Mullen is part of the Propared Tech Support team.  She is a theatrical production manager and AEA stage manager with an MFA in stage management from UCSD, and a background in audio engineering. Jackie is currently the director of production at ArchiteX, an events company focusing on digital events for good. She has been using Propared for almost a decade, from beta testing on college shows to production management of national events. She likes cats.

DON FOX

Don is part of the Propared Tech Support team! Don (MFA University of Arizona) is a freelance producer, lighting, scenic and projection designer based in Colorado. He is the lighting designer for the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker tours, the Burlesque Show at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, Music Theatre Wichita, and is the resident production designer for the Post Playhouse at Fort Robinson State Park. Don recently served as production manager to launch the new Ent Center for the Arts at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs where he implemented Propared and changed his life (for the better). He produces musical theatre and dance events that take place across the country.

HELIX

Helix has over 10 years of experience in morale management. She honed her skills playing in a wide variety of dog parks throughout Colorado, California, Florida, Texas, and the greater NYC-area. As Chief Morale Officer at Propared, she oversees our employee wellness and retention programs, reminding us to take breaks and that treats are a powerful motivator. As her secret alias “The Puppy Bot” she schedules meetings and suggests help articles in the chat window. If you’re on a zoom meeting with us, you might see her in the background making sure Ryan is being a good boy.

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