STAFF // BOARD OF DIRECTORS // DONORS
Meet Our Staff
Advocates, organizers, art movers and shakers. This team is a dream who keep the machine running onsite every day.
Executive Director
Julia Franklin is the Executive Director of Mainframe Studios in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. She is an accomplished artist, leader, professor, and founder of multiple community arts programs, and Julia has more than two decades of experience in creative sector advocacy, nonprofit management, and community program and funding development.
Franklin was recently named “Cultural Leader Newcomer of the Year” by the Business Record. Franklin’s recognition speaks to her dedication to nurturing the creative economy and her ability to engage with and inspire the community.
Franklin completed her transition from Community Investment Specialist at Bravo Greater Des Moines to director of Mainframe Studios in December 2023. She is now leading the largest nonprofit art studio building in the country, which opened in 2017 on the north side of downtown Des Moines. At Bravo, Franklin managed a $4.5 million annual operating grant program for more than 85 arts and culture nonprofits in Central Iowa. Previously, she was a Professor of Art at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, where she helped guide the construction and operations at the Helene Center for the Visual Arts. In 2018, she was named an Iowa Artist Fellow and continues to make and exhibit art.
Property Manager
Lani is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned her degree in Vocal Music with Elective Studies in Business, blending her artistic passion with business acumen. Since 2022, she has served as the first onsite Property Manager at Mainframe Studios, one of the nation's largest nonprofit creative workspaces, supporting over 200 resident artists by streamlining operations and fostering an inclusive environment.
As a Colombian-American singer/songwriter, Lani infuses her cultural heritage into her music, blending pop with Latin influences. Her original compositions have been showcased at various festivals and cultural events throughout Des Moines. In October 2024, Lani was honored with the Latin Artist of the Year award at the Iowa Music Awards . Through both her administrative role and musical endeavors, she remains committed to uplifting emerging creatives and promoting accessibility in the arts.
Operations Coordinator
Molly Kresse is a graduate of the University of Iowa, in Iowa City. She graduated with a degree in Social Justice, and a certificate in sustainability. While at Iowa, Molly worked on projects exploring accessibility in outdoor spaces, and within outdoor recreation. While in college, Molly also led adventure trips, up-cycled clothing, and co-founded the Iowa City Flea market. Molly is a Des Moines native, and is happy to be back in her hometown after a post graduation year in Berlin where she enjoyed the lakes, the live music, and the people. In March of 2025 she joined Mainframe Studios as the Operations Coordinator.
Community Engagement Coordinator
Libby Crimmings joined Mainframe Studios as the Community Engagement Coordinator. She is responsible for planning and organizing Mainframe’s monthly First Friday events and related programming as well as building meaningful partnerships in the community.
With over 20 years of professional experience, Libby has worked across various fields, including nonprofit leadership, community organizing, advocacy, event planning, and youth leadership.
Libby is a mixed-media artist, whose work explores themes of connection, memory, and sense of place. She frequently collaborates with her husband, photographer Joe Crimmings, creating unique, multidimensional pieces. She holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Art & Design with an emphasis in Advertising from Iowa State University, and an Art Therapy Certificate from Grandview University.
She also serves as a foundation board member and volunteer art teacher at On With Life, a neurorehabilitation center specializing in traumatic brain injury recovery. Outside of Mainframe, you’ll find her creating art, enjoying the outdoors, traveling, training for triathlons, or cheering on her three amazing kids at their various sporting events.
Board of Directors
-
John McGowan
Board President - Mandala Financial Advisors, Owner
-
Sarah Young
Vice President - Renewable Energy Group, Corporate Strategy Manager
-
Michael Trettin
Treasurer - UHY, Managing Director of Audit and Assurance Services
-
Jill Wells
Secretary - Artist, Advocate, Mentor
-
John Mandelbaum
Emeritus - Mandelbaum Properties, Principal
-
David Schmitz
Ex-Officio - Iowa Arts Council, Administrator
-
Justin Mandelbaum
Founder - Mandelbaum Properties, Principal
-
Kelly Baum
Member - Des Moines Art Center, Director
-
Gretchen Bohling
Member - Gretchen Bohling Design, Owner
-
Jeff Chelesvig
Member - President and CEO of Des Moines Performing Arts
-
Meredith Stahl
Member - Good Life Therapy, Therapist
Thank you to our donors
We extend a heartfelt thank you to all who have helped to make this project an outstanding community asset for generations to come.
In-kind Donors
Arts Consulting Group
Li & Justin Madnelbaum
Cyril & John Mandelbaum
Debbie Lawerence
Simonson & Associates
Studio Melee
$1M+
The Lauridsen Foundation
$750,000 - $999,999
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines Catalyst Circle
QuikTrip
$500,000 - $749,999
Fred & Charlotte Hubbell
Fred & Emily Weitz
$350,000 - $499,999
Bravo Greater Des Moines
Meredith Corporation Foundation
$250,000 - $349,999
Polk County Board of Supervisors
Principal Financial Group
The Ruan Family
$150,000 - $249,000
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
Iowa Economic Development Authority
Cathy and Steve Lacy
The Fred Maytag Family Foundation
Nationwide
Mary Scanlon
W.T. and Edna M. Dahl Trust
Wells Fargo
$100,000 - $149,999
Barbara & Michael Gartner
Holly & Thomas Harty
Ellen & Jim Hubbell
Susan & Bruce Kelley
Linda & Thomas Koehn
Cyril & John Mandelbaum
Edwin T. Meredith Foundation
Prairie Meadows
Linda & Stevenson Weitz
$50,000 - $99,999
Athene
Bankers Trust Company
Jack Bell
Sibylla & Bill Brown
Patty & Jim Cownie
EMC Insurance
Farm Bureau Financial Services
Iowa Arts Council
John Deere
Jane & Robert Sturgeon
Toni & Timothy Urban
The Weathertop Foundation
$25,000 - $49,999
Margaret Brennan
Easter Family Fund
Allison & Jim Fleming
GuideOne Insurance
Iowa Foundation for Education, Environment, and the Arts
Mary & Suku Radia
Deborah & Douglas West
Wittern Family Charitable Foundation
$10,000 - $24,999
Margo & Don Blumenthal
Natalie G. and William H. Brenton Fund
Sue Rutledge Brenton and J.C. Brenton
Barbara and Thomas Carlstrom
Rich Eychaner
Johnnie & Bill Friedman
The Graham Group
Greater Des Moines Partnership
Cara & Kurt Heiden
David Hurd & Trudy Holman Hurd
Mary & Daniel Kelly
Patricia McFarland
O'Brien Iowa Fund
Riley Family Fund
Christine Lauridsen Sand & Rob Sand
Paul & Claudia Schickler
Jim Spevak
Connie Wimer