Board of directors

Nelson Cabassa - BOARD CHAIR

Born and raised in NYC, Nelson Cabassa is founding partner at Urbane Brokerage real estate firm, and has served as a Managing Director at Bond New York, Mark David, & SDB Residential. A former Broadway Actor & Concert Dancer, Nelson has performed with Jessye Norman at Carnegie Hall and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He studied with master practitioners at LP21 and has performed with accomplished Bomba and Plena groups such as Alma Moyo and the BomPlenazo Artist Collective, a collaborative effort involving more than 20 artists, many of whom are renowned practitioners in the traditions of Bomba and Plena music and dance. Nelson is an active parent and participant in LP21’s Bomba & Plena Community Workshops and Cultural Legacy programs.

Dr. Clemente Robles - Board VP

Assistant Principal at Hempstead High School and longtime practitioner of Bomba and Plena, Dr. Clemente Robles and his family have been immersed in LP21’s Bomba and Plena Community Workshops for many years. Dr. Robles joined the Board in 2024 and brings a multifacted depth of understanding in the importance of Arts in Education, traditional transmission of cultural expressions and LP21’s core family-based educational programs to his role on the Board.

José Ari Rivera

José Ari Rivera serves as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel in the legal department at Pandora Media’s New York offices. With over 17 years of experience in the legal industry, Ari holds a Government and Politics Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law. Born and raised in El Barrio, Ari is an active parent and participant in LP21’s Bomba & Plena Community Workshops and Cultural Legacy programs, and a talented Bomba and Plena practitioner in his own right.

Dr. Luz Claudio

Dr. Luz Claudio has been a long-standing friend and supporter of LP21. She currently holds the position of Tenured Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health and is Chief of the Division of International Health at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is working with LP21’s instructors to bring Bomba dance into the sphere of health education. Her passion and commitment to supporting these traditions and Los Pleneros de la 21 is evidenced in the energy she brings to LP21’s Board, joining in 2024.

Viannca VelÉz

Hailing from Jersey City, NJ, of Boricua roots, Viannca Vélez is a cultural preserver, artist, and storyteller. One of the most meaningful endeavors she has undertaken is studying the Afro-Puerto Rican musical traditions of Bomba & Plena. She began learning the music, history, and dance in 2014 through classes with Segunda Quimbamba. Now a member of the ensemble, Viannca performs this traditional music of the island throughout NJ and surrounding areas. She is also an active practitioner and community gatherer through her involvement in the NJ Bomba Collective. Beyond the NJ/NYC area, Viannca has performed in Puerto Rico at the annual Encuentro de Tambores, representing the Diaspora’s Delegation.

Viannca's dedication to cultural exchange and preservation transcends her role as an artist. Professionally, she previously served as the Director of Communications and New Media at the historic Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in East Harlem. She’s currently the Communications and Narrative Director at Represent Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to building narrative power through film for formerly incarcerated individuals and system-impacted communities.

In 2019, inspired by her backpacking travels with her partner, Hamlet, she founded Cultura Lovers, a podcast and platform dedicated to cultural empowerment and reconnection through storytelling. Viannca is also the host of the Seton Hall Pirate’s Eye Alumni Podcast and is a regular moderator of cultural panel discussions.

A graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in Broadcast and Visual Media, her experience as a communications strategist spans broadcast journalism, podcasting, television & digital production, fundraising, marketing, and community engagement.