Founder, Joey Borgogna
Joey Borgogna is a creative producer, story coach, and facilitator whose work lives at the intersection of art, empathy, and cultural transformation.
He currently serves as Executive Director of the Speranza Foundation, where he leads the Lincoln City Fellowship—a dynamic residency program that supports multidisciplinary artists through curated retreats, convenings, and community programming.
Joey is the creator of My Scripted Story™, a neuroscience-informed story immersion that guides individuals and groups on journeys of self-discovery and character development using theater and film scripts, memory prompts, and interactive dialogue. Designed to awaken imagination and emotional insight, the experience empowers participants to shift perspective and deepen their capacity for connection.
His path has spanned 25+ years across the creative industries as an actor, talent agent, producer, and teacher at The Imagined Life Studio, where he trained under Diana Castle and now coaches actors privately, including Emmy and SAG-award-winning Tony Hale.
Prior to joining Speranza, Joey served as Executive Director of the Creative Activist Program at Creative Visions Foundation, where he oversaw more than 200 pro-social media and arts projects across five continents. His work there included collaborations with changemakers such as Kathy Eldon (The Journey is the Destination), Gary Ross (The Hunger Games), Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure), Tom Shadyac (Patch Adams, Bruce Almighty), Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise), and Kweku Mandela (Bang Bang Club).
He continues to work at the crossroads of narrative and social change as Creative Producer for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, crafting campaigns that elevate stories of home, dignity, and belonging. With the Nomadic School of Wonder, he co-produces immersive “adventures in awe” that stretch from the northern lights of Iceland to the giant redwoods of Santa Cruz to the mystical corners of Woodstock, NY.
Joey is also the Co-Founder of the Steve Aoki Charitable Fund and has served as a Delegate to the United Nations Global Accelerator, Leadership Specialist at Cali Camp, Ambassador for One Legacy: Donate Life, and Mentor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication, where he earned dual degrees in Theater and Communications.
Whether in a rehearsal room, retreat circle, nonprofit campaign, or script-centered immersion, Joey’s work is ultimately about human character: how we build it, how we witness it, and how we grow through it.