About
Test, learn, change, test, learn...
Capacity Interactive helps organizations engage audiences, build community, and market smarter.
About Our Founder
Erik Gensler founded Capacity Interactive in 2008. Erik has presented sessions on digital marketing for the arts for the Opera America Conference, The Arts & Business Council of New York, The New York Foundation for the Arts, the Tessitura Conference, and for the League of Resident Theaters. He has guest lectured at Columbia, NYU, and Baruch College and has been featured on the Carnegie Mellon Arts & Technology podcast series. Erik founded Digital Marketing Boot Camp for Arts Marketers, an annual conference in NYC for arts marketers.
As Senior Marketing Officer at New York City Opera, Erik oversaw electronic marketing activities including the redesign of nycOpera.com, as well as implementing a text message club, blog and podcast series. He served as Director of Sponsorship for The Marketing Group where he secured over $3 million in sponsorships and marketing partnerships for nonprofit arts clients. He spent four years at NBC Universal in roles in sales, marketing, and business development. Erik began his career at Marakon Associates, an international management consulting firm. Erik holds a dual degree in Economics and Communication Studies from Northwestern University. As an alum he served as the co-president of the Northwestern University Entertainment Alliance.
In his spare time he enjoys cycling, running, cooking, the beach, going to the theater and spending time with his rambunctious Pitt-mix, Sally.
Books We Recommend
Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
What Would Google Do by Jeff Jarvis
Made To Stick by Chip & Dan Heath
Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Big Red Fez by Seth Godin
The Rest of Our Team
Christopher Williams
Christopher has been marketing the non-profit performing arts for nearly 20 years at arts organizations across the country.
Most recently, he served for eight years as Director of Marketing at New York City Center, where he oversaw brand and revenue management, creative direction, and sales and marketing strategy. Christopher helped to grow some of New York’s most popular arts programs, including the Fall For Dance Festival and almost 30 New York City Center Encores! productions. Christopher’s fervent interest in all things digital drove the progression of City Center’s digital marketing and social media strategies.
Outside of the office, Christopher is an accomplished triathlete and marathoner and enjoys classic cinema, ballet and theater.
Becca Goland-Van Ryn
Becca has been working with non-profit arts organizations for over 10 years, on both the agency side and as a client
Before joining Capacity Interactive, Becca was the Assistant Marketing Director at Manhattan Theatre Club. Prior to that she spent four years at Serino Coyne, a full service Broadway advertising agency, where she managed the traditional and digital media campaigns for a wide range of clients including Lincoln Center Theater, the Big Apple Circus, STOMP, and The Book of Mormon. Becca has also held positions at New York City Center, Arden Theatre Company and The Pearl Theater Company. She has a degree in Theatre and Communications from The University of Pennsylvania.
A theatre-lover from a young age, Becca also enjoys attending dance and other performing arts events and is an avid reader and runner.
Rachel Parks
Rachel holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Maryland, where she became an artistic associate and founding member of Pointless Theatre Company – a non-profit in the DC Metro area that creates bold, visceral, and affordable spectacles that gleefully smash the traditional boundaries between puppetry, theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts. Putting into practice her digital marketing skills, she currently oversees the company’s social media. Rachel has a background in stage management, and she has worked on numerous productions at Ars Nova, one of NYC’s premiere hubs for new talent.
Kaily Smitson
Kaily manages the Google AdWords accounts for Capacity Interactive. Her background includes three years as an Analytical Lead at Google’s office in Atlanta. While at Google she managed the AdWords of many large international companies in the travel and technology sectors. Prior to Google, Kaily received her bachelor of arts at Stanford University where she majored in International Relations. Kaily grew up in Hawaii and works remotely in Southern California. When she’s not “optimizing” you can find her out in the surf or playing ultimate frisbee.