Alicia Hansen

Founder & Executive Director

Alicia Hansen is the Founder and CEO of NYC Salt. Started in 2008 with a class of eight students, she has grown the program over the last 14 years to engage over 200 underserved youth per year in rigorous, sequential visual arts education, college-preparatory programming, mentorship, career exploration with college acceptance and graduation rates far in excess of national norms. She has designed the programs as a family, bridge and launchpad for students to develop agency, belonging and integrated identity through the lens of a camera.

Alicia started a career as a professional photographer in 1996 as a photojournalist, editor, producer, and curator for editorial, commercial, and advertising projects for an array of clients. With her strong background in photography and the social capital gained through a successful career, she has leveraged her expertise and network to create a place where her peers in the industry can give back. She holds an MA in Visual Communications from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and a BA in Journalism from the University of Georgia. She is the recipient of the Howard Chapnick Grant for leadership in the field of photographic education. In 2017, Alicia was nominated New Yorker of the Week by NY1, and has five certificates in ‘Mastering the Art and Craft of Designing and Facilitating Learning Spaces’ through the Kaospilots Social Entrepreneurship School in Denmark. Alicia has produced and participated in The Eddie Adams Workshop for eight years and will be a team leader for the Syracuse Photographic Workshops at the Newhouse School in Fall 2022.