Michael Feldman is a free-lance dramaturg and the co-facilitator of the Theater and Policy Salon where he curates and moderates policy discussions that investigate themes raised by theater and other art forms. As Principal at Transitions International, Michael provides strategic and public engagement advice to local and international arts organizations. The Theater and Policy Salon launched its 2019-2020 season at New York University Washington DC (NYU DC) in October 2019, in cooperation with Ford's and Shakespeare Theaters and continued with Salons in partnership with Studio Theatre, Theater J, the InSeries, and other theaters. The Salon's inaugural "Who Gets to Feel Safe?" season featured Salons at Woolly Mammoth, Ford's, New Music Theatre, and NYU DC as well as collaborations with the Embassy of Sweden and the European Union. Earlier, he launched the Talk Tank series for Forum Theatre's 2016-2017 season, and again organized Talk Tank discussions to explore policy issues underpinning Forum’s final 2017-2018 season. He also serves on the Board of Alliance for a New Music-Theatre. Michael served as an Editorial Team Member at Createquity - a virtual think tank and online publication - through its sunset in 2017. Michael is a former cultural attaché, diplomat, and policymaker whose experience bridges the worlds of the arts, development, and public policy. Michael was a director at PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief; a director for Europe and Central Asia at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; and professional staff of the Budget Committee of the U.S. Senate as part of a fellowship with the American Political Science Association. At the US State Department, Michael served in Europe and Central Africa; he oversaw assistance for the Balkans; and he negotiated policy with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the G-7/8 process, and the European Union. Michael graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Economics and speaks German, Czech, French and Italian.