Lexi Cleveland – Executive Vice President, ARtGlass

Lexi Cleveland is the Executive Vice President at ARtGlass, a leading software technology company with headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, and Milan, Italy. With a passion for early American history and interactive programming. She holds a B.A. in History from the prestigious College of William & Mary, where she also earned a certificate in Early American History, Material Culture, and Museum Studies from the National Institute of American History and Democracy. Additionally, she furthered her academic pursuits by obtaining an M.A. in American Studies from Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Throughout her career, Lexi Cleveland has been actively involved in groundbreaking projects that aim to interpret and bring to life the experiences of enslaved Virginians. She has used her expertise to launch initiatives at renowned historical sites such as Colonial Williamsburg, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, James Monroe’s Highland, and Richmond’s Monument Avenue. By combining her extensive knowledge of early American history with her skill in interactive programming, Lexi has successfully fostered a deeper understanding of the lives and legacies of those who have shaped our nation’s past.

Lexi Cleveland’s unwavering commitment to historical preservation, coupled with her proficiency in software technology, has established her as a respected authority in the field. With her vast experience and notable contributions to the intersection of history and technology, she continues to make valuable strides in making the past accessible and engaging for audiences worldwide.

LaToya Gray-Sparks – Community Outreach Coordinator, Virginia Department of Historic Resources

LaToya Gray-Sparks serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning, both from Virginia Commonwealth University.

LaToya’s work sits at the intersection of historic preservation, community-engaged research, and urban planning, with a strong focus on elevating African American history and cultural landscapes. Her passion for critical cartography and inclusive storytelling drives her mission to ensure that Black heritage remains visible, valued, and preserved for future generations.

LaToya served on the Advisory Council for Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth, which earned the 2021 Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan from the American Planning Association. Her digital project, Planned Destruction, received first place in the Environmental Systems Research Institute’s Educational Map Contest. LaToya was also an inaugural fellow with Preservation Virginia’s African American Fellowship Program, further deepening her commitment to equity in preservation work.

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