Violinist, educator, and nonprofit leader Yuki Numata Resnick has spent her life exploring the transformative power of music—not only as an artist, but as a changemaker. Originally from Vancouver, Yuki has performed on some of the world’s most iconic stages, from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall, and has recorded with artists including The National, Arcade Fire, Lisa Hannigan, and Taylor Swift.

But it’s her work offstage that tells an even deeper story. As co-founder and former Executive Director of Buffalo String Works, Yuki helped build a music program that now serves over 150 refugee, immigrant, and historically marginalized youth—demonstrating how music can become both a source of belonging and a catalyst for social change.

Today, as the Director of Arts and Culture at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, she is leading a historic $100 million initiative to secure the future of Western New York’s arts and culture sector and most importantly, finding ways to get funding into the hand of the deepest community organizers and challenging pre-conceptions about where wealth.

In this conversation, Yuki shares her reflections on discovering her why, leadership challenges, career pivots, and the quiet courage it takes to step into the unknown.

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