The Team | WorldBeat Center Official Website

Makeda 'Dread' Cheatom

Founder / Executive Director

Makeda Cheatom is Executive Director and Founder of the WorldBeat Cultural Center for 30 years. She has produced programs and presented artists from wide cultural genres represented within the cultural center. Makeda has received numerous awards for her service to the community. Most notably and recently, Makeda Cheatom was recognized by the Women’s Museum of California as a Cultural Competent Bridge Builder and in 2012 she was inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame. Other awards Makeda has received include: Channel 10 Leadership Award, Project Concern International, the Palava Tree for Arts & Culture, Water For Africa Foundation, International Rescue Committee, among many others. She has received dozens of other important awards from the State of California and the San Diego Community. Makeda is the founder of her own radio show, Reggae Makossa, broadcast on Fusion Radio 102.5 FM. She has been on the air for over 25 years. She produces her own television show WorldBeat Live, which is broadcast on numerous community television networks throughout the county. Makeda “Dread” Cheatom is dedicated, committed and determined to raise world consciousness through music, dance, and the arts. She promotes unity in diversity while teaching world peace.

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Berenice Rodriguez

Operations Manager

Berenice Rodriguez is the WorldBeat Cultural Center’s, Operations Manager. She has been at WorldBeat Center for over 10 years now and has learned to be versatile to the various needs of the non-profit. During her studies, she led the leading student empowering organization of San Diego State, the Environmental Business Society, a reputable environmental student organization. She has a passion for access to history from marginalized communities, global ways of knowing for wellbeing, anthropology, and food access through gardening.

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Karla Broady

Program Coordinator

Karla is currently an early head start teacher in Harlem, New York where Karla runs groups for young children and their parents. Karl recently wrote and implemented a peaceful parenting curriculum that was well recieved. Karla graduated last May from Teacher’s College, Columbia University with her MA in International Educational development/Peace education concentration. Karla has taken several conflict resolution/mediation classes and strive to practice them in her daily relationships.

Monica Harris

Summer Camp Director

Miss Monie is a veteran dance artist and educator from Brooklyn, New York.
With an undergraduate degree in Education and History with an emphasis on Africana Studies, she recently received her EdM. (Masters Of Education) in Dance. She began her Studio and Company, DIVA WORKS DANCE in 1989 while dancing professionally since the age of 19 and being mentored by esteemed faculty at Dance Theater Of Harlem. Her students have been awarded scholarships and company offers at world class universities and prestigious institutions such as Dance Theater Of Harlem, The Ailey School, Kirov Academy D.C., Dance Institute Of Washington, Debbie Allen Dance
Academy, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Temple University Dance, Rochester University Dance with Broadway LION KING choreographer, Garth Fagan and many more. Her West Coast division has brought equal excellence and beyond! With total audience capacities of nearly 8,000 on our last tour, 32 performances of “THE WIZ”

Mike Watson - Air Mike

Muralist / Artist

Mike Watson aka AIR MIKE is the master muralist at WorldBeat Cultural Center. He was the original artist on the first location on Hancock St. He is responsible for 90% of all the beautiful murals seen inside and outside of the WorldBeat Center, which was once a water tower. Air Mike has extensive experience with air brush art forms and ancient Egyptology / Kemetic Hieroglyphics, The Medu Neter.

Katie Colon

Sustainable Solutions Advisor

Katie specializes in international development and peacebuilding. She has a curiosity and love for the world, environment, and cultures, which has led her to live, work and study around the globe. She recently finished a Masters of International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame where her thesis focused on the intersection of climate change response and peacebuilding.

Jorge Gonzalez

Director Afro-Mexican Department

Through our experience promoting music, we document, support, and spread Afro-Mexican dance, music and other forms of culture. The information and material we gather is used for educational purposes as well as to fund (e.g. art exhibits, music/dance groups, photographic exhibits, clothing and textiles, fair trade products, musical instruments, CD’s and DVD’s). This entire process and strategies used in the end help empower communities for the purpose of reaching self-autonomy.