Dessa Hayes is a Digital Transformation Agent at the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts (CAPACOA). Born into a working-class family of amateur musicians, she has a passion for breaking down silos and engaging people of all backgrounds with arts and culture.

As a graduate of Western University’s School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities (SASAH) (B.A. 2017) and University College London’s Institute of Archaeology (M.A. 2019), Dessa has had the privilege to work in data management and public education roles in various nonprofits in both Canada and the United Kingdom. Most days, you can find her coordinating several open data and digital literacy initiatives at the CAPACOA, including the Digital Discoverability Program.