Aaron Sanko, President
Aaron Sanko is a Performing Arts Executive and Consultant with a diverse background in artistic and non-artistic ventures. His career affords him a breadth of experience in both corporate and non-profit settings in a variety of industries including entertainment, retail, public service, and real estate. This allows him to take a holistic approach to addressing the unique needs of each of his clients making him an invaluable advisor and strategist for the individuals and organizations he serves.
Sanko founded Cruxory Group in New York City, providing a suite of management consulting services to support performing arts organizations and service companies in bridging the gap between creative endeavors and strong business practices. Clients engage his services to support a wide range of business practice improvements including: the development and implementation of strong HR policies, executive searches, interim management, organizational development, executive coaching, development paths for new works, and strengths-based leadership initiatives. He is sought after as a public speaker and meeting facilitator in these areas of expertise at organizations such as: ART New York, National Alliance of Musical Theatre, Opera America, National Association of Teachers of Singing, and Actors’ Connection, in addition to speaking engagements at colleges and universities across the country.
Currently, Sanko serves as Managing Director of UIA Talent Agency where he represents a diverse roster of artists including singers, actors, directors, conductors, choreographers, and composers. He leads UIA’s Theatre, Film, and Television division and oversees company operations.
Prior to his current endeavors, he served as General Partner and Music Supervisor for Mind the Art Entertainment in New York and helmed award-winning productions of Whiskey Pants, The Mayor of Williamsburg (Off Broadway) and Fatty Fatty No Friends (Best of Fest, NYMF 2018). In 2018, Cruxory produced a new musical at St. Lou Fringe, before Mr. Sanko served as Music Director for The Wiz in Monrovia, Liberia (the first musical presented in the country’s history) in the summer of 2018, in collaboration with Broadway Artists Connection and Matsiko World Orphans Choir.
Mr. Sanko served as the CEO of Sanko Ventures, a theatrical production entity, recently represented on Broadway by the Tony-award nominated Deaf West Theatre revival of Spring Awakening, and in Los Angeles with Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along at The Wallis Annenberg Theatre in Beverly Hills. Sanko’s résumé also includes leadership roles at corporations including Best Buy and Starbucks, serving in human resources, operations, and new market development capacities. Earlier in his career, Mr. Sanko was an actor, singer, and educator.
Mr. Sanko takes pride in service to the community, and regularly contributes to the efforts of nonprofit organizations with social, educational, or developmental missions, and recently led a new initiative to create an organizational strategy for leveraging the young professional demographic of donors and leaders as a Founding Executive Committee Member of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ NextGen Advocates.
Mr. Sanko graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy before studying Voice Performance and Music Education at the Eastman School of Music. Additionally, he earned a degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University, and is a proud alumnus of the intensive programs at The Broadway League’s Commercial Theatre Institute.
Ralph Meitzler, Senior Associate
Ralph Meitzler is quickly establishing himself as a leader and valuable resource to arts organizations and production companies in New York City. At Cruxory Group, Meitzler leads the firm's account management services area, with focus on Executive Production and General Management services. Additionally, he is responsible for client acquisition and relationship management. Under his management, Cruxory Group clients earn coveted places and win awards at leading festivals throughout the country, including “Best of Fest” at New York Musical Theatre Festival and a National Headline Act at St. Lou Fringe Festival. His clients appreciate his ability to maintain a focus on fiscal responsibility and budgetary effectiveness without sacrificing creative vision.
Ralph has worked hand-in-hand with distinguished programs and organizations, including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Broadway Across America, to produce and facilitate cabarets and benefit concerts across the country. Working with these organizations has opened doors for further opportunities to produce, write, and direct one-woman, trio, and ensemble pieces throughout NYC. He thrives on being introduced to new material, offering multiple paths of success, and with a deep understanding of the team’s desires, researching, planning, and executing the necessary next steps to successfully achieve these goals.
Ralph comes to his work in arts administration with a wealth of experience as a singer, actor, dancer, director, stage manager, general manager, and producer. This instills him with an ability to empathize with the needs of all sides of an organization or production, on or off the stage, and facilitate the finding of common ground to ensure the success of a project. As a professional actor, Ralph toured the world and lived the dream on Broadway in Rock of Ages, Frozen, Something Rotten!, Wicked, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Hairspray, Piece of My Heart, and A Sign of the Times. In this sector, his skills as a swing and dance captain have infused his business acumen with a high level, empathy-driven, focus and ability to communicate objectively in high stress environments and leadership positions.
Ralph’s real-world, wealth of experience, has offered him the opportunity to work with, mentor, and coach, via both master class and private session settings, a multitude of varying age groups and levels of experience. As an activator and an includer, his strengths profile is the driving force of his need to motivate and inspire others...while being inclusive and accepting of all.