Our Mission & Vision
Our Mission
Our Vision
To establish Minnesota as a global hub for creative innovation, artistic exchange, and equity in the arts, where local and international talent intersect to shape the future.
Rooted in Minneapolis and connected to a global creative network, GCC activates year-round programming that includes workshops, pop-ups, cultural exchanges, mentorship, events, and business development. GCC empowers emerging designers and creators through education, collaboration, and opportunity.
Our Leadership Team
BeBe Zahara Benet
President & Founder
Born in Cameroon and forged across multiple continents, BeBe Zahara Benet has spent two decades building a career that cannot be categorized. Singer-songwriter. Performer. TV star. Activist. BeBe is, above all else, a force.
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He first announced himself as the inaugural winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 1 in 2009. Since then: 10 million+ streams across 17 singles, an acclaimed EP in African pidgin, a Tribeca-premiered documentary, and television credits spanning TLC, Hulu, and Cartoon Network. Off-screen, he's helped raise over $5 million for organizations like Rainbow Railroad and the Human Rights Campaign.
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That same drive, turning global roots into unbounded creative reach, is why BeBe launched GCC Minnesota (Global Creative Council) in 2026: a platform built to give the world's most boundary-defying creatives the same stage he had to build for himself.
Donnie Kenneth
Susan N. Leppke
Vice President
Donnie Kenneth is a Minneapolis-based marketing executive and creative whose career has taken him across the country and around the world. Before moving to Minnesota, he worked in Washington, D.C., where he oversaw nonprofit programs that brought arts and humanities resources to children across the United States. That work shaped his belief that creativity belongs to everyone, and that access to the arts can change the course of a young person's life. Today, Donnie serves as Vice President of Marketing for a national software brand, where he brings more than 25 years of creative leadership to his work.
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Outside the boardroom, Donnie is a designer and performer who has never stopped making things. He is a passionate supporter of the arts and of local arts education, and he believes a thriving creative community makes for a stronger, more connected one.
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As Vice President of the Global Creative Council, Donnie leads the organization's operations and provides strategic oversight, helping GCC grow its impact and build more opportunities for artists, designers, and their communities.
Vice President
Susan N. Leppke, MPH, is a dancer, arts advocate, and strategic leader who helps creative talent turn vision into opportunity. A lifelong student of dance, she has performed and modeled at venues across the Midwest. Her appearances include the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnesota Opera events, the Ivey Awards, the Josef's and Rocco Altobelli Fashion Awards, and productions with Sole 2 Soul Dance Conversion, M-She Productions, and Maia Maiden Productions. Through her work with Fashion Week MN, she has helped emerging designers and creators build visibility and reach their full potential.
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Susan pairs her artistic roots with more than 15 years of executive experience building partnerships across government, business, and the nonprofit sector. She serves as Vice President of Government Relations & Public Affairs at a national association, where she leads federal and state advocacy and coalition strategy. She previously held senior policy roles at organizations in Minnesota and Maryland. She also advises organizations on business and financial strategy through her consulting practice.
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At GCC, Susan brings that blend of creativity and strategy to support education, mentorship, and business development for Minnesota's next generation of creators. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota and serves on the board of the Minnesota Opera.
Kia Kehrer
Gayle Smaller Jr.
Treasurer
Kia Moua Kehrer is at heart an artist and systems strategist with over a decade of experience strengthening operations, technology, and communications for nonprofit and community‑focused organizations. She currently works at Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, located within Children’s Minnesota, as the Program Manager of Information Systems and Communications. With an MBA and a background in fashion and communications design, Kia blends technical expertise, creative problem‑solving, and a people‑centered approach to improve workflows, elevate training, and support mission‑driven programs. She also brings many years of experience as an event planner, stylist, and decorator—skills that blend creativity, logistics, and visual strategy into every project she touches.Â
Secretary
Gayle Smaller Jr. serves as the associate director of DEI at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He is also an award-winning fashion show and event producer based in Minnesota, known for curating powerful, purpose-driven experiences. He is the founder and creative director of The MAN DOWN Project. Gayle bridges creativity and advocacy to create space for healing, visibility, and connection.