Angelica Sandoval she/her is a Mexican American artist and educator.  She serves as We Open Shop’s president and co-creator. In June of 2017 Sandoval was awarded as one of the Women to Watch-Metals by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Greater Kansas City Area Chapter.  Sandoval has over 17 years of teaching experience at the collegiate level.  She has taught at the Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas University, Avila University and Johnson County Community College. Sandoval works as a Designer  where she has a balance of designing in three-dimensional software then fabricates in the shop.  At her place of employment, Sandoval started the group Women in Design Forum, a safe space for women within the design department to have a sense of community and  peers.  Sandoval’s extensive teaching experience in metal and woodworking fused with her passion for empowering women, trans and nonbinary people is the core backbone of what makes We Open Shop.

Nick Ward-Bopp he/him serves on the board as secretary.  Ward-Bopp has lived in the Kansas City area for the past twenty years where he is the former owner and co-founder of Maker Village, a community workspace in Kansas City, MO.  Maker Village KC was a valuable community resource  that provided tools, classes and residences to makers and artists. Nick currently works as a project manager for Johnson County Parks and Recreation prior to that he helped build the Black & Veatch Makerspace at Johnson County Library.  Ward-Bopp’s entrepreneurial skills combined with his close contact with the community is an integral part for our organization.

Megan Pace she/her is a sculptural artist, inspired by the many facets of the individual and how they provide space to reflect and grow. She communicates these ideas through the tessellation of abstract forms utilizing a wide breadth of media and practices including, foundry, steel fabrication, wood power carving, ceramics, found objects, experimental media and integrated digital practices. Pace earned her BFA with a concentration in sculpture from Georgias Kennesaw State University, while being one of the first students of their Master Craftsman Program. Since relocating to Kansas City, MO Pace has served as Deputy Director of Demonstrations for the 2021 National Conference of Contemporary Cast Iron Art & Practices and has worked as the Creative Director for Madison Flitch and Madison Stitch in the Kansas City Crossroads. Most recently she has chosen to explore a new path in academia, as an Instructional Assistant at Kansas City Art Institute in the Sculpture department and their wood shop, Central Shop.