Board of Directors

Nick Antonian, CPA, MBA is the Chairman of the Board of the Groundlings. He is currently the Partner-In-Charge of CBIZ’s Los Angeles Assurance Practice (formerly Marcum LLP). As a member of the Assurance Service practice and the Co-Leader for the California National Consumer and Industrial Products Group, he works on the financial audits for multiple clients as well as mergers and acquisitions. His experience includes working with clients in the high technology, manufacturing, distribution, retail, aircraft transportation and logistics. He is also a real estate expert and focuses on complex residential and commercial transactions. Nick can be contacted at [email protected].

A pioneer member and former director of The Groundlings, Phyllis has enjoyed working in TV, film and stage as an actor, writer and director. Her one-woman show, "Katz: Music & Characters," won a Drama-Logue award for best performance; her play, "Codependently Yours," was an L.A. Weekly award nominee; and her first film short, "Shoedini," ran on I-film for a year with a 10 rating. She most recently appeared in RENO 911!, STRONG MEDICINE, and the film, TAKING THE PLUNGE, and was the female lead on Showtime’s cult comedy, SHERMAN OAKS. As a songwriter, she co-authored three TV theme songs, and the anthem for Project Literacy, and was a regular contributor to FX’s SON OF THE BEACH. In addition to co-creating The Groundlings School, Phyllis does private coaching and conducts writing, character development, and song improv workshops across the country. She is a contributing writer for OurLa.org, and her first book, "Hipwrecked: My Health Insurance Sucked, So I Went to India" is now available!

Joseph Yoshitomi has nearly 20 years of arts administration experience in not-for-profit producing and presenting organizations, for-profit media and technology companies serving the performing arts, and as an outside consultant on special projects for individual artists and companies. He currently serves as the Vice President and General Manager for Dallas Summer Musicals, was the first and only VP Marketing for TheaterMania/OvationTix leading up to that company’s sale, and also served as Director of Marketing & Communications for Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles where he oversaw marketing during that not-for-profit theater’s largest artistic programming and earned-revenue expansion. He is a speaker at national conferences such as INTIX and those organized by Americans for the Arts and Theatre Communications Group. His marketing and communications methods have been reported as innovations in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post and American Theatre Magazine. He currently serves on the board of The Groundlings and has served on the boards of LA Stage Alliance and the Foundation for New American Musicals. He has independently produced theater, and began his career as a Los Angeles County/J. Paul Getty Arts Administration Intern at The Pasadena Playhouse.

Jonathan Sánchez Leos is currently the Director of Fellow Affairs and Title IX Coordinator at the American Film Institute. In that role, he co-created (along with current Groundling SAMANTHA DE SURRA) "Young Women in Film" - a program dedicated to teaching underserved populations the art of filmmaking, and sponsored by the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation and the LA Department of Cultural Affairs. In 2019, he was chosen as an Eisenhower Fellow and traveled extensively throughout China to speak on issues dealing with diversity & representation in that role. Prior to coming to Los Angeles, Jonathan was a Fulbright Clinton Fellow in Ukraine where he advised on national youth policy issues; and a Presidential Management Fellow for the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Health & Human Services. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Russian. A native of Chicago, Jonathan has dedicated his work to giving voice to underrepresented populations and serving as a champion for diversity and equity. He can be reached at [email protected]

Matt Levy is a partner at the entertainment law firm Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman L.L.P., where he specializes in the representation of emerging and established talent and production companies in the film, scripted and unscripted television, and digital media industries. Prior to practicing talent-side transactional entertainment law in TV and Film, Matt began his legal career as an entertainment litigator and music industry attorney, and before that, he served as an assistant tour manager on an international tour for KC and the Sunshine Band and the Village People.

Echo Kellum is a director, writer, actor and musician hailing from Chicago. His hobbies include photography, musicals, birding and camping. He is very grateful to get to perform with the Sunday company. :D Excelsior!

Lyric Lewis is from New Orleans, LA and you may have seen her on: AP BIO (her super show on NBC- watch it!!!), BASKETS, DRUNK HISTORY seasons 4 and 5, MADTV, THE GAGGLE, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, GAY SKIT HAPPENS, and all sorts of other fun things! You may have also seen her in the 2015 CBS Diversity Showcase, and she’s a dinosaur NUT!

Leonard Robinson is widely known as a series regular on HBO’s critically acclaimed series INSECURE.

After graduating from Howard University, Leonard appeared in theaters nationwide including THE EXONERATED at The Culture Project (Off-Broadway), Williamstown Theatre Festival, New York Fringe Festival, and Studio Theatre in Washington, DC.

Additionally, some of his television projects have included: original cast member of WILD N’ OUT (MTV), recurring roles on BLOCKBUSTER (Netflix) and WELCOME TO FLATCH (FOX), guest starring roles on THE BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW (HBO), PLATONIC (APPLE TV), KENAN (NBC), NCIS (CBS), NCIS: LA (CBS), YOUNG SHELDON (CBS), ALEXA & KATIE (NETFLIX), voicing characters on UNIVERSAL BASIC GUYS (FOX) and AMERICAN DAD! (FOX).

As a stand-up comedian, Leonard has performed at clubs and colleges across the country as well as the UK. He can be seen weekly at The Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach or The World-Famous Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd.