Founders, Soren and Amanda tabling at one of ReCreate Buffalo's first events in June 2026.
Claire Leggett is the Board President of ReCreate Buffalo. She is a nonprofit professional with experience in fundraising and arts management.
Claire currently serves as the Development Manager at the Aquarium of Niagara, handling membership, community events, and grant writing. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Center for Exploratory & Perceptual Arts, where she oversaw day-to-day operations, fundraising efforts, and exhibition selection and installation. She has been instrumental in raising almost $1 million for various nonprofits over the course of her career.
Claire holds a Masters of Science in Arts Administration and a graduate certificate in Fundraising Management from Boston University and received her Bachelor of Arts in History from the State University of New York at Cortland.
Claire's experience in arts leadership, fundraising, and nonprofit management helps guide ReCreate Buffalo's strategic growth and long-term sustainability.
Claire Leggett
Board President
Meet Our Team
Erik Schwob is a finance professional and nonprofit leader currently serving as Board Treasurer of Recreate Buffalo. With a strong background in financial management and operations, he brings over ten years of experience across banking, finance, and mission-driven organizations.
Erik holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from SUNY Brockport and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. He is currently an MBA candidate at George Mason University’s Costello College of Business, where he also serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Costello College of Business Student Association, demonstrating his commitment to leadership and organizational development.
Throughout his career, Erik has worked across both the financial services sector and the nonprofit space, building expertise in budgeting, operational efficiency, and strategic planning. His nonprofit experience includes roles with the SUNY Brockport Institute for Poverty Studies, Action for a Better Community in Rochester, New York, and the Ronald McDonald House of Washington, DC. He continues to contribute his financial and operational expertise to the World Bank.
Driven by a passion for community impact and sustainable growth, Erik is dedicated to strengthening organizations that serve others and improving access to resources for communities in need.
Amanda holds a Master’s degree in Linguistics from University at Buffalo and previously worked for seven years as a Bank Analyst in compliance.
Although her professional career was not rooted in the arts, creativity has always been a central part of her life. Over the years, she has participated in a variety of artistic and community spaces, including photography and performing arts groups, and has long been inspired by the power of creative expression to connect people and strengthen communities.
Amanda co-founded ReCreate Buffalo out of a passion for sustainability, reuse, and making creativity more accessible. She is especially interested in creating welcoming spaces where discarded materials can find new life through art, education, and community collaboration.
Erik Schwob
Board Treasurer
Amanda Schwob
Executive Director
& Co-Founder
A lifelong artist with deep roots in advocacy and learning to live authentically. Soren began painting and drawing at a young age and was fostered into the arts by dedicated teachers. Coming out as trans male at 18, it was at community college where Soren finally found others that understood everything he felt and dreamed of.
Finding the strength and inspiration to help others after college graduation, Soren has worked in multiple fields including harm reduction, commercial photography, historical research and preservation trades, and art outreach. He uses his social media platforms and in-person interactions to help others. Between gathering resources and sharing them, leading local art events, and advocating for the LGBTQIA2S+ community, Soren discovered that art trades and queerness intersect at the deepest levels. Soren deeply reflected on how Buffalo needed this kind of accessible and affordable art store. His original concept of TransCreation will continue to be a safe third space for the queer community, offering inclusive programming and linkage to supportive services and vocational assistance.
Stephanie has worked in nonprofits for over a decade in community development, particularly with small business support and workforce development in programming, and project management. She has worked with many different communities, including immigrant populations, and persons with disabilities.
Her bachelor's degree is in Urban & Community Studies. Her Graduate coursework was in Workplace Democracy and Community Ownership. Her interests lie in all city challenges and solutions. Her values lie in building community, equity, and sustainability. She is an art appreciator for various mediums and modalities, and is atelier trained in oils and charcoal.
She has served on the Economic Development Committee with the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. Stephanie is a volunteer with the Kenmore North Buffalo food pantry, and a member of the Buffalo Immigrant Leadership Team (BILT), an immigrant and refugee advocacy nonprofit.
Stephanie's academic background, combined with her involvement in economic development initiatives, immigrant and refugee advocacy, and food security efforts, helps ensure that our work remains community-centered, equitable, and responsive to local needs.
Soren d'Lobita
Co-Founder
Stephanie Wong-You
Board Secretary
Peggy Mckendry
Board Member
Peggy McKendry brings extensive experience in the arts sector, including a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, professional experience in art restoration, and previous roles in gallery operations and collections management with Eleven Twenty Projects.
She also serves on the Board of Directors of Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, providing valuable expertise in arts administration, collections stewardship, and support for Buffalo's creative community.
Ani Hoover is a Buffalo-based artist and teaching artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores the creative potential of everyday and discarded materials. Originally from Missouri, she earned a BFA in Painting from Missouri State University and an MFA in Painting from American University. Since moving to Buffalo in 2002, she has become a longtime member of the Western New York arts community, exhibiting her work at venues including the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Castellani Art Museum, Hallwalls, University at Buffalo, and the AKG Art Gallery.
Ani's practice has evolved from painting into sculpture, textiles, and installation incorporating found and recycled materials. Her longstanding exploration of reuse and material transformation closely aligns with ReCreate Buffalo's mission.
A dedicated arts educator, Ani has taught children and adults through schools, museums, community arts organizations, and independent programs. Her experience includes teaching at Buffalo Arts Studio, the AKG Art Gallery, Buffalo Public Schools, Autism Services Inc., and Starlight Studios and Gallery. She currently works as a teaching artist at Starlight Studios and Gallery.
Ani has received numerous grants, awards, and fellowships, and her work is held in institutional and private collections throughout the region. As a member of ReCreate Buffalo's Board of Directors, Ani brings extensive artistic experience, deep connections within Buffalo's arts community, and a creative practice that embodies the organization's commitment to reuse, accessibility, and community engagement.
Ani Hoover
Board Member
