Open Up Announces Leadership Transition, Development of New Strategic Plan
After guiding organization through federal funding cuts and back to stability, co-founder/director Marissa Vogel to step down
Marissa Vogel, smiling, sits with Open Up staff at a table at Field Day.
PITTSBURGH (Oct. 15, 2025) – After a decade of leadership, Marissa Vogel, director of operations and fundraising for Open Up, will transition out of her role at the end of October. Her departure coincides with the organization’s 10th anniversary and the recent completion of a new strategic plan that will guide the Lawrenceville-based nonprofit into its next decade.
Vogel, along with Tessa Karel and Megan Sicheri, co-founded Open Up in 2015 as a platform for teaching mindfulness tools through movement and art to people living with disabilities. In just 2024 alone, the nonprofit served more than 400 adult learners, reached 400-plus school students and provided more than 400 no-cost community movement classes, supporting the mental and physical health of more than 2,300 attendees. In 2025, Vogel helped the organization navigate federal funding cuts, which slashed $200,000 that Open Up was earmarked to receive to expand its educational programming. Vogel, in collaboration with staff and board leadership, identified new avenues for support and adapted operations to chart a path forward into renewed sustainability heading into 2026..
“I’d been considering this transition for a while, but it was important for me to stay with Open Up to see it through these unexpected and unprecedented challenges to make sure it found stability before separating from the organization,” Vogel said. “I feel confident the organization is strategically set up for success and that its future is bright and in good care with Open Up’s staff and board leadership.”
A plan for new leadership is in development. In the interim, Karel and Sicheri are working to fill the shoes of their friend and colleague, with support from newer staff members Karryn Lintelman and Anna Marshall who are also helping to guide Open Up into its next chapter.
“Marissa’s vision and dedication have guided Open Up from offering classes to building community in Pittsburgh and empowering a talented team to carry forward the mission into its next decade,” board president Ryan Champagne said. “This transition is a testament to Marissa’s development talents, coupled with the ongoing leadership of Tessa Karel and Megan Sicheri, as we imagine new possibilities for our team and the ways we serve our community.”
