Sam Gomez is a Cultural Developer, Founder and Owner of the Sagrado, Director of Design Empowerment, multimedia artist, and an advocate for design and arts. Sam serves many roles in the community which he was born, lives, and works. From his origins of advocating for arts reflective of histories and culture of his community, Sam founded The Sagrado Galleria, the first and only art gallery and community arts space in South Phoenix. He also developed “Design Empowerment” a program to educate local children on design to foster long-term interest and understand the impact design has on their physical and cultural environments. Sam also provides design and community engagement consultation for City projects. He served on the Phoenix Arts and Culture Bonds Committee in 2022, helping to allocate millions of dollars to secure arts and culture city-wide. As a cultural developer, Sam serves as conduit for under-resourced and under-represented populations, ensuring the voice and nuanced interpretation of community perspectives, values, and traditions are understood and connected to their histories, challenges, aspirations, and environmental stewardship. His eloquent way of communicating stories and persistence in his mission changes minds and imbues art in his community as a priority in conveyance of culture.