Dr. Lindsay Gary (PhD, MFA, MA, MPA) is the Founder and Artistic and Executive Director of Dance Afrikana, an Afrocentric dance company based in Houston, Texas. Since its inception in 2016, Dance Afrikana’s mission has been to create a world where people of the African Diaspora are empowered and connected through the African dance tradition, and where dancers have the safe space and platform to grow artistically and culturally. It is home to Houston Black Dance Festival and Dance Afrikana, Dance Podcast. Named a Houston Cultural Treasurer by Houston in Color (formerly Houston BIPOC Arts Network and Fund), Dance Afrikana is the recipient of numerous awards from the Houston Arts Alliance and Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs including the City’s Initiative, Support for Organizations, and Festival Grants. The company was also awarded Fresh Arts' Space Taking Artist Residency in 2023.