WHO WE ARE

Vision

To create magic at the intersection of community, dance, and music by celebrating dance's cultural and historical origins, to build a global understanding, promote empathy, and create cultural inclusivity within our diverse communities. So that together, we transform our minds, hearts, and community through the joy and power of dance!

mission

We Promote Social and Emotional Well-being and Inclusive Practices through Dance and Music!

Our Story

Large group of children and adults seated outdoors in a city plaza, facing forward, attending an event.

Since 2016, Conga Kids has integrated social and emotional wellness and inclusivity into social dance and music, reaching thousands of students (K-8) and families throughout Los Angeles and Orange County and creating a critical pathway to arts education and emotional well-being for historically underserved communities. In 2022-2023, we grew our in-school social-dance Residency Programs from 77 to over 140 elementary schools and piloted the “Discover the Diaspora” Assembly, a 60-minute interactive performance in over 50 school sites. Students learn Social Dances of the African Diaspora, such as Lamban, Merengue, Son Cubano, Salsa, Authentic Jazz, Cumbia, and Hip-Hop, and while celebrating the cultural and historical context of dance and music, we create healthy, transformative, and prosocial learning experiences that connect young people to self-confidence, collaboration, and community-building, all with the goal of empowering them.

Group of young girls participating in an outdoor dance or exercise event, wearing colorful t-shirts with name tags, in a urban setting.

Our “Conga Kids" are taught life lessons to aid their personal growth and development while building a foundation of leadership and confidence, boosting their overall academic achievement, social engagement and community, attendance, and college and workforce readiness. These invaluable life skills contribute to their immediate well-being and help them reach their full potential, attain their dreams, and create their vision of a promising future. 

Conga Kids anticipates dancing in person with over 70,000 kids in 2025-2026 with our premier Residency programs for 4th and 5th grade, “Discover the Diaspora” Assemblies, “Bridge the Generations workshop”, ”Expanded Learning Social Dance & Music” program, and Conga Beatz.

Group of five children and one adult celebrating after a competition, holding a large trophy, wearing medals, and giving thumbs-up gestures at an event promoting confidence, authenticity, inclusion, and celebration.

Our FOUNDER

Brad Gluckstein is a community-minded entrepreneur born and raised in Los Angeles, California. His love for music, culture, and community led him to establish Conga Kids in 2016, which promotes social and emotional well-being through dance and music. Conga Kids’ inclusive curriculum highlights the African Diaspora dances, including Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Authentic Jazz (Charleston), Hip-Hop, and Reggaetón. The program is focused on teaching diversity, equity, inclusivity, and social and emotional learning strategies. As of 2024, Conga Kids is active in 17 school districts and several community organizations, including Boys & Girls Club and YMCA, reaching approximately 60,000 children annually in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Mr. Gluckstein is also an Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission and the UCLA Luskin School Public Affairs. He is a proud father of two daughters, Leila and Sonya, and a son named Jonah. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Yanka Burgos.

LEADERSHIP

We are grateful to work with such outstanding team members who are the backbone of our organization, contributing to its success and growth in remarkable ways!

  • A middle-aged man with gray hair, wearing a white patterned shirt with rolled-up sleeves, standing with arms crossed against a light blue background.

    BRAD GLUCKSTEIN

    President and Founder

  • A man with dark hair smiling, wearing a light gray polo shirt, standing with arms crossed against a gradient background transitioning from light yellow to blue.

    GIL SOLIS

    Chief Operating Officer

  • BARBARA GARCIA VERA

    Executive Director

  • A woman with long dark hair wearing a white short-sleeved top standing against a pastel rainbow-colored background.

    Yezmin Cuevas

    Human Resources

  • A smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a light purple sweater and a gold belt, stands in front of a gradient background from beige to light blue.

    Teresa Uscanga

    Programs Manager

  • Michael McClain

    Operations Programs Manager

  • A man with a bald head and beard, smiling with arms crossed, wearing a dark green button-up shirt, standing against a gradient background from beige to blue.

    TYLER DREWITZ

    Programs Coordinator

  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a pink sleeveless ruffled blouse, smiling at the camera.

    Irani Da Silva

    Programs Coordinator

  • A young Black woman with long wavy hair, wearing a black headband, a black t-shirt, and a striped apron, smiling against a gradient background.

    LaTraniece Taylor

    Programs Coordinator

  • Media Specialist

    Description goes her

Board of directors

Brad Gluckstein, President

Apex Realty, Chief Executive Officer

Gil Solis, Treasurer

Conga Kids and Apex, Chief Operating Officer

Barbara Garcia Vera, Secretary 

Conga Kids, Executive Director

BOARD MEMBERS

Greg Bell

Apex, Vice President, Real Estate

Richard Bruno

Dick’s Bar Supply, President

Jon Dishell

Dishell Capital Partners LLC, CEO

Triston Ezidore

School Board Vice President of Culver City Schools

Liliana Perez

Los Angeles Chargers, Director of Cultural Affairs

Rev. Kelvin Sauls

Holman United Methodist Church, Senior Pastor

Roderick Seamster, MD

Watts Healthcare Corp., President and CEO

OUR SUPPORTERS

  • Seal of the County of Los Angeles, California, featuring symbols of agriculture, industry, history, and natural resources.
  • California Arts Council logo with a colorful circle emblem and text.
  • Logo with the text 'the Herb Alpert foundation' in stylized font.
  • Logo of DCA, the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, with green oval background and white letters.
  • Peralta Painters logo with stylized initials and text
  • Logo for Red Chair Productions with a red stylized chair graphic and the text 'Red Chair Productions' below.
  • Silhouette of a woman performing a yoga pose on a mat.
  • Logo with a bear paw print inside a circle and the text 'BEAR CONTRACTOR'S'.
  • Logo for the Herb Alpert Foundation with text in blue and purple.
  • Text graphic with the words 'Stanley & Joyce Black Family Foundation' arranged in a stacked format.
  • Logo for TAMAR DESIGNS featuring a stylized leaf over a white soundwave pattern with the business name in white text.
  • Pro Care Commercial Services Inc. logo featuring a yellow triangle and text.
  • Logo of BT Roof, Bigham Taylor Roofing Corp.
  • Red background with yellow text displaying 'WELLS FARGO' in bold uppercase letters.
  • Logo for Mechanics Bank featuring a gold geometric icon and the tagline 'Where Relationships Matter' in black text.

PRESS & MEDIA

Silhouette of a sparkler with sparks flying against a black background.
Logo for The Hollywood Reporter in red text on a black background.
The Yahoo! logo in purple text with an exclamation point
Bold black letters 'A P' on a white background with a red stripe at the bottom.
Cover of the Los Angeles Times calendar page featuring a colorful mural with a flying superhero figure, three men sitting on a red couch in a nightclub or lounge setting, and a woman sitting on the floor in a different room. Headlines about dance and evolution are visible.
A performer from Bad Bunny on stage at The Conga Room, wearing an orange hoodie with floral embroidery, sunglasses, and holding a microphone, with a background of stage lights and a dark curtain.
Logo of 8 News Now, a news station, with the number 8 and the CBS eye symbol
FOX 5 San Diego logo with red, white, blue, and black colors.
Billboard logo in black lettering on a white background.
NBC News logo with colorful peacock feathers in red, purple, blue, green, yellow, and orange.
The Kellogg logo with a red background and white cursive text, and a green bar underneath with white text reading "KeLand Media Group."
Los Angeles Times logo in black gothic font.
Black and white vintage Los Angeles Lakers logo with a basketball
Group of Latin Grammy winners posing with awards at the Conga Room, including men in suits and a woman in a purple dress, with a sign that says "The Conga Room" in the background.
Four individuals, Wanda De Jesus, Jimmy Smits, Brad Gluckstein, and Paul Rodriguez, at the grand opening of the Conga Room at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, circa 2008, standing in front of a backdrop with the Conga Room logo.
Comedian Paul Rodriguez performing on stage at the Concha Room during a farewell event, with a large red background behind him displaying the logo of the Concha Room night club.
FOX 11 Los Angeles logo on a dark blue background.
Gold gramophone icon with black text reading "GRAMMY AWARDS" in front of a white background.
La Opión logo in black text
The image shows the logo of DT News, with a large red square background, white letters 'DT', and the word 'NEWS' in black below.
Circular blue background with white lowercase letters 'abc' in the center.
Three men sitting on a red booth in the Congo Room, with a large mural of a luchador figure with wings above them.
FOX 21 logo with the slogan 'We Are Southern Colorado'.