Joan Ilacqua (she/hers) became The History Project's inaugural Executive Director in January 2020. She previously served as Co-Chair of The History Project’s board of directors and as Harvard Medical School’s Archivist for Diversity and Inclusion.

Joan serves on the steering committee of the Community Archives Collaborative and Boston Commemoration Commission. She is a former member of the New England Archivists’ Inclusion and Diversity Committee and the Massachusetts State Historic Records Advisory Board.

Joan is a graduate of UMass Boston’s Public History master’s program, and earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Puget Sound. In her free time, Joan likes to read queer romance novels and spend time with her wife and two cats. You can learn more about Joan's work at ilacquajoan.com.

Matisse DuPont (they/any pronouns) earned an MA in Gender and Cultural Studies from Simmons University, where they focused on queer and trans history, media representation, and identity formations. After years of being an educator and consultant for LGBTQIA+ issues, they are now a florist who is helping with the behind-the-scenes work at The History Project. Matisse also founded The Queer Theatre Project, an all-volunteer recreational community theatre company by and for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Boston area. Beyond all this, they are a painter, dog mom, and love to take road trips with their partner.