Andrea Virgin is a visionary leader whose life and work exist at the crossroads of creativity and resilience. A former professional ballerina turned civil engineer, entrepreneur, and nonprofit founder, Andrea’s journey is a testament to the power of reinvention and to how creativity, when embraced across every field of life, can be profoundly transformative.
Her career began under the lights of the stage, performing with dance companies including Houston Ballet II and Ballet Florida. Even at the height of her dance career, Andrea’s innate curiosity led her to a seemingly different discipline: civil engineering. Earning degrees from Florida Atlantic University and Cornell University, she transitioned from performing on stage to shaping the built environment, blending engineering precision with artistic imagination to deliver transformative projects across South Florida.
After years with leading engineering firms, Andrea launched her own company, Virgin Design, where she infused human-centered creativity into land development. It was during this time she recognized a profound truth: while curiosity fuels discovery in childhood, it often fades in adulthood, dimming imagination and innovation along with it. Once an anomaly for bridging the arts and engineering, she became determined to make creativity the rule in a future that demands more imagination, not less.
That determination led to her boldest endeavor yet: founding and serving as Chair & CEO of The Center, a next-century, world-class hub dedicated to preventing the loss of creativity in youth and unlocking creative potential across ages and disciplines. Under her leadership, The Center has raised nearly $25 million in early support, engaged world-renowned partners including Pritzker Prize-winning Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and positioned itself to redefine cultural infrastructure and creative empowerment for the 21st century and beyond.
Andrea’s life has been shaped by both extraordinary achievement and unimaginable loss. Following the tragic passing of her husband in a 2015 plane crash at just 31 years old, she transformed her grief into purpose, dedicating herself to building a legacy of creativity, education, and community impact. That resilience now defines every role she plays: visionary leader, changemaker, and proud mother of two daughters.
Her leadership extends beyond The Center. Andrea has served as President of the Cornell University Alumni Association (Boca Raton & Fort Lauderdale Chapter), Director of Boca Ballet Theatre, Trustee of the George Snow Scholarship Fund, champion fundraiser for Boca’s Ballroom Battle, and has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build initiative.
Her work and advocacy have been recognized by Palm Beach Illustrated’s Women On Top, The Palm Beach 100, Boca Magazine’s Fantastic Four, Women of Style, and Top Leaders of Boca Raton.
She’s also been featured as a public and keynote speaker—both live and on podcasts—on topics including curiosity, creativity, resilience, and the evolving role of creativity alongside technology. Her featured appearances include Palm Beach State College’s Kimmel Leadership Academy, Neiman Marcus’s Leading Between the Lines Women’s Forum, CreativeMornings, Launching Simplified, The Paige Kornblue Show, BitBasel in Miami, and Quantum Beach 2025 in West Palm Beach.
Today, Andrea Virgin stands at the helm of a movement to reignite curiosity, expand creative potential, and cultivate a world where creativity is embraced by everyone, everywhere, for life. When she’s not leading transformative initiatives, she finds creative renewal with her daughters and husband—or on the ballroom dance floor at Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Boca Raton.
