Portraits of Oregon

It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from throughout Oregon.

Shana Levin

My path has been anything but traditional. Growing up, school was always a struggle. I was often put into the ‘slower’ classes, and was called “stupid” by classmates and even teachers. No one ever suggested there might be a reason. As it turns out, I have dyslexia and dyscalculia, but I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 35 and getting ready to go to grad school. Read more>>

Gayle Rich-Boxman

Born in a small town, outside of Buffalo, NY, during the baby boom era, offered great opportunities for becoming an intrinsic part of a tiny country community …as small towns do. It has served me well my entire life. With two incredibly diverse parents, I learned so much from them both and am well-rounded as a result! Read more>>

Paulina Cisneros Espinosa

My journey started when I moved from Mexico to Oregon, chasing better opportunities and a fresh start. Like many immigrants, I took whatever work I could find, and for years I worked in different Chinese restaurants. Read more>>

Benjamin Alexander Hamilton

My path has not been linear. I grew up here in the Eugene-Springfield area, which is still home for me and the company headquarters. All three of our current owners in fact are from the area. We were founded here and remain based here, even as the business has expanded into other states. I became independent early. Read more>>

Claudia Dowty

I got into massage therapy because of my own experience with chronic pain from fibromyalgia. I had tried everything, and massage was the only thing that consistently gave me relief. That’s what pushed me to want to help others who live with pain every day, because I understand firsthand how exhausting and limiting it can be. Getting there wasn’t easy. Read more>>

Heaven Clausen

I started my business with a simple idea—creating food that feels good, both for the body and the experience. What began as a passion for cooking and sharing meals with others slowly grew into something much bigger. I’ve always believed that food should not only taste amazing, but also bring people together and leave a lasting impression. Read more>>

Deann Garcia

Misogi started after my business partner and I travelled to watch an eclipse in San Antonio. We missed the eclipse because of bad weather, but we ended up spending a big chunk of our time at a contrast therapy studio, chatting and enjoying the dopamine hit of cold plunging. Both of us are bike racers, and have had long histories of injuries and joint problems. Read more>>

Nicole Nystrom

I’ve been in retail for over 20 years, but owning The Clothes Tree for the past 13 has been the most meaningful part of my journey. The store has been around for over 60 years, so I stepped into something that already had deep roots in the community. Read more>>

Kody Nelson

McCauleys Truck Center was started by the old owner John McCauley back in the early 90s, as of April of 2023 my wife and I purchased the business and have continued on the McCauleys legacy. We have grown the shop to 5 employees, moved to a new location located right off hwy 97 outside of bend. Read more>>

Scott Frazier-Maskiell

I was born and grew up in NY. I was a lost kid who found theatre. I had a gift for character and could dance, as well as sing. I made my way through regional theatre there up to performing on national tours and a little Broadway. While between shows I was offered a chance to teach, and fell right in love with it. Read more>>

laurie pottmeyer

Before founding māk, I spent 10 years organizing large spectator events around the US and then another twenty years leading global community and program development in the tech industry. After a layoff in 2025, I found myself at a crossroads and decided to build something that reflected my values: creativity, connection, and local community. Read more>>

Nicole Quispe

I didn’t start out with a clear roadmap… honestly, a lot of my journey has been shaped through real life experiences, challenges, and learning as I go. Early on, I found myself drawn to people… understanding them, supporting them, and creating spaces where they could feel seen and safe. That naturally led me into opportunities where I could serve, lead, and grow in those areas. Read more>>

Aaron Plotkin

I started my business as a leather worker in 2015 and sold at pirate festivals I went too. I incorporated 3d printing to make custom leather stamps during the pandemic prior to moving back to Astoria. I then I realized I could make lower cost items that kids could afford and my 3d printing expanded to dominate my business. Read more>>

Chad Fuhreck

I have always been interested in cooking food. By the time I was 15 I was working on the hot line in a small but highly rated by Milwaukee WI food critic restaurant. In my early 20s I worked at Canlis and worked my way up to just under chef de cuisine. I then studied under Joel Robuchon in Paris for 6 months. Read more>>

David Moore

Long story short beginning in Sisters. I fell in love with a restaurateur who owns her own building and restaurant. I found the best way to show off was to impress her with my repair and maintenance skills and fix a few things here and there, and over there, and up there and under there… you get it. Read more>>

Ahren Gehrman

My father was an oil painter, mostly seascapes and landscapes, and my mother did watercolors. For a time we owned a gallery on the Oregon Coast in Lincoln City. So, I learned the fundamentals of drawing and painting at an early age. However, the thing that actually peaked my interest as a young teenager was footbag (hacky sack). Read more>>

Chris Renteria

My journey into entrepreneurship has been anything but a straight line. I’ve experienced success, setbacks, hard lessons, and rebuilding seasons that shaped me into the business owner I am today. I come from a blue-collar background and have always believed in hard work, accountability, and taking care of people. Those values became the foundation of everything I’ve built. Read more>>

Kevin Kruse

Well, that’s a lot, I’m closing in on 40, I turn 38 in six weeks or so. In some regards I feel like a 40 y year old man, but most days I still feel like I’m young, fresh and dont know what im doing. Although I tweaked my back by mowing the lawn, today I feel seasoned. Read more>>

Natalie Lawson

I’ve learned that starting is often the hardest part, even if it’s just something as simple as coffee. Howdy! My name is Natalie Lawson. I am the owner of Lou Beans Coffee Cart! My coffee journey started pretty early. My family has been obsessed with coffee for as long as I can remember. It was mostly my dad who inspired my coffee addiction. Read more>>

Lyndsey Rosas-Ortiz

I started doing donuts as an extra way of making extra money to help my brother in law with his acute lymphatic leukemia treatments. Then I fell in love with it and taught myself how to decorate and express my art thru food. Read more>>

Josuph Foster

Growing up in Portland, Uneekint always had a passion for music, creativity, and building something bigger than himself. What started as a dream and a way to express real-life experiences slowly turned into a full movement built on hustle, consistency, and self-belief. Read more>>

Keith and Tara Stephen

In 2011, after we graduated from Oregon State University, we moved back home to Salem. A good friend had introduced Keith to disc golf in college — he even had the chance to take a class where Nate Sexton was the TA, though the timing never worked out. Read more>>

Steven Christofor

Whistleville Market was inspired by a neighborhood improvement effort in Whistleville, a neighborhood in South Norwalk, CT next to the train station. While working with the local business and property owners, Steven Christofor, a local realtor, met a coffee roaster – from there, the idea of Whistleville Market took shape. Read more>>

Erin Maher

Agricultural Connections was started in 2010 with the goal of making fresh, locally grown produce available to Central Oregonians on a regular basis. At the time, Bend didn’t have a regular farmers market, and many of the phenomenal farms we have in Central Oregon today did not yet exist, so Agricultural Connections would bring fresh produce from farms in the Willamette Valley every week. Read more>>

Jack Marquardt

I was born in the Philippines and placed into foster care when I was just six months old. I spent my early years there with a foster family until I was about three, when I was adopted and brought to the United States. My first experience here, in Utah, was difficult, I was placed in a home where I experienced abuse. Read more>>

Joe Repasky

Article from Salem History Matters: Saffron Supply Company is a fixture in the fixture business. Established in 1910, Saffron has supplied Salem for 112 years and counting! No matter if the job is commercial, residential, a quick fix, or a complete overhaul, we have Salem’s back with our team of experts. There’s nothing too small nor too big for Saffron to help with. Read more>>

Sheila Neumann

Have practiced massage as a solo practitioner for 22 years, beginning at Poppy Massage LLC. Moved that practice from Milwaukee, WI, to Portland, OR, to Bend, OR. Moved to San Clemente, CA, where I worked at Barefoot Bliss, and really honed my ashiatsu skills, then opened Ashiatsu By The Sea, in San Clemente, CA. Read more>>

Joseph Rivera

<p>Hearts for Hospice was founded to provide affordable solutions for people navigating difficult life transitions. Read more>>

Jenn Masse

I am a Certified Leadership Coach, Leadership Development &amp; Organizational Mindfulness Facilitator, and Certified Forest &amp; Nature Therapy Guide. I work with leaders and organizations to help them lead more effectively without burning themselves or their teams out. Like many ICF-certified leadership coaches, I got my start in the corporate world. Read more>>

Lisa Sanco

I grew up in southeast Wisconsin, and was always outside as a kid – riding bikes, playing in the woods, swimming, ice skating – you name it! I’ve always felt my freest and most creative self being outside. As I got older, one of my summer jobs was taking care of the flower beds alongside the horticulturist at Lake Geneva Country Club. Read more>>

Don Gomez

Sterncastle Publishing was born out of a desire to democratize the publishing landscape and create more opportunities for publication for authors who identify in demographics that have been historically underrepresented in mainstream publishing including, but not limited to, those who identify as Black, Latino, Indigenous, veterans, LGBTQ+, etc. Read more>>

Brian Bailey

I was born and raised in Southern Oregon, and I’ve always been somewhere between an art kid and a computer kid. I liked drawing, music, design, and figuring out how things worked. After high school, I studied graphic design in Arizona, focusing on design, typography, branding, digital media, and visual communication. I started working professionally in design in the early 2000s. Read more>>

Jerry Legard

We are a three generation family-run and owned feed store in McMinnville, Oregon. We operate out of a building that is recognized as a national historic place. It dates back to 1888. Three generations of the Legard family work for the business, Jerry Legard as owner, Jay Legard as general manager, and Ally Legard as Director of Marketing. Read more>>

Jeremy Greenberg

I started 97 Switch in Chicago in 2013 with a simple belief: businesses deserve thoughtful digital experiences that not only look great, but actually help them grow. What began as a branding, web design, and digital marketing agency evolved through strong partner relationships, referrals, and a focus on delivering strategic, high-quality work. Read more>>

Julianne Ruth

I started my career as a massage therapist in 2007, drawn to the work because of its intersection between anatomy, intuition, and genuine human impact. Read more>>

Alison Gardner

My path into this work wasn’t linear, which I think is part of what makes Perspektiiv what it is. Before founding the studio, I spent years as an in-house designer in-house and at agencies, and while I loved the craft, I struggled with the ego that so often came with the industry. I wanted to build something different. Read more>>

Jacob Camara

I have been a licensed massage therapist for more than 10 years and am the owner and founder of Eugene Massage and Bodywork in beautiful Eugene, Oregon, established in 2016. In November 2025, I expanded my practice and launched Nashville Massage and Bodywork. Read more>>

Jill Hendershot Roth

Horses have been in my heart since I was tiny. Posters of flowing manes and thundering hooves covered my bedroom walls. My grade school projects were full of all things ‘horse’. And, you can’t imagine my devastation when my parents had to explain that our backyard was not zoned for ponies. Read more>>

Amy Thomas

Our story starts the way the best love stories do, in high school, in the Treasure Valley part of Idaho, where two kids from different corners of the same valley found each other and never looked back. Five days after I graduated, we got married. Read more>>

Holly Bichel

Founder, JRS Billing Solutions Recognized as a Top Medical Billing Company in Bend, OR (2025) Holly Bichel is the founder of JRS Billing Solutions, a precision-driven medical billing firm built on accuracy, transparency, and reliable revenue systems for healthcare practices. Read more>>

Gerry Roe

Nurse’s Dedication Powers Hearts for Hospice’s Mission I am Gerry Roe, a long-time resident of Springfield, Oregon. Having lived here both earlier in my life and now in retirement, I am proud to call this community home. After a decades-long career in nursing, I have devoted much of my retirement to making a difference for those who need affordable medical equipment and supplies. Read more>>

Mariha Falconer

I received amazing feedback and support from the community that I soon outgrew my workspace and most recently moved to Main Street in Pendleton Oregon to a very cute little Bick and mortar that I hope to be my forever home my business has increased since I have moved to that location and I’ve been so well received in this endeavor that I never dreamed I would be capable of being a part of and it’s all thanks to the community. Read more>>

Dani Juhala

I moved to Oregon from Vienna, Austria in 1996 . I have worked in the fashion industry for a long time and was tired of fast fashion and mass produced accessories. I wanted to find items that not only tell a story and are curated but also have a give-back as well. Read more>>

Kristal Nehf

In 2024, as my role began to transition, I found myself at a crossroads. I felt a strong push to do what I had intuitively been doing for the last 20 years, but on a broader scale, supporting multiple people at an executive level. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset and I’m not afraid to try something and see if it works. Read more>>