Every day we have a choice. We can support an up and coming podcaster, try a new family-run restaurant, join a boutique gym started by a local fitness champ or we could keep giving away our money to the handful of giants who already control so much of our commerce. Our daily decisions impact the kind world we live in; if we want a world where small businesses are growing and artists and creatives are thriving then we should support them with our time, money and attention. We’re proud to highlight inspiring creatives and entrepreneurs each week in Hidden Gems series. Check out some of our latest local gem features below.
David Davis
My earliest memory of making art is sitting at an easel that had belonged to my grandmother in Los Angeles. In the 1960s, her work brought her into Hollywood celebrity circles, where she received commissions as an artist. Years later, she sat me down at that easel and showed me how to paint a watercolor still life, a simple bowl of fruit. Read more>>
Jake Schlueter
My story has really always revolved around music. I started playing music when I was young, and over time I became increasingly interested in not just performing, but understanding how music was made. That eventually led me into music production, recording, and teaching. Read more>>
Emma Dye
I started Crisp because it was the kind of restaurant I wanted to eat at—and at the time, there was nothing quite like it in Portland. I wanted a place centered around fresh, real ingredients, big customizable salads and wraps, and food that could be both healthy and genuinely satisfying. It’s still the way I like to eat today. Read more>>
Auden Foxe
I was led to acupuncture through my passion of anatomy, physiology, sport, and qigong. I enrolled in a Qi Gong elective course in my undergraduate program, which led me to pivot from striving to be a physical therapist to Chinese medicine. I earned my doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine from NUNM in Portland and then a certificate of Sports Acupuncture Medicine. Read more>>
Andi Hook
River Vann Interiors really grew out of a combination of skills that had already been developing for years. Lawrence has spent roughly three decades working in construction, cabinetry, and woodworking, while Andi’s background in interior design brought a different side of the process into the mix: understanding how a space needs to function, how it should feel, and how all of the pieces work together. Read more>>
careen stoll
Hi- At the risk of being overly terse, I’ll first refer you to the ‘contacts & origin’ page on my website LusciousPorcelain.com, because that’s where I say in words but also some quick video what you wish to read here.. I grew up making pots, have continued in porcelain exclusively, and eventually focused on taking commissions from chefs. Read more>>
Stephanie Borjas
Hi! My name is Stephanie Marie Borjas and I am an aesthetic nurse practitioner and owner of Chrysalis Aesthetics, an aesthetic injectable clinic in SE Portland. I am a queer, neurodivergent Latinx eldest daughter of immigrants from Nicaragua and am really proud of my identity. Read more>>
Dr. Staci Whitman
I grew up in Holden, Maine, which is a small town in a state where dental care was something you got only when a tooth already hurt. That is most of America, by the way. It is not just a Maine problem. Read more>>
Jacob Gantzer
I started doing handyman projects, now I own a small plumbing entity. very small still. the area is growing though. Read more>>
Ruby Gore
I’ve been tattooing for about 10 years now. I actually almost didn’t start tattooing because I hated the idea of hurting people, it genuinely bothered me that much. But that concern ended up shaping my entire approach. Before tattooing I spent about a decade in marketing and graphic design, but I always knew I wanted to do something where I was drawing. Read more>>
Matt Bowman
I have always loved the ourtdoors- hiking, biking, paddling, and the more time I spent outdoors the richer and deeper the connections in the natural world got. I worked at organic farms and landscaping companies through my youth and worked my way up in the green industry. Read more>>
Jessica Corder
I was born and raised in Anchorage Alaska. In high school, I thought I wanted to be a marine biologist so I moved-in with my cousins in Satellite lite Beach, Florida after graduation. After a while I realized, Florida was not the route for me so I moved back to Anchorage. Read more>>
Chris Langford
My story and the story of BL Performance are deeply connected. Before BL Performance existed, I had already experienced some major hardships. In 2008, I survived a carbon monoxide poisoning accident that resulted in the loss of my right leg and the death of someone close to me. Rebuilding my life after that took years. In 2010, I met Brittney Tellone. Read more>>
Matthew Brown
My name is Matthew Brown, I am the owner and primary tattooist at ZapTrip Mobile Tattoos! When I first started tattooing about five years ago, I had this dream of turning my career into travel opportunities. At the time this idea meant traveling to conventions, and getting guest spots in other cities and learning from artists all over the USA, and even the globe. Read more>>
bendhypnobirthing@gmail.com Davis
After spending a decade practicing as a Certified Nurse-Midwife in California, I (Bre) returned to her home state of Oregon with a deep desire to bring a more holistic, accessible approach to childbirth education for families right here in Bend. Read more>>
Desiree Engel
My journey to becoming a dog trainer actually started with a Golden Retriever puppy, young kids, and an in-home childcare business. At the time, I had young children and was providing childcare out of my home, so having a well-behaved dog wasn’t just something I wanted—it was something I needed. I enrolled my Golden Retriever puppy in a training class, and that was it. Read more>>
Dana Kammeraad
I began my cake decorating journey 38 years ago. A very dear friend of mine wanted to teach me how to decorate cakes. I told her I didn’t have a creative bone in my body. Read more>>
Felix Epperson
I’m a 5th generation Coos County Oregonian who ended up in ended up in Phoenix AZ in the mid 80’s. One of my friends there married into a tattoo family and that was my way of getting my foot in the door. I apprenticed with Larry Edwards in Austin Texas from 94 to 96 and tattooed there at Atomic Tattoo until 99. Read more>>
Beth Steinhauer
I’ve always had a liking for jewelry that is a little edgy or different. But most earrings were too heavy for me to wear. My friends were learning how to make their own jewelry and it sparked an interest for me too. Read more>>
Nicky Martinez
Initially, Tropicale was the dream of its original owner, Alfredo Reyes Climaco. He opened the brick & mortar in June of 2020. During August of 2020, I was looking for work after some time off due to COVID. I remember seeing this beautifully bright bar truck parked on the current business’ patio just down the street from my apartment. Read more>>
Dr John Briggs
I was delivered by one of the most notable Naturopathic Physicians in our history. Dr Bastyr in Seattle delivered me in 1951. He was my physician through childhood and treated me for Grand Mal seizures with some Carbamide powder from Standard Process which totally cured me. Read more>>
Nicholas Maier
I was a good student in high school in the suburbs but pretty directionless and jaded–I thought everyone was either a hypocrite, boring or just an idiot. I didn’t quite fit in but had good friends and we’d play music and go to punk shows on the weekends. Without anyone giving me any good advice, my default was to go to college and study art. Read more>>
Astra Davalos
Fool House started in 2021, when a group of immigrants from Eastern Europe simply wanted to make theater and didn’t want to wait for the perfect conditions to do it. Our first production, The Dogs, was performed in a dog park in Beaverton. Later, we staged work in an abandoned gas station in Multnomah Village. Read more>>
Skye Sagisi
Growing up, I watched my dad create his own business from the ground up. I always aspired to follow in his footsteps and because of that I took to learning many different hobbies that I love. K-Pop and Pokemon were two core parts of my childhood and I still love them to this day, which is a major reason I now create accessories for both. Read more>>
Chris Huffine
My story began long before La Di Da Lessons had a name. I have been teaching music for about 25 years, and what started as a way to share my love of music gradually developed into something much larger. Read more>>
Melissa Martin
I’ve been in the beauty industry for 14 years, and while I’ve always loved the creativity behind doing hair, what has kept me passionate about my career is so much deeper than that. For me, it has always been about the women in my chair. Over the years, I’ve realized that sometimes a hair appointment becomes so much more than a hair appointment. Read more>>
Tricia Wood
The Story of Ashwood Dog Training My story with dogs began when I was 12 years old, working at a local animal shelter in Montana. That experience sparked a lifelong interest in dogs and their behavior. I learned early that every dog has a story, and sometimes the dogs that need us the most are the ones who have been through the most. Read more>>
Anna Giles
I started Girl.Copy back in 2015. I had just had my first surprise baby and was bored with motherhood, so I decided to start a business! I had been working as a recruiter for a third-party executive search firm and kept getting feedback that I was great at writing in general and also at writing resumes (specifically). Read more>>
sharon page
I had just come back from the Indian Himalayas and begun my journey into yoga here in Bend, Oregon. After six months, I knew I wanted to teach. It started simply — I wanted yoga clothing for my Yoga Teacher Training retreat and couldn’t find everything I needed in one place. Read more>>
Andy Robbins
Looking back, my career has always been about people and helping them be at their best. The way I’ve done that has evolved over the years, but that purpose has been consistent. I began my career with Intel in 1990 as a finance analyst in Swindon, England. Read more>>
Robert Kropacek
Started back in 2016, I had just moved back to Bend after a 6 year residence in Reno, NV. I started to build the business by visiting real estate offices around central Oregon and pitching my services to them. I quickly gained a following of loyal customers, some of which, are still with me to this day. Read more>>
Jasmine Francone
After losing my sister, everything shifted. I found myself pausing and asking a really simple, honest question: What would actually make me happy right now? Turns out, the answer wasn’t complicated. It came down to the little things—being able to pick the vibrant color of the wax, choosing the music playing in the background, and creating a space that just felt good to be in. Read more>>
Sierra Gilkey
Tristan and I are both native to Southern Oregon and had dreamed of running a bookstore since we were in high school. Village Books has been in the community for several decades and was always our favorite place to browse and discover. The plan had been to work hard, save up, and eventually retire into a little shop of our own. Read more>>
Sarah Walton
I grew up in Bend, Oregon, raised by a single mom with two older brothers, which probably explains at least some of my independence, competitiveness, and belief that you figure things out and keep moving. Read more>>
Matthew Robinson
My journey as an artist and writer began almost a decade ago and has gradually grown and evolved since. Up to that point I had dabbled in writing, but I had never found a consistent practice or a creative core. Read more>>
RENATO SOLPIETRO
My family is very into food, as you can imagine in Southern Italy (Naples). We grew up stealing morsels out of the kitchen because we just couldn’t wait until lunch, it smelled too good. My mother is a Michelin-starred chef; she just never left her kitchen. Read more>>
Jayson Tuma
We got in to window treatments because of my cousin who encouraged us to start up a business. Read more>>
Jacalyn Kreitzer
I spent my professional life as a **dramatic mezzo-soprano**, specializing particularly in the great Germanic repertoire—Wagner, Brahms, Bach, Schubert, Schoenberg, Mahler, and others—as well as major works by Verdi, Mozart, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and many of the great composers of the operatic and symphonic repertoire. Read more>>
Stefanie Grooms
I started my cheer journey as an eighth grader and continued cheering through high school and All Star cheer. From there, my love for the sport grew into coaching and working with athletes at multiple levels, including college cheer. I spent several summers working with Legacy Spirit, traveling to high schools and running cheer camps. Read more>>
Sierra Koehler
Im from a small eastern Oregon town, baker city OR. I always loved photography growing up and took several classes in high school. My dream was to be a photo journalist and travel the world capturing different cultures and experiences. Life definitely had different plans for me though and I became a single mom at 19. Read more>>
Danika Hewitt
Rooted was founded in 2021 – right in the depths of covid, but I knew it was the right time. People were reflecting on their health and the food they were putting into their bodies more than ever before and that was the #1 mission when creating Rooted. Read more>>
Jennifer Rowe
Spirit Sound Reiki was created from a place of heart and soul. I had a really rough upbringing and found myself through the healing sessions of Sound bath with crystal bowls, gongs, chimes and various other musical modalities. They raised my vibrational frequency to allow a lot of inner reflection and healing to occur. Read more>>
Ellie Lafferty
Ahh, this is always so hard to answer for some reason. Basically, I went out to sea on a scientific research vessel, made a few short films, and then got hired onto a video marketing team at Oregon State University. Read more>>
Steven Miller
Came home from the service in 1969 started Selling scrap metal off the street pieces I would find around construction sites or discarded by homeowners. Met an old friend and started working at a company called a ball Trading company with my friend. Read more>>
Bob Ulbrich
When I was a student in veterinary school, I thought alternative medicine was a bunch of voodoo, and that modern Western Medicine had all the answers. After practicing a few years, it became obvious that Western Medicine, while great at treating things like acute injuries, fell short in addressing chronic disease and cancer. Read more>>
Meaghan Summerbell
My journey working with dogs started as a young child. My parents bred Akitas back in the early 90s, so from a young age I spent most of my time around large, intense dogs and their puppies. Read more>>
Casey Collett
In 2003 we bought a little coffee business that occupied the corner of a building in downtown Corvallis, Oregon. Open to the public only two half-days a week, the little business sold coffee to gift stores and was operated by Dennis Collett, our roaster. Read more>>
Laura Luczkiw
I am Laura, I have been a dietitian for over 13 years. I specialize in functional nutrition for women’s health, ongoing gut struggles like IBS, metabolism restoration, intuitive eating, and eating disorder recovery. Read more>>
Max Fineman
When I started Turning Tides Tradesman in 2022, I took the work I could get. Foreclosure cleanouts, minor repairs, small projects, whatever gave me an opportunity to work, build relationships and keep moving forward. I didn’t start out with a big crew, expensive projects or a long list of clients. Read more>>
Taryn Kline
Like many entrepreneurs, my journey began unexpectedly. If you had told me in college that I would one day own and lead a successful consulting business, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. My freshman year at college, I received my first ever C in Business 101, and in my entrepreneurship course, the professor openly suggested that entrepreneurship wasn’t really a path for women. Read more>>
Chris Sjolin
It started, as many things do, with a circle of friends and a dream of a place to gather. We were builders, writers, bakers, engineers, crafters of all different kinds, drawn together and made better – and more creative – by the gathering of minds and a tasty beer. Cooper Mountain Ale Works is built on this spirit of friendship, collaboration, and learning. Read more>>
Cookin Class Claire Espinoza, Tashi Espinoza, Cortney Legrady
We all met working at Southland Whiskey Kitchen. Tashi was the Sous Chef, Claire was the AGM and Cortney was the Bar Manager. To say that we became close would be an understatement. Southland was a chaotic environment and we saw each other at our best and worst. We all reached a point where we knew it was time to move on. Read more>>
Matthew Mitchell
What started as a promise eventually became Professor’s Tumbling Academy years later. For years, I dedicated myself to becoming a stronger, more knowledgeable coach. Along the way, I saw athletes being taught skills without the proper technical understanding, safe progressions, or purposeful drills needed to build those skills correctly. Read more>>
Heidi Maricle
Agriculture has been an integral part of who I am for my whole life, however it wasn’t until 2019 that I realized that I wanted to have it be my career. My heritage comes from farming and agriculture for several generations on my dad’s side. He passed his love for farming and animals to several of his kids–myself included. Read more>>
Sage Marcella
My journey with flowers started more than 20 years ago, somewhat organically and before I really knew it would become my career. I grew up on Martha’s Vineyard, and while I was home from college during the summers, I started flower farming. Read more>>
Callie Simmons
I started my journey in the beauty industry doing bridal makeup and lash extensions in Boise, Idaho, and quickly fell in love with helping people feel beautiful and confident. My path into skincare became much more personal when I began struggling with my own skin. Read more>>
Peter Hulce
My Design Story My design story begins in childhood. As a kid, I loved colored pencils, stencils, and geometric design coloring books. One of my favorite memories is making custom-designed bookmarks for my Dad. In my pre-teen years, I got into buying Christian music CDs, and I loved looking through the album artwork and lyric notes that were included. Read more>>
Jerod Michael
My journey to speech-language pathology began when I was replaced at the small cabinet shop where I had been for a year and a half. I needed something to provide for my growing family, and did not want to be long in the job I found stocking shelves for a beverage company. An older friend said, ‘You should do what I do. Read more>>
Pallavi Pande
I grew up in India, where meals were often served on banana leaves. Years later, while raising my daughters in Oregon and hosting a lot of parties, I noticed how much plastic and disposable waste surrounded everyday meals and celebrations. Read more>>
Elisha Ogdahl
My story really begins with my parents. I grew up watching two entrepreneurs work incredibly hard to give my brother and me opportunities they never had. Read more>>
Georgiana Thomas
I started my business in 1985 while I was attending the University of Hartford where I earned my BFA. A former classmate noticed me doodling and sketching people during classes instead of taking notes. She insisted I start doing caricatures, and set me up with a job interview for a trade show, I landed the job! Read more>>
Zoe Kimball
I’ve spent more than 15 years working in the animal care industry, from dog daycares and animal shelters to veterinary offices and eventually management. Animals have really been the common thread throughout my entire career, but owning a pet supply store wasn’t always the plan. Over the years, especially as I moved further into management, I started thinking more about what I wanted long term. Read more>>
Tim Oakley
• Hawaii born (1957) & raised. • Graduated from NYU (1977) & SRJC (1983) Applied Graphics & Film Background • Worked in Santa Rosa, CA from 1982 -1986 (senior art director), Marin County 1986-1989 (senior designer). • Worked back home in Hawaii from 1989-1992 (senior art director) • Opened Oakley Design in 1992, Portland Oregon – still operational to this day. Read more>>
Rosie Rocke
I dealt with acne for a lot of my life, which originally drew me to beauty school to help others with their skin. But the real turning point happened when I moved and had the hardest time finding a great, reliable waxer. Read more>>
Kirista Trask
Cambium started as a response to a global pandemic. Two artists, Abstract Painter Kirista Trask and Ceramicist Audrey Long met in a beautiful creative arts building located just one block off the main drag in Astorias historic downtown during Kirista’s AVA artist residency. Read more>>
Pami Monnette
I moved to Oregon in 2003 from a small ranching community in Northern California. Growing up I was always connected to nature through my parents gardens and backpacking in the beautiful Marble Mountain wilderness. I have a Bachelor of Science in Geography and a Masters in Public Policy. Read more>>
Mandee Louie
I fell in love with Pilates not knowing how it would shift into helping those with chronic pain and conditions and/or injuries. I started taking classes when I was fresh out of college and working full time for a fortune 500 company with a fitness center that had Pilates reformers. Read more>>
Darci Hansford
I opened Wildlings Play Place because I saw a need in our community and the surrounding areas for a place where caregivers could bring their children to play, learn social skills, and burn off energy while parents had a chance to relax, catch up on work, or connect with other adults. Read more>>
Victoria Benedetti
I’m a Portland, Oregon native and have been an artist all of my life. I’ve found self-expression and fulfillment, insight into myself and others through art, and more importantly, a way to be of service in the world. Art has always been a sanctuary for me, a place to find happiness, refuge and unity. Read more>>
Jennifer Beech
Interior spaces speak to me. I have always been drawn to the way a space can make you feel-the sense of comfort it can give, and the memories that are created there. There is a natural way in which we choose to surround ourselves with the things that spark emotion, that make us feel at home. Read more>>
AJ Bailey
For me, the mission became especially personal after losing my own dog, Nikki, in 2007. I waited five weeks for her ashes to come home, and I remember how difficult that wait was during an already emotional time. Read more>>
Andrew Rakestraw
At the start of the pandemic, I was laid off from my job as a Director of a non profit in downtown Portland. I wanted to find my purpose in this new chapter and do something that I loved. I had played chess throughout my childhood, and had great success competing/winning tournaments. Read more>>
Evan Bolling
Started in a chowder shack in Ketchikan, Alaska. Not exactly Le Cordon Bleu, but it taught me the only lesson that matters: don’t fall apart when it gets busy. From there I built The Bubbly Mermaid, a seafood bar, with a mentor who knew things, then landed at Fire Island, a bakery that was the real deal, a James Beard finalist. Read more>>
Laura Iverson
Art has been flowing through my life as far back as I remember. In 2002, I embarked on painting as a full time path. Making a living as an independent artist has required moving with changing circumstances on a regular basis. Read more>>
Jenna McDonald
I started working with dogs with behavioral problems in college, when I was approached by a man who had a 125-lbs human aggressive king shepherd. He needed a babysitter for it while he and his family were in Italy for 6 weeks. I ended up re-training the dog, and learned that most dog trainers wouldn’t touch a human aggressive dog because of the liability. Read more>>
Jams Markovics
This is my second career, and not likely my last, to be honest. My mother is a clinical psychologist and my father is a physicist – both with Ph.D.s in their respective fields. I grew up knowing that path, but not really knowing how I could be an artist or musician, which everyone thought I would be. Read more>>
Chelsea DeVos
Thank you for the opportunity to tell my story. I think it has been an unconventional and industrious journey, and I am happy to share it. I started school at Rogue Community College at age 16 after getting my GED and received my Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design. Read more>>
Aaron Reed
We are two brothers who grew up in Missouri. After two years of college at Mizzou, I moved to the west coast to pursue music in 2002. After two years in Los Angeles I headed north to Oregon and have been here ever since. Phil made the move from St. Louis to southern Oregon in 2013. Read more>>
Ann Niederehe
One Fair World began as a dream by a group of resourceful people excited by the idea of bringing a non-profit fair trade shop to Salem. The group was inspired by the mission to transform lives in developing countries by providing a marketplace for the work of artisans who get paid fairly and work in decent conditions. Read more>>
Renee Frye
Sacred Sol began with my own addiction, trauma, and a life that had become painful enough that something had to change. I did not find this work because I was looking for a career. I found it because I was trying to save my own life. Recovery was only the beginning. Once I stopped running from the pain, I wanted to understand it. Read more>>
Dino Venti
I opened Venti’s Cafe with my brother Mike in 1996 in a small 750 sqft shop in the Historic Reed Opera House, a downtown retail epicenter In one of Salem’s oldest buildings. After about five years, I bought my brother out and spent a total of 12 years at the Reed learning the restaurant business and honing in my product profile. Read more>>
Nat Borchers
I played professional soccer for 14 years, starting in Colorado and finishing my career with the Portland Timbers, with stops at four teams across two countries along the way. I won two championships and was named to the MLS Best XI. Back in 2005, I bought my first house, and that’s really where the real estate bug started. Read more>>
Lennox Rees
What got me doing what I’m doing today is my pit bull, Sasha. She passed away in 2020, a couple of days after her 7th birthday. It was the hardest hurt. The last few months of her life were sad, stressful, and trying. After she passed, I needed a creative outlet for my grief. Read more>>
Carolyne AKA NOVI Liberty
Hi, I’m Novi! Singer, songwriter, artist, and creative. I grew up in Ashland, Oregon. From a young age, I discovered my love for performing—on stage, singing, acting, and finding any excuse I could to make people smile. I always knew that somehow, I wanted to build a life around it! Read more>>
Maher Makboul
Came to America in 1985 when I was nine years old . My family has been in the restaurant business since the 1970s starting out in New York and then we moved out to Oregon. We have been our current location since 1987 over by the Psu campus on 6th And College. Read more>>
Briar Kemper
My mom utilized herbal medicine and naturopathic medicine when I was a child so I was exposed to herbs at a young age. I spent my childhood growing up overseas and in India I was exposed to essential oils and ayurvedic medicine. Read more>>
Rachel Wolfpane
I was never an athlete. My entire sports résumé growing up consisted of one summer of tennis camp. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I discovered my love of strength training. Eleven years ago, I decided to go back to school to see if I could make training a career. Read more>>
Nicole Schaller
I’ve spent my career in fitness, most recently as a manager at Orangetheory Fitness in Medford for about seven and a half years, where I saw firsthand what drives real results and real community in a studio. When that door closed, another opened. Read more>>
TJ Thorne
I grew up in rural Southwestern Pennsylvania with a forest in my backyard and room to play and roam. I spent my childhood exploring the forest, climbing trees, playing in creeks, and swinging on vines. That set the stage for my connection to nature. Read more>>
Jax Alexander
For me, art has always been a part of my life. My father paints and makes collages. He also has made murals and cover art. Growing up art was always encouraged. But, I felt like i would never survive doing art, and it had to be just a hobby. But around 16 I realized, I could make it my livelihood. Read more>>
Claire Christy-Tirado
I have loved making art for as long as I can remember, and was lucky to have grown up in a family that was often doing creative projects, and always had space and supplies for arts and crafts at the ready. Read more>>
Audree Davis
My journey into entrepreneurship really started after becoming a mom. I got married young, left college without finishing my degree, and as our family began to grow, my priorities shifted. Read more>>
Dallas Rincon
I worked in drive-thru coffee straight out of high school and fell in love with not only the craft but also the customer interaction. The idea that you were apart of someone’s routine and that they came to get a coffee rain or shine, good or bad day, was pretty cool and I realized it was an easy place to be impactful. Read more>>
Maxine Wolfe
Wolfeheart Captures was inspired by my own wedding in June 2025. I wanted candid videos that captured the little moments, voices, and emotions of the day without asking my loved ones to be behind their phones. Read more>>
Jazz Gonsalves
I’ve been in the hair industry for well over a decade, starting my career in Santa Cruz, California, where I studied in a multi-year apprenticeship under a salon owner who had been in the industry longer than I’ve been alive. Read more>>
Kat McLain
I have always been fascinated with reptiles and amphibians. It started when I was a kid. We had a lot of native species living on our farm. The first encounter I remember was finding an injured Rubber boa. My parents put it in a terrarium while we looked to find a place to take it to. Read more>>
Lindsay Rose
In 2020, like a lot of people, our life changed almost overnight. My partner and I were both working in the medical field, we had a five-year-old at home, and COVID completely changed what “normal” looked like for our family. Read more>>
Pam Pearce
My story is one of redemption. I grew up in Lake Oswego, OR, in a family that, by all society’s standards, looked successful from the outside but was deeply affected by alcohol. Read more>>
