I was truly honored to be part of the RAW family for several years. It was truly a labor of love and it taught me a lot. RAW grew fast, and it grew big and towards the end of my time with RAW I felt like the culture has shifted. It’s hard to stay small and grow big and every organization has growing pains. It’s highly unlikely the team that you establish a brand with will be the same team that takes your brand Global or to a new level. That said I am excited to see the organization grow and humbled I got to showcase hundreds and even thousands of artists together with RAW Artists. I love showcasing and spotlighting talent, I did it long before I joined RAW and I’ll continue to do it for my whole life but RAW was a unique platform and format that really allowed something special to happen in Portland and around the world.
Hosting Portland was a great experience. We brought together local talent, artists and creatives all under one roof. We packed the place out with hundreds of guests and got these emerging artists and up and coming performers some well deserved exposure. Many of told me it was the turning point in their career or the encouragement they needed to continue on their creative path. That means a lot to me. To have the former Mayor of Portland Sam Adams, local media and press and even TV stars and award winners come out and support our event was humbling and very special too.
