WORK EXPERIENCE
Las Vegas, Nevada __________________________
A Beautiful Perspective / Emerge Impact + Music 2016 – 2018
Co-founder of socially conscious media and event production startup. Served as music curator and talent buyer for Emerge Impact + Music; a three day festival focused on new music and ideas. Emerge showcased over 120 artists and presenters in multiple venues on the legendary Las Vegas strip.
Neon Reverb Music Festival 2015 – 2018
Worked with core team to re-launch dormant festival brand in downtown Las Vegas. As co-director, responsible for talent buying, production, and event management for annual four-day event.
The Bunkhouse Saloon 2014 – 2018
Worked as member of design team to re-envision and re-launch iconic downtown Vegas music venue. Developed programming model, serving as talent buyer and producer for shows featuring both local and national touring artists.
Downtown Project 2013 – 2016
Recruited to serve on music team for urban revitalization project led by Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh. Designed infrastructure and served as talent buyer and producer for multiple performance venues in downtown Las Vegas.
Austin, Texas _______________________________
501 Entertainment 2008 – 2013
Co-founder and operating partner at parent company for ND Austin / The North Door. Designed, built, and opened venue while also responsible for all aspects of programming, production, and operations.
National Poetry Slam 2006 – 2007
Co-directed and produced back-to-back editions of annual multi-day spoken word festival, featuring teams representing 70 cities competing in ten venues, including multiple sold-out performances at the Paramount Theater.
Slam Planet 2003 – 2006
Co-founded media startup focused on spoken word performance, including creation of slamchannel.com digital media content platform. Co-directed, shot, and produced Slam Planet: War of the Words, a feature length documentary that premiered at SXSW and screened at a dozen film festivals internationally.
Rude Mechanicals Theatre Collective 2002 – 2004
Served as Development Director for groundbreaking ensemble-based theatre company.
Asylum Street Spankers 1999 – 2002
Touring musician as a member of all-star Austin vaudevillian musical revue
National Poetry Slam 1998
Co-directed and produced multi-day spoken word festival featuring teams representing 48 cities in multiple performance venues, including a sold-out finals show at the Paramount Theater.
Electric Lounge 1993 – 1999
Co-owner, talent buyer, general manager and Jedi Master for Austin indie rock venue
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Poetry Slam, Inc. 1999 – 2006
Board member for national nonprofit focused on spoken word poetry and the National Poetry Slam, including two terms as board President.
Austin Poetry Slam 1995 – 2010
Organizer, curator, and Slammaster for grassroots arts organization. Produced hundreds of shows at venues across Austin, and enjoyed a fifteen-year run as resident host and lead emcee for weekly slam competition.
South by Southwest Music Conference 1995 – 2003
Served in numerous capacities on seasonal paid staff for music conference, including multiple years as stage manager for Auditorium Shores stage, programmer for spoken word (1995 – 2001), and service on listening committee and Special Venues team
SKILLS AND INTERESTS
Spoken word, storytelling, and ensemble theatre performance featured at venues and events both locally and nationally, including multiple Best of Fest selections at Hyde Park Theater’s annual FronteraFest.
Published author with work featured in a variety of journals, anthologies, and textbooks.
Seasoned public speaker, event host, and emcee.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in English, emphasis in Creative Writing with a Minor in History. Oklahoma City University, 1990.
Certificates in Nonprofit Fundraising and Nonprofit Management, University of Texas at Austin, 2003
References available upon request.