For the last 14 years, I have been building a skill set seeded in my personal philosophy that “Art is the key to a bright future.” I started by taking the skills I learned growing up on my family farm to becoming a stage hand and carpenter. I used those skills and knowledge to become an audio engineer and lighting designer as I worked my way through college. From there I grew Area of Defect, a nerd-core music group, from a single parody in 2010 to having two album tours and 14 million views on YouTube by 2014. My management and promotion work allowed me to partner with local clubs and, in turn, let me develop my own brand of events under my own production company Afroductions. I maintained my brand and projects while working for the City of Seattle, helping my community bridge the gap from amateur to professional events. I used those skills when I joined the NW Folklife team to spearhead their emergence into live-streaming, transitioning them from a yearly live-audience only festival to mobilizing their current base from passivity into partnership.…For the last 14 years, I have been building a skill set seeded in my personal philosophy that “Art is the key to a bright future.” I started by taking the skills I learned growing up on my family farm to becoming a stage hand and carpenter. I used those skills and knowledge to become an audio engineer and lighting designer as I worked my way through college. From there I grew Area of Defect, a nerd-core music group, from a single parody in 2010 to having two album tours and 14 million views on YouTube by 2014. My management and promotion work allowed me to partner with local clubs and, in turn, let me develop my own brand of events under my own production company Afroductions. I maintained my brand and projects while working for the City of Seattle, helping my community bridge the gap from amateur to professional events. I used those skills when I joined the NW Folklife team to spearhead their emergence into live-streaming, transitioning them from a yearly live-audience only festival to mobilizing their current base from passivity into partnership.WWWW…