Hello, Portland startup community! I’m Yvonne Perez Emerson
Bio
Yvonne Perez Emerson is a spirited explorer. In 2011 she founded WeMake as a passion project and platform to play, learn, and make. WeMake is in it’s 6th year and just celebrated with it’s 3rd conference on the process of making. The annual conference takes place mid-October and hosts design thinkers from around the world. Yvonne curates the speakers, content, programing and design assets for the event. In the last 6 years WeMake has showcased over 700 makers, and awarded over $60,000 to arts education.
Her full-time work is with her multi-disciplinary graphic design studio, The Study. The Study is focused on the art of storytelling — both digital and analogue. The Study is an award-winning boutique studio that works with craftsmen, festivals, non-profits, educators, artists, agencies, connoisseurs, start-ups, movie properties, chefs; people.
Yvonne is also the owner of Tillamook Station, a creative collective and gathering space that hosts workshops, talks, events, and its own unique workshop series called Make & Mary — a high-end workshop that pairs cannabis with heritage crafts.
Yvonne enjoys creating community but she also loves adventure. She is an avid motorcyclist, loves hiking, and enjoys a good cup of tea.
What are you up to?
I try to balance hard work with hard play! I just completed a solo motorcycle trip from Portland to Joshua Tree and back. I took the old Hwy 395 down and met up with 1,700 other women motorcyclists for a three-day weekend of fun. I ride my bike almost year round and enjoy the community of moto enthusiasts, which often over-laps with the design community. Riding is freedom for me and gives me the opportunity to unwind.
Because I run a small boutique studio I am able to work with a variety of clients. Currently I am working on branding/packaging projects for SF architects, a maker studio, a candle company, and a soap company. We also have a few web design + build projects in-house, an event/environmental project, wrapping paper design, a poster series for a local University and other collateral material.
Why Portland?
I moved to Portland 12 years ago to escape the ever-ending city and heat of San Diego. My husband and I chose Portland because of the landscape, the outdoors, the opportunity to go from the city, to the ocean, or the mountains in limited time. I loved that Portland was a big town, and also had a vibrant creative community, good food, and good beer. I am all about family, and Portland seemed like a great place for us. We are often playing in The Gorge, Mt. Hood, or at the coast. When we are not adventuring we are home chilling in the back yard with our dog and two bunnies! We live in NE Portland.
Links
Oh you can say hi to me anywhere online!
- @yvonnepemerson on Twitter
- @yvonnepemerson on Instagram
- www.wemakepdx.com (Twitter, Instagram)
- www.enterthestudy.com (Twitter, Instagram)
- www.tillamookstation.com (Twitter, Instagram)
- www.makeandmary.com (Instagram)
Interested in being featured?
Silicon Florist introduces one person, each day of the work week, to the Portland startup community. If you’re interested in being one of those folks, please let us know a little bit more about you and you’ll be selected at random to be featured.
Originally published at siliconflorist.com on October 27, 2017.
