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Siren Nation Workshops

November 13, 2016 @ 11:00 am - 5:00 pm PST


Location Details

Sunday, November 13: Siren Nation Workshops:
At the McMenamins Kennedy School Gym.
11 – 5pm. FREE. ALL AGES!
Siren Nation will be offering a day free workshops on a wide range of topics at the McMenamins Kennedy School classrooms. http://www.mcmenamins.com/KennedySchool

11:00am-1:00pm
WOMEN IN CANNABIS
Speakers curated by Oregon’s Cannabis Concierge
Martha Jordan Room

Learn about the Cannabis Industry from the women who run it!

Moderated by Samantha Montanaro, owner/operator of Prism House PDX – with panelists Jennifer Hudyma, Ashley Ramona Preece-Sackett, Andi Bixel, Trisha Okel, and Amy Margolis.

Samantha Montanaro was born in Wisconsin and spent early adulthood in Chicago as a graphic designer and musician. In June of 2014, with her husband, Chris, and son, Carmine, Sam followed her heart to Oregon with big dreams of urban farming, nature exploration, opening a family business and much more. In 2014, Sam and Chris found the perfect spot to grow roots: a historic four square home on a half acre in NE Portland. After 6 months of home renovations, Sam took the plunge into entrepreneurship by starting a business called Prism House out of their home, which is also named Prism House. Prism House is many things – a snapshot of everything Sam loves to do: graphic design, art, event planning, hosting and urban farming. As a medical Cannabis patient and plant medicine advocate, Sam was very excited to be able to include legal Cannabis with many Prism House projects. In 2016, Sam partnered up with Denver’s Puff, Pass and Paint and is now regularly teaching Cannabis and art classes as well as maintaining a variety of other events and services with Prism House.

Jennifer Hudyma
is co-owner of Urban Fields medical cannabis cultivation, and also currently launching Pacific Craft Gardens, which will focus on pre-rolled cannabis for Oregon medical patients. As a freelance writer Jennifer’s work has been featured on websites such as Direct Cannabis Network, The Travel Joint, The Weed Blog, and published in Freedom Leaf magazine. With a background in health and wellness, the social sciences, and history, Jennifer’s goal is to promote cannabis education, increase understanding of the history of prohibition, and spread awareness of the many potential uses for this multi-faceted plant.

Ashley Ramona Preece-Sackett: 
Co-founder and Horticultural Scientist for Cascadia Labs, a cannabis-centric science-based organization offering industry leading analytical services that meet the most demanding regulatory and business requirements with integrity and consistency. The inception of Cascadia Labs was established in Bend, Oregon in 2013 and quickly expanded to launch the 10k sq ft flagship facility in Portland in the fall of 2015.  

Ashley’s dedication to the success of the company and progression in the cannabis industry has helped place Cascadia Labs as one of the leading cannabis analytical labs in the nation.  She holds a degree in Horticulture Science from Boise State University and is on the brink of 2 decades of experience in horticulture sciences specializing in organic agriculture systems.  

She has provided the Oregon community with Clean Green Certification audits/inspections and now looks to advance current standards for Ethical Cannabis focusing on labor, environmental, and local economies.  

She helped launch Oregon’s fastest growing and largest networking community as co-chair of Portland Chapter Women Grow.  She continuously looks for progressive solutions to advancing standards and ethics within the cannabis industry.

Andi Bixel, CEO of Drip Ice Cream: Native Oregonian Andi Bixel returned home after five years of gathering lifestyle and flavor inspiration from both Europe and South America to start her project, Drip Ice Cream.

Drip is a cannabis infused craft ice cream hand-made in Portland, OR. Drip lives for a mission that goes beyond the quality of the product. It is a free pass to chill out, to use your imagination, to play and share with friends, or to dive into a solo project. Ultimately it exists to remind you that it’s good to feel good. Drip is a vehicle to empower people to open up to being silly, to thinking abstractly, to letting loose, and to entertaining adventure.

Her hope is that people will try! She says, “I’m just one girl who is wishing that every bite of ice cream I make translates into something that will move us toward a new way of life where our focus is on the important things.”

Trista Okel is CEO of Empower Oils: Founder and Chief Executive Officer, EmpowerTM Bodycare.
Trista Okel has been an active medical cannabis advocate since 2004. In May 2013, Trista founded Empower (End Marijuana Prohibition. Organize Women. Enact Reform.) BodyCare with a mission to help people ease their pain and lessen the use of harmful pharmaceuticals through natural, healthy pain-relieving alternatives. By creating well-branded, high quality cannabis-infused topical products, Trista succeeds in marketing Empower to a diverse, mainstream audience including professional athletes, trauma survivors, and “conservative grannies.” Empower has been featured in many popular magazine and online articles such as Vogue.com, High Times, Massage Magazine, and MerryJane Magazine, and was named Best Topical Brand in the Dope Industry Awards in 2016. Trista believes topicals will normalize cannabis, and she hopes that her work within the cannabis infused topical industry will help to improve the quality of life for many in the future.

Amy Margolis is the founder of Margolis Legal, a full service cannabis law firm, as well as the founder and director of the Oregon Cannabis PAC and the Oregon Cannabis Association, which is the largest professional cannabis association in the state of Oregon.  

Her primary practice areas are licensing, compliance and regulatory work as well as continuing to represent clients charged with crimes in either state or federal court.

She is also directly involved with the state’s policy discussion around implementation of medical and recreational cannabis and she has been tapped to serve on a number of rule-making committees, including the following:

The Portland Marijuana Task Force;
The Clackamas County Marijuana Task Force;
HB 3460 Rules Advisory Committee;
The Oregon Health Authority Medical Rules Advisory Committee; and
The OLCC Licensing, Enforcement, and Compliance Rules Advisory Committee.
She frequently testifies at the Oregon legislature and before local governments on both policy and practical issues surrounding cannabis.

She has spoken across the country on issues such as raising capital, managing investors, the struggles with implementation of legal cannabis and federal obstacles to the industry.  She frequently speaks at local events like the Cannabis Creative Conference, the Oregon Business Summit and Oregon Bar Association events regarding all things cannabis.  She has also led two Oregon lobbying trips to Washington D.C.

11:00am-1:00pm
MAKE YOUR OWN KEEPSAKE JOURNAL
Dianna Fontes

Mina Parsons Room

Use upcycled papers, mixed media materials and collage to create a personalized journal. These handmade books are expandable and have pockets for your treasures! You will learn to construct and bind these books during this workshop AND you’ll have time to decorate them too! You can bring along your own personalized items to add or continue to embellish your book with additional pages, photos or memories later. All materials provided for construction and decoration during the workshop. This workshop is taught by Dianna Fontes, Artist.

1:00pm-2:30pm
PODCASTING PANEL
With Sarah Mirk, Jeni Wren Strottup, Crystal Ligori, and Ev’Yan Whitney
Martha Jordan Room

Ask questions and learn about different techniques and expertise with this panel of podcasters.

Sarah Mirk is a multi-media journalist interested in gender, politics, and other people. She is the online editor for feminism and pop culture nonprofit Bitch Media, where she hosts the podcasts Popaganda and Backtalk, which have 10,000 listeners per episode. She is also the author of open minded dating guide Sex From Scratch: Making Your Own Relationship Rules and lots of nonfiction comics, including the Oregon History Comics series.

Jeni Wren Strottup is a musician, writer, podcast producer and activist based in Portland, Oregon. A life long creative, Wren Stottrup released her first EP, North Star in 2013 after being noted as a member of Willamette Week “Best New Band 2013” Shy Girls.  She is a a radio producerat XRAY.FM, Regional Arts and Culture Council grant recipient, former board member of PDX Pow Now! and contributor to Portland Mercury, Vortex Music Magazine and more.  She is featured frequently as a speaker and panelist.

Gritty Birds is an independent music podcast and XRAY.FM radio series. This American Life meets music, these are the stories of the gritty artists and industry players successfully navigating the music world today. In spring 2016 the show relaunched, featuring artists at Boise’s Treefort Festival(YACHT, Diarrhea Planet) in a partnership with XRAY.FM.

Gritty Birds moved to a storytelling format after being honored with a Fall 2016 Regional Arts and Culture Council Grant to attend Podcast Movement. It now includes a monthly live show strong multimedia presence, uniting audio with video. Guests have included Ezra Furman, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, American Icon Founder Jonny Galyon, 90s Pop Artist Ken Stringfellow (The Posies), Tender Loving Empire co-founder Jared Mees,Directress Alicia Rose and more.

Crystal Ligori started in commercial radio as on-air talent at KZZU in Spokane and then at KUFO in Portland where she helped create and host the local music show “Viva La Luna”. After a few years away from the mic, she joined the team at Oregon Public Broadcasting as a host and announcer. She produces and edits the weekly radio program and podcast “Literary Arts: The Archive Project”. She is also a voiceover artist who narrated the inaugural episode of Outside Magazine’s new podcast “Science of Survival”.

Ev’Yan Whitney is a writer who openly chronicles her journey of erotic awakening and exploration on her not-so-private personal blog. She is also the host of The Sexually Liberated Woman podcast, which is an ongoing, sex-positive dialogue that highlights, celebrates, and encourages the sexually liberated woman.
In addition to writing and talking about her sex life, Ev’Yan helps facilitate, educate, and hold space for other women who want to step out of sexual shame and into their erotic power via one-on-one coaching and counseling. You can find more about her work at sexloveliberation.com and see her brazenly celebrating her sexuality on Instagram at @evyan.whitney

1:00pm-2:00pm
DREAM INTERPRETATION
Nicole Smith
Mina Parsons Room

Join Nicole, founder of Nothing But a Dreamer, and several other curious minds in a discussion about dreaming. Work through what your messages are telling you in your dream state, learn how to help others, and how to control your dreams to be able to receive the answers you are seeking in your waking life. This workshop allows you to dive deep into your subconscious to find ways to heal yourself or feel more bold in making that next step forward.

Nicole Smith is the founder of Nothing But a Dreamer. Nothing But a Dreamer is a dream interpreting business that that helps individuals with their every day worries, long time pains, and their future aspirations. Dream interpreting can also help with relationship problems, overcoming trauma, experiencing another realm, or understanding your life’s purpose. Do you have a reoccurring dream that you want to go away? It helps with that too. Nicole has been doing dream interpreting work for the past 10 years, but recently started to do it professionally about a year ago.

2:00pm-3:30pm
JOYS OF TOYS
She Bop’s Gretchen Leigh
Mina Parsons Room

Join She Bop’s Gretchen Leigh for some education and fun. Ever wandered around a sex toy shop and wondered “what the heck is that?” Never fear, Gretchen will answer those burning (in a good way) questions and then some! In this class you will learn how sex toys originated and have advanced throughout history. Gretchen will explain the different types of toys, what they are used for and what they are made from, including vibrators, dildos, kegel exercisers, anal toys, toys for BDSM and more. Of course, don’t forget one of the most important things of all… yes, that would be lube! Gretchen will go over the different types of lube, as well as the ingredients to be aware of when selecting the best product for you. She will also address how to clean and store your toys so that you can enjoy them for as long as possible.

She Bop is a women-owned sex toy boutique in Portland, Oregon specializing in body safe products and education. She Bop promotes healthy and safe sexuality by offering quality products and educational workshops in a fun and comfortable environment. Gretchen Leigh is a sex educator and strength coach, often found representing She Bop around town as a resident in-house and off-site educator.

This workshop is open to all genders and sexual appetites!

2:30pm-4:00pm
PODCASTING 101: FROM VISION TO PUBLISH
Jeni Wren Strottup
Martha Jordan Room

Podcasting has been a quickly growing movement over the last few years.  In this workshop, we’re going to move through the basic of how to set up, record and edit a show, in 90 minutes.  We’ll explore the different options for mics and technology, hosting and outreach, the right podcast type for your needs as well as the basics on funding, social media, editing and more.

3:30pm-5:00pm
WOMEN IN COMEDY PANEL
Mina Parsons Room

Moderated by Kelly Wilson with panelists Lucia Fasano, Caitlin Weierhauser, JoAnn Schinderle, and Jenna Zine.

Learn about the comedy scene from some of its funny women!

Kelly Wilson is an author and comedian who entertains and inspires with stories of humor, healing, and hope. She is the author of Live Cheap and Free, Don’t Punch People in the Junk, and Kelly Wilson’s The Art of Seduction: Nine Easy Ways to Get Sex From Your Mate. Her latest book, Caskets From Costco, has been chosen as a finalist in the 18th annual Foreword Reviews’ INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards, the 10th annual National Indie Excellence Book Awards, and the 2016 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest.

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Kelly writes and speaks about finding hope in the process of recovery. Through both stand-up and improv comedy, she brings laughter to audiences of all ages using a wide range of subject matter, including silly songs, parenting stories, and jokes and anecdotes revolving around mental health issues.

Kelly Wilson currently writes for a living and lives with her Magically Delicious husband, junk-punching children, dog, cat, and stereotypical minivan in Portland, Oregon. Read more about her at www.wilsonwrites.com.

Lucia Fasano is a Portland-based musician, comedian, writer, actor, and cartoonist from Los Angeles. She’s recently appeared on IFC’s Portlandia, in the All Jane Comedy Festival and the New York Funny Songs Fest, as well as shows all over the country. Her work has been featured on @midnight, in The Huffington Post, Paste Magazine, Mashable, Pajiba, The Mary Sue, and more. She recently debuted her first music video, “Nerd Boy”, and released her first solo album, “Radio Silence” produced by Larry Crane at Jackpot Recording. She writes and co-stars in the comedy web-series Catty B’s, is a columnist/cartoonist for humor site The Higgs Weldon, is a frequent guest on improv comedy podcast Gosh Darn Fiasco, and is a member of the improv group Teacher’s Pet. Her comedy has been called “sharply hilarious” and not even because of all the knives, and her music has been described as “hauntingly beautiful”. Follow her on twitter at lucia_fasano.

Caitlin Weierhauser spent her childhood in an Ewok tree fort with a rubber band cross-bow, her wolf, and a budding resentment of The Man. She grew up to be the most tantrum-prone Portland comedian and is never happier than when she’s mad.

Caitlin is a member of Lez Stand Up and has performed at Bridgetown Comedy Festival, All Jane Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot, Pickathon and Seattle Sketchfest. She was included in the AfterEllen list of “40 Hot Queer Ladies in Comedy,” and plans to dismantle the patriarchy by Christmas.

JoAnn Schinderle is an comic, actor, and improvisor living in Portland, OR. She has performed across the country in such festivals as Bumbershoot, Bridgetown, Chicago Comedy Exposition, SF Sketchfest, Hell Yes Fest, All Jane Comedy Festival, as well as having won multiple rounds of Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction.

As a working comic at Helium Comedy Club, her humor is relatable, snarky, and has a storytelling style that will make you feel like she’s your best friend letting you in on a secret. JoAnn has appeared on Laughs TV, Rooftop Comedy, Fight Stigma Web Series, and is a contributing writer for Laugh Staff & Live Wire Radio. She also hosts & produces a weekly showcase called Control Yourself: A Showcase of Funny, which has been featured as ‘Top 5 Portland Comedy Showcases to Watch’ 2years running by the Willamette Week. Control Yourself, which was also featured in Paste Magazine, runs every Sunday at Alberta Street Pub in NE Portland. If you enjoy friendly banter you can follow JoAnn on twitter @joannlizabeth

Jenna Zine is the founder and curator of the showcase, Keep It Like A Secret – a monthly comedy event held at Larry Crane’s recording studio, Jackpot!, featuring the city’s top standups combined with Skype sets from nationally known comedians.

In addition to her own shows, Jenna has also performed at the All Jane Comedy Festival, the 11th Annual NW Women’s Comedy Festival, opened for Mike Lawrence (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer and more), Creed Bratton from The Office, was chosen as “A Comedian You Should Know” for the coveted Earthquake Hurricane showcase, and was a part of the Kill Rock Stars Red Bull party at MFNW in 2015. She has also emceed for Cheap Trick & Peter Frampton at the Oregon Zoo as well as the Main Stage at Pickathon in 2014.
Jenna hates her bangs and will probably complain about them well into the afterlife.

Barbara Holm: Portland comedian Barbara Holm has performed at the San Francisco Sketchfest, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, the All Jane Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot Arts festival, Rose City Comic Con, PAX Convention, and the Women in Comedy Festival in Boston. She has written for IGN, The Portland Mercury, and the Huffington Post. She has been awarded Time Out New York’s Joke of the Week and was named “one of the best things about comedy in 2012” by the Comedy Bureau. Her comedy has been described as clever, unique, idiosyncratic, and exuberant. Seattle City Arts Magazine called her a “comedy wizard” and Seattle Stranger Newspaper described her as an “adorable wunderkind” and she describes herself as “running away from this question to hide under the desk right now.”

4:00pm-5:00pm
YOGA
Acacia Blackwell
Martha Jordan Room

Free yoga for all with local instructor Acacia Blackwell!

Acacia Blackwell is a Portland-based writer and yoga teacher. She was called to practice yoga as a source of healing her own body, and her curiosity about her own body continues to inform her teaching. Having practiced on her own for twelve years, she completed entered and completed her Yoga Teacher Training in the Spring of 2016 with The People’s Yoga, with the desire to bring accessibility, openness, and radical body acceptance into her practice and her teaching.

When she’s not making the rounds at Portland’s many local literary readings or browsing the aisles of Powell’s small press section, Acacia can be found eating banana cream pie at the Bipartisan café or attending any non-early morning yoga class in Southeast Portland.

Event Location

McMenamins – Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Av
Portland, OR 97211 United States

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