The people behind Portland Queer Arts Foundation.

A twenty year veteran of the technology industry, John is a passionate purveyor of business acumen with a long history of supporting queer artists, and also co-founder of Portland Queer Arts.

Whether attending the Oscars or the White Party, Chryssa is an established advocate for queer culture. Her career has spanned more than 12 years working in Animation/VFX at Lucafilm and DreamWorks on projects such as Shrek and Madagascar. She has also stage managed multiple regional and world premieres working with some of Broadway’s best.

Josh is a passionate photographer who specializes in creating and capturing genuine authentic connection in his subjects through photography that is empowering, inclusive, and affirming. Josh is also an experienced mental health professional with extensive experience in crisis intervention services, corporate culture training, and personal development coaching, and over 10 years of experience working with non-profit organizations.

From being the first openly queer CEO of Scouting America to the board of the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, Gary has his finger on the pulse of all things queer in Portland and beyond.

Amanda is passionate about diversity and equity, and her love for animals is rivaled only by her love for helping nonprofits achieve their goals. She has a master’s degree in nonprofit management and a bachelor’s degree in public relations, and she volunteers with the Wildlife Care Center at Bird Alliance of Oregon, HomePlate Youth Services and Rose City Rabbit Rescue.

Patrick is an experienced not for profit executive with a demonstrated history of working in operations and development. Currently the Vice President of Development & Communications at Ecotrust, Patrick has over 15 years experience working with non-profits, specializing in development.

Alex is a bold, community-rooted artist and administrator with over a decade of experience across circus, dance, and performance arts. As Portland Queer Arts Foundation’s Operations Manager, Alex brings a rare blend of creative vision and a strive for organizational precision — building the systems and structures that allow art to happen. His background spans inclusive program design, event production, and accessible arts education, with a commitment to centering care and community in every space he helps build.

Kimo is a Portland born performer who studied Drama & Theatre at University of Portland. Kimo has performed on stages all throughout the west coast as well as at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He is most proud of a concert trilogy he created with friend and music director, Mak Kastelic, called The KIKI Series. Together, they tackle universal themes with a 9 piece ensemble while performing high energy songs and touching spoken word performances. Drawing inspiration from genres ranging from soul, neo funk, retro pop, and a dash of musical theater, Kimo hopes to produce poignant and relatable concerts about and for the LGBTQ+ community. Kimo is in the midst of producing his first EP called loverboy.

You can catch Kimo in Can Can’s Carnival of Curiosity’s at the Paris Theatre.