CELTC Events

Joe Bagale discusses how he was able to create an artist that never existed and build a sustainable career as an independent musician by creating royalty free music to be used by the billions of creators on social media platforms.

About Joe Bagale

From the mind and ears of producer and multi-instrumentalist, Joe Bagale, comes a sound that is fresh but tangibly rooted in nostalgia. The name is Otis McDonald. The mission? Good Music. 

In 2015, Bagale released 80 tracks for free, under the name Otis McDonald. Released as copyright free music, exclusively through the YouTube audio library, by 2016 these tracks had been downloaded over 3 million times, and appeared in over 3.5 million videos all around the world with an astonishing total of 7.6 billion views. In 2019, Bagale released a full length album, "People Music," in collaboration with his YouTube subscribers. He took over the lease for Studio D at the historic Hyde Street studios in San Francisco and in 2020 he launched a weekly live stream where he creates a brand new track on the spot and releases every week on all streaming platforms. 

Whether it's performing, writing, producing, or coming up with new ways to engage with his fans, Otis McDonald plans on giving the world a dose of the past while always looking to the future.

Tom Strong has served his Tribe for more than twenty years and will share his knowledge surrounding and work with forest and fisheries management and it's benefits to Tribal members; overcoming historical limitations within the market; and supporting Tribal member's entrepreneurial efforts. 

About Tom Strong

Tom Strong has held various roles serving his Tribe for more than twenty yers. He is the current CEO and Vice Chairman for the Skokomish Tribe. Prior to taking on the role of CEO he served as the Workforce Development Manager at the South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency where he established their workforce development program. He was also the Deputy Director for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission from 2018-2021. He resides at Skokomish with his wife Abigail, and their two sons Thomas and Blake. 

Design has the power to transform products, nudge behaviors, captivate audiences, and engage users. Visual design and branding are key elements to the success of any sustainable business. But design is also more than just the visual.

Learn how Rachel Beth Egenhoefer explores design as a holistic practice, including visual, material, experiential, and systems perspectives. When approaching design in this holistic way, design has the power to be not just sustainable but transformative as we look for solutions in the climate crisis.

About Rachel Beth Egenhoefer

Rachel Beth Egenhoefer is a design educator, sustainability and systems researcher, strategy consultant, and critical maker who uses design as a tool for social change. Her work focuses on shifting the narrative from sustainable to regenerative design that creates intersectional, systems change for the masses. She encourages regenerative actions to restore, rejuvenate, and reenergize ourselves, our communities, and our planet. Egenhoefer is a full professor in Design and Environmental Studies at the University of San Francisco, as well as an affiliate faculty at the Presidio Graduate School. The 2nd Edition of her book The Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Design was just published in April 2024. Working to bridge academic speak, the design industry, and climate science to create lasting change for the everyday, she also writes Regenerative Conversations on Substack.

The Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Design, 2nd Ed.
Evergreen students can get a PDF of any chapter of this book delivered to their email within 24 hours through their Evergreen Library account.

Dr. Trey Larant (he/him) shares how he became a businessman with no formal business training by turning his dream of having more queer-inclusive spaces into a professional niche. Learn how you can find your niche and be a sucessful business owner, even in a saturated market or small town.

As a queer trans man, Trey's experiences with the lack of competent medical care for the LGBTQ+ community were a driving force in opening Evergreen Wellness Co., a clinic in Olympia, WA providing physical therapy and wellness services to the queer community. Trey will share the ups and downs of being a small business owner operating a queer-centered space, including lack of training, facing hatred and vandalism, and limited funds. 

About Trey Larant

Dr. Trey Larant, PT, DPT (he/him) is a queer and trans physical therapist and small business owner. He earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2018 from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, and his Bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 2015. He was sent out to Olympia, WA for his last clinical rotation, fell in love with the area, and has been here ever since. 

In 2023, Trey opened Evergreen Wellness Co., a cash-pay physical therapy and wellness clinic focused on providing LGBTQ+ competent healthcare in West Olympia. In the clinic, Trey treats a variety of orthopedic injuries with a particular passion for endurance athletes, teen athletes, and the trans community. In his spare time, you’ll find him enjoying time outside with his dog Milo, including running, hiking, backpacking, playing tennis, skiing, and snowboarding.

Micah Sherman, co-owner of Raven will share how public policy, via market crafting, regulation, and the resulting business ecosystems we operate within define what is possible for us to accomplish. Micah will share his experiences trying to create policy change, how possible alternatives can be accomplished, and ideas for how we can get there. 

About Micah Sherman

Micah Sherman is one of the founders and co-owners of Raven, a small independently owned and operated cannabis cultivator in Olympia, WA. Through that work Micah has been involved in policy and organizing work at the state and federal level to improve cannabis policy for people and the plant. He works to provide an example of how business and regulation can coordinate to make the economy work for ordinary people and nature. Cannabis policy can lead by example in how we cultivate better outcomes for everyone. 

Ever thought about starting a small business? This lecture will introduce aspiring and current entrepreneurs to local small business resources created through the Center for Business & Innovation and the Sate of Washington to help businesses start and grow.

About Sean Moore

Dr. Moore has fifteen years of management experience and has worked for responsible businesses like Patagonia, he is currently the Director of the Thurston Economic Development Council Center for Business & Innovation and oversees over a dozen resources to support entrepreneurs in startup and growth. In addition to his role with the Thurston EDC Center for Business & Innovation, he is also an adjunct Business faculty member at South Puget Sound Community College. Dr. Moore's academic research focuses on responsible businesses environmental performance. 

The Washington State Small Business Guide 
Free use on web, free download available

Co-founder of Finnriver Farm & Cidery and partner of  Chimacum Valley Grainery, Crystie will share stories and insights from her life as a local food system advocate and entrepreneur. She will explore the meaning and significance of the word "resilience" amongst people, planet and profit. 

About Crystie Kisler

Crystie Kisler is a farmwife, community resilience organizer and idea generator living in Washington's Chimacum Valley on the north Olympic Peninsula. She's a co-founder of Finnriver Farm & Cidery, where she currently does story-telling and community events. She's also a partner with her farmer-husband Keith Kisler in the Chimacum Valley Grainery, which grows and processes organic grains cultivated for climate resilience, restored nutrition and wholesome flavor. 

Farming is a business, one that can be sustainable. To stay afloat, farmers have to be entrepreneurs and they need community support. According to the 2022 US census, we have seen a 5.6% reduction of farmland in Washington State since 2017, with over 800,000 acres no longer in production. This equates to a loss of over 3700 farms, primarily small farms, overtaken by urban sprawl. The American Farmland Trust predicts that by 2040, we stand to lose another 192,000 acres. 

The Community Farm Land Trust was established in 1997 using a model designed to assure affordable land and farming infrastructure in perpetuity. CFLT’s mission is to promote local food and farming systems, farm preservation, outreach, partnerships and diverse opportunities. Rachel Friedman will explore if and how this work can help farmers remain viably in business in our community. 

About Rachel Friedman 

I am an eater. For as long as I can remember, I have been committed to eating as locally as possible. Perhaps that stems from my strong environmental ethic, or perhaps it stems from my desire to eat delicious, fresh and sustainably raised food. 

For 30 years, I have been an environmental regulator working for the local, state and federal government. I have a passion for protection of the environment which is backed up by a Bachelors in Botany and a Masters of Science in Forestry. Working in the field of environmental protection has its highs and lows. After 30 years, I felt worn out so I recreated my career an opened a small business in fitness and dance. But my concern for the health of the environment, the local economy, and our community lead me to get involved with numerous non-profit organizations such as Sustainable South Sound and now the Community Farm Land Trust. Working with the CFLT is fulfilling a number of passions, healthy local food being one of them.