Charlotte Is Creative. It’s not just the name of the nonprofit that brings you The Biscuit, it’s a true statement we’re excited to bring to bear every day.

We know the Charlotte area has thousands of incredibly talented creatives in our community. And, we believe every one of them is a small business.

A few weeks ago, we shared a batch of The Biscuit featuring 16 creatives we’d hired over the course of 45 days. We got tremendous feedback from it – thank you’s from creatives wanting to be hired and folks looking for talented and reliable creatives to hire. So, we’re keeping it going.

Our goal as an organization is to hire at least 150 individual creatives for paid gigs in 2023. And, we’re extremely excited about working with creatives for the first time. We’re excited to say that we’re well over the halfway mark at this point – and we’re not stopping.

Below are 12 local creatives we hired in the last 45 days. They crushed it for us. We hope you’ll give them a chance to do the same for you. If you are an individual or a business looking for help managing a creative project with local talent, reach out to us. We’re keen to talk.

And, if you’re a creative with whom we’ve never worked, we want to know you. Please fill out our creative profile here. 

MEET THE CREATIVES

RYAN ALLEN
CHICKEN SCRATCH STUDIOS
WEB: friedchickensandwich.myportfolio.com
IG: @friedchickensandwhich

What did Ryan do for us?
Ryan photographed the Makers and Creators Mixer at Midnight Mulligan Brewing in May. When a large crowd arrives, not all photographers can capture the mood and the intimate moments that created the personality of the event. But, Ryan did. Check them out here. We’ve also posted samples of his creative projects and photographs on our Instagram feed. View them here.

What can Ryan do for you?

• Portrait/lifestyle  
• Events and concerts  
• Behind the scenes work 
• Food and culinary art

ALEXX BAERWALD SIMARD
E-MAIL: alexx.baer.sim@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM: @welcome_to_the_galexxy
VENMO: @aalcorn30  

What did Alexx do for us?
While we are always in awe of her artistic talents, we recently tapped into the left side of Alexx’s brain. We hired her to teach a free online class on setting and working against SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) goals. Her class was part of our monthly Creative Convo series, free 60-minute talks and classes on skills creatives need to build their businesses.

What can Alexx do for you?

• Program planning and evaluation  
• Fundraising  
• Community Events  
• Pop-up galleries and performances  
• Upcycling & environmental sustainability education and activities

ANDREA LAGUER
E-MAIL: info@andrealaguer.com
WEB: andrealaguer.com

What did Andrea do for us?
We’ve got a secret we’ve been keeping for a long time — we are excited to say that we’ve worked with the founders of ArtSearch to bring the program back. And, Andrea is our first featured artist. She’s created a beautiful work of art for us and, the first week in July, we’re hiding it somewhere in Charlotte. We’ll give you clues on the ArtSearch Instagram account starting Saturday, July 1. Keep your eye on the feed. Interpret the clues. And, if you find Andrea’s art … it’s yours!

What can Andrea do for you?

• Painting commissions  
• Illustration commissions (digital and non-digital)

PAGE LEGGETT
COPYWRITER/EDITOR
CONTACT: So, Page is “old skool” in the best way. Just reach out to us. We’ll put you in contact with her.
Image above created by Rod-Wimer.

What does Page do for us?
Page has been part of helping us write/edit/build The Biscuit from pretty much day one. She is a go-to writer of great renown in Charlotte. But, she has a “vintage” business style. We can say more, but this statement from Page says it all:  “When I first hung out my shingle 12 years ago, I thought about what I had to offer and realized it was a rare combination of discipline and creativity. So, I thought about calling myself ‘The Communicatrix,’ but that seemed ill-advised.” 

Trust us. Hire Page now.

What can Page do for you?

• Writing feature stories for print and web  
• Annual reports 
• Ghostwriting (blogs, op-eds, speeches)
• Clever copy for newsletters and direct mail
• Editing services for all of the above (and then some!)

KIERA LEWIS A.K.A. MASTER KIE
WEB: masterkie
IG: @unlock_her_sound
PAYPAL: MasterKieBeats on PayPal

What did Kie do for us?
After meeting Master Kie at a recent gathering of Coffee With Creatives (our monthly meet-up of 15 randomly selected creatives at a local coffee shop), we knew we needed her to hire her to play our next Makers and Creators Mixer. On May 19, she brought down the house with a 30-minute set of custom mixes she created combining her own beats and popular songs. Kie releases custom mixes every few months with the most recent available for download on Bandcamp. 

What can Kie do for you?

• Beats/Instrumentals for musicians 
• TV/movie music 
• Performances for video games and entertainment  
• Modeling services for apparel and promotions

MANOELA MADERA
E-MAIL: manoelastudio@gmail.com
WEB: kiikcreate.com
INSTAGRAM 1: @manzifresh
INSTAGRAM 2: @dronewitchpr
VENMO: @Manoela-Madera

What is Manoela doing for us?
Like several folks on this list, Manoela is a double-threat, a creative who’s analytical skills and critical thinking are just as sharp as her artistic talents. We’ve hired Maneola to create works of visual art for us before. (And, we selected her for the four-month mini-residency we sponsor with Nine-Eighteen-Nine Studio Gallery at the VAPA Center earlier this year.) But, now, she’s bringing her considerable database-building and research skills to bear, helping us build a new online resource guide for Charlotte creatives. (More on that soon.)

What can Manoela do for you?

• Website development:
• Website upkeep and maintenance
• Visual art commissions
• Photo archiving and restoration
• Content creation for blogs and wesbites

JAMEA MARLOWE
THE BROKEN CRAYON, LLC
WEB: www.brokencrayonstudio.com
IG: @the.brokencrayon
CASHAPP: $JameaNaje (The Broken Crayon LLC) 

What did Jamea do for us?
We worked with Jamea to create a custom coloring book distributed at the new SouthPark After 5 event presented by SouthPark Community Partners. Jamea can be found at Camp North End every Saturday morning leading coloring book workshops. And, she is in her final month of a four-month mini-residency at the Studios at McColl Center we sponsor through our Charlotte Space Program. (PSSST! Applications for the next session are open through June 30.)

What can Jamea do for you?

• Graphic design 
• Charcoal and pastel portraits
• Custom coloring books for events, art classes, workshops, team building and community events

WITNIE MARTINEZ
ABSOLUTE IMPACT CONSULTING
E-MAIL: witnie@theabsoluteimpact.com
WEB: TheAbsoluteImpact.com
ZELLE: Absolute Impact Consulting, LLC

What did Witnie do for us?
Like Alexx Baerwalk Simard above, Witnie has provided capacity-building instruction for us. She taught a class on applying for grants to the spring cohort of our Creative Entrepreneurs Initiative (CEI). Over the course of 90 minutes, Witnie shared strategies, tips and tricks on how to structure grant applications in ways that engage and attract reviewers.

What can Witnie do for you?

• Provide professional development workshops, classes and webinars for nonprofits and creatives
• Provide nonprofit strategic planning (fundraising, marketing, operations, board engagement and culture)
• Serve as an event host, facilitator, moderator, podcast guest, speaker 

SEE BIRD GO
WEB: seebirdgo.com
IG: @seebirdgo
VENMO: @seebirdgo

What did Bird do for us?
Bird set the tone as our DJ at the May 19 Makers and Creators Mixer at Midnight Mulligan Brewing. For two and a half hours, Bird set the stage for 200+ creatives to mix and mingle with one another while creating an engaging space to dance and have fun. She also set up the sound system for fellow producer, Master Kie to plug in and perform after her. (Creatives helping out other creatives? We dig that.)

What can Bird do for you?

• DJ Services for corporate and/or sports events parties  
• Playlist curation

JULIA ROJAS
SALT + LIGHT CREATIVE CO.
WEB: saltandlightcc.com
IG: @saltandlightcreativecompany
VENMO: @JuliaValle16

What did Julia do for us?
Over the past several years, Julia has taken on many projects for us – murals, building a custom display space, wraps and vinyls. But, recently she designed the graduation certificates for our Creative Entrepreneurs Initiative (CEI).

What can Julia do for you?

• Custom art/framing and woodworking 
• Residential and commercial murals (“My fav!”)  
• Digital work (mostly branding and design)

SOELLE
WEB: www.soellemusic.com
IG: @soellemusic
VENMO: @soellemusic

What did Soelle do for us?
Soelle performed an amazing medley of songs – singing and playing a grand piano – on stage at the June gathering Creative Mornings/Charlotte. She brought her best and wowed the crowd at the brand new Parr Center on the Central Piedmont Community College Central Campus. 

What can Soelle do for you?

• Live musical performances (solo piano set or with a band)
• Reference vocals
• Songwriting
• Piano production

JEFF TAYLOR
SOULFUL SOUNDS
E-MAIL: soulfulsoundsny@gmail.com
WEB: linktr.ee/soulfulsounds
INSTAGRAM: @soulful.sounds1
VENMO: @SOULFULSOUNDSNY

What did Jeff do for us?
Along with Soelle (above), Jeff set the tone at the July gathering of CreativeMornings/Charlotte at the Parr Center on CPCC’s Central Campus. As soon as our guests hit the lobby, DJ Jeff hit them right by spinning a curated collection of new and old upbeat tunes that told them straight off – “This is no normal Friday morning.” When people are dancing into your event, you know you got a good DJ. 

What can Jeff do for you?

• Live DJ at events
• Emcee
• Party photo booths
• Uplighting