August 2021
FareStart Earns $10,000 Jacques Pépin Foundation Grant
The Seattle nonprofit is one of 16 programs nationwide to receive recognition for its community impact
FareStart, the Seattle nonprofit that trains people for jobs in the food industry, has received a $10,000 Winter 2025 grant from the Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF). The funding will support programs that help those facing homelessness or other barriers to employment gain essential culinary and job skills. “FareStart is profoundly honored to be awarded a…
Seila: Cambodian Food, Served Haute
Canlis alum Kevin Top shows Seattle the fancy side of Khmer cuisine
The line is long in the back half of Stoup Brewing’s Capitol Hill location, but everyone’s chatting excitedly, even strangers with one another. They’re all united by curiosity, waiting to try Chef Kevin Top’s fast-casual menu of restyled Cambodian dishes, which he’s also been serving in a dinner party format as a popup called Seila….
Most Influential: Matika Wilbur
Photographer, Activist
When Tidelands Gallery opened last September along Seattle’s rapidly evolving waterfront, it was, in a sense, a full-circle moment for photographer Matika Wilbur. The 6,000-square foot Indigenous-owned creative space, comprising an art gallery, production studio, rental space, and boutique, is just steps away from the Pike Place Hill Climb, where Wilbur had her first studio….
Most Influential: David Baker
Scientist
David Baker grew up on Capitol Hill with scientist parents. His father, Marshall Baker, was a physicist. His mother, Marcia Bourgin Baker, was a geophysicist. Both were faculty at the University of Washington. But as an undergraduate at Harvard, the younger Baker initially eschewed his famous parents’ paths and focused on the humanities, majoring in…
The Pulse: January in Motion
Scholarships, piano recycling, and Seattle’s shifting tech scene
January feels like a recovery month. After December’s frenzy, things have finally settled. The days are lengthening, but just barely. I’m re-reading this book to remind myself how to tackle 4:30 p.m. sunsets without turning into a candle-obsessed recluse — or at least to feel better about if I do. Our new magazine is out!…
Most Influential: Nia-Amina Minor
Dance
For dancer and choreographer Nia-Amina Minor — a cofounder of Black Collectivity with David Rue, marco farroni leonardo, and Akoiya Harris — collaboration is at the core of her practice. A longtime dancer (Minor moved to Seattle to join Spectrum Dance Theater), it wasn’t until attending grad school at UC Irvine that she seriously dove…
Must List: 5 Things to Do in Seattle This Week
Haunting photos, Black brilliance, and a gripping new drama
Hey, how are you doing? It’s such a nice day for January — cold but bright, which feels like a win. I’ve been thinking about trying new things this year. I just signed up for a pretzel-making class at PCC (imagine the possibilities!) And this low-stakes dance studio is calling my name. What about you? We’re…
Dry January, Straight Up with a Seattle Twist
Non-alcoholic drinks to keep your nights fun and your mornings clearheaded
For Kirstin Vracko and her husband, who have been sober since May 2023, Dry January is more than a trend — it’s a celebration of the lifestyle they’ve embraced. It means more time for the things they love, like concerts and parties, without worrying about how they’ll get home. Vracko is the co-owner of Cheeky…
Most Influential: Nick Ferderer
Entrepreneur, Activist
With a background in government relations, legislative advocacy, and business strategy — including stints at the U.S. Department of Commerce and Microsoft — Nick Ferderer admits that he isn’t the first person to come to mind as an art gallery owner. And yet, in just three short years, Ferderer has opened two of the city’s…
Most Influential: Lue Hughes
Poet
Lue Hughes was 12 years old when poetry made its first impact on her. “I was in church, and the choir director read a poem about birds,” recalls Hughes, whose work has appeared in major publications including American Poetry Review, Paris Review, and Poetry Northwest. “It was likening birds to human behavior, and it blew…
Publisher’s Note: When Purpose and Talent Come Together
Seattle’s Most Influential people put community first
Each year, we take the time to highlight some truly remarkable individuals in our “Seattle’s Most Influential” people issue, and it remain one of the most important and rewarding projects we undertake. Frankly, it’s a real privilege for all of us here at Seattle magazine. This issue is about more than just recognition — it’s…
The Courage to Move Is All That Matters at Seattle’s PopRox Dance
With two locations and dozens of classes to choose from, the all-are-welcome studios provide a community-centric space to let loose on the dance floor
On a cold, drizzly night in mid-December, despite a laundry list of misgivings, I find myself standing between two large pillars in the Capitol Hill location of PopRox dance studio. Clad in a workout set and tennis shoes, and surrounded by seven or eight similarly dressed individuals, I follow along as our instructor leads us…