Jenn spent much of her childhood traveling up and down the east coast from Canada to Florida in the back of her parents’ baby blue 1970s Econoline camper van.  While it might have been frowned upon by today’s standards (there were no seats in the back of that van, let alone seat belts!), her fond memories of days on the beach, hikes in the woods and nights spent around the campfire started her down a path toward environmental stewardship that she now hopes to instill in her own children and share with her community.

Jenn is a graduate of Duke University’s Environmental Science & Policy Program and the University of Chicago Law School.  She previously served four years on ACR’s Board of Directors, and was the Deputy Director of Austin nonprofit Families in Nature and an environmental law associate at the global law firm Allen & Overy LLP.  She sits on Austin ISD’s Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee and is active in the Cities Connecting Children to Nature Initiative from the National League of Cities.  Jenn founded Nature Playdate, a nature community for Austin families, and is active in several other local environmental and community groups. 

When she’s not out promoting the beauty of creative reuse, Jenn can be found chasing around her three wild kids and working on their old camper van with her husband, Kelly.  She digs travel, the ocean, cool mountain breezes and admiring the creativity of all the folks who pass through the doors at ACR. You can reach Jenn at execdirector@austincreativereuse.org

Jen is a Texas transplant who started at ACR in 2016 as a volunteer. She loves all things outdoors and was drawn to ACR for the conservation aspect. She also loves being immersed in the creative community. Hired on as the first employee of ACR, Jen is now our Center Manager. She facilitates and builds our community partnerships, oversees the operations of the creative reuse center, and strategies and plans new and exciting ways to get the word out about ACR.

In her spare time, you’ll likely find Jen hiking or fishing with her 2 kiddos or in the kitchen cooking. She enjoys camping, knitting and playing any board game she can.

Kat’s love for art and conservation began at an early age when she spent summers crafting, exploring, and gardening at her grandma’s house – a log cabin in the woods! A former disaster relief professional, Kat left her career behind in order to have more time for creative endeavors. She enjoys experimenting with mediums she has never tried before, either on her own or by taking classes and workshops. Kat spends her free time dancing, caring for her many plants, snuggling with her two pups, and going on adventures with her partner.

Kaysie, a recent UT graduate, is beginning her career in the nonprofit sector with a BA in Art History, a minor in Arts Management and Administration, and a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofits. A colorful tree-hugger from a young age, Kaysie focuses her life around art and conservation, and works to inspire those around her to live a creative and sustainable lifestyle. In her free time, Kaysie enjoys trail running in the greenbelt, making art and supporting local artists of Austin, and dancing the night away in the live music capital of the world.

I discovered ACR in 2016 as a teacher and artist, and I could not believe the variety and affordability that was available to me for my classroom and for my artwork. I quickly began volunteering once a week, and soon after joined the permanent team. As a career, I always felt that teaching was a calling to me, so naturally I brought my passion for education with me as we began forging a path for educators and education. I was born in NYC and raised in New Jersey, and moved to Austin many years ago. I am a mother, and taught in the local public schools after helping to start the children’s museum in New Braunfels and San Antonio, and am also the co-founder of Marmalade Skies, an art studio in Austin. I love working at the center, and love the community and collaboration that is fostered at ACR.

I’m a west Texas native and lived in Austin for over ten years. When I was young, I drew and painted on almost anything I could get my hands on and then it evolved into a variety of all creative things such as woodworking, photography, and sewing. Growing up with my family and a small lot of farm animals led me to a love for nature and all things living. With that, it gave me passion to want to live a sustainable life and be a part of any action that can reduce negative environmental impact.

I am fascinated with upcycled, reused, and vintage things. My favorite kind of art is anything that involves items that have been reimagined for something other than their original purpose, and I use them in the jewelry I make as well. I love hearing about the things our customers are making with the stuff they get at ACR.

Hi! I’m Diana, a graphic designer by trade with a passion for all things created by hand. My favorite medium is Mail Art – creating something beautiful to send to friends and family. I am originally from San Antonio and have embraced the bold vibrant colors of the Mexican-American traditions I grew up with into my own personal style. I am a French speaker, dog mom, plant collector, and nature lover. For several years ACR was the place I came for inspiration and to brighten my day with exciting finds. Now, as a team member, I get to be a part of the magic of rescuing creative materials from the landfill behind the scenes and interacting with the creatives who come to ACR.

I moved to the Austin area from Sweden when I was 4. I’ve long had a passion for various types of art, craft, and music, and Austin was a fantastic city to grow up around. Environmental science, the outdoors, and conservation have been a big part of my life for a long time. I’m an amateur crafter, and I’m trying to learn and improve various skills, like leather working and sewing, which I often use to make post-apocalyptic costumes and props.

After moving to Austin from Brownsville, TX in 2012, Blessing found this city an ideal space to grow their creative skills and meet fantastic people along the way. Outside of ACR, they can be found making jewelry, modifying clothes, thrifting, hunting for fossils, and standing RIGHT BEHIND YOU.

James Talon thinks it’s fun to make art by finding the most beaten up vinyls and painting on them, and that’s how he discovered the coolest non-profit ever: ACR! In the past he was Art Director / Producer for Furcadia, lived abroad in Poland, and has a Linguistics degree. He’s all about animals, meditation, puns, imaginary friends named Paul*, silly profile pictures, and not including any puns in his bio. His handle on instagram is james.talon.art if you want to see his work! *Note: He doesn’t actually have imaginary friends…just don’t tell Paul that.

Lori (crafting alias: Haunted Farmgirl) greatly enjoys the art of making, cats, books, and baked goods. Some of her functional frivolities include catnip toys made of felt, decorated lighters, matchbox sewing kits, collaged note cards, and fanciful terrariums. It was through resourcing more affordable and unique materials for her crafts that she came to know and love ACR. There’s not a day that goes by that she doesn’t swoon over some wonderful little ribbon or paper scrap that catches her eye. For many years she has also worked in vintage sales, local bakeries, and as a craft fair organizer. She lives in Austin with her artist husband, and 3 cool cats.

Throughout my childhood growing up near citrus fields in the Rio Grande Valley, I learned to appreciate the transborder landscape, food, and botany of South Texas. My Grandma taught me how to be crafty, sew, and cultivate a sustainable garden while also embarking on spontaneous cooking adventures in her kitchen – one of my favorite quotes she references states how “necessity is the mother of invention” and I still apply that sentiment to my daily life. A few years ago I uprooted from South Texas and set up camp in Austin to pursue an International Nutrition degree at UT, which led me on a journey eventually joining the ACR team!