January/February 2024

Turn up the Music

Turn up the Music

Totem Star's new home expands its footprint by tenfold

“The studio was usually full,” says Totem cofounder, star singer, songwriter, and producer Daniel Pak. “And then we’d have a duo playing guitar out on the stairs, folks rapping in the hallway or practicing in the dance studios. It was a beautiful thing, but we needed more room.”

Most Influential, Equity: Vivian Phillips

Most Influential, Equity: Vivian Phillips

Founder and Board President, Arte Noir

“It is very personal," Phillips says of living and advocating for diversity in the Central District. “My parents migrated to Seattle from the South, like the story of so many Black people in Seattle. They came here in the early ‘50s. They lived in the Central District, which was the only place where they could

Most Influential, Fashion: Dan McLean

Most Influential, Fashion: Dan McLean

Fashion designer

“I have such a connection to this city,” McLean says. “There’s so much happening and so many people doing cool things. I feel like once people get famous here, they move away to New York or LA, and they say, ‘Oh, there’s not enough here.’ I disagree. I don’t need to take my shows to

Most Influential, Hospitality: Brady Williams

Most Influential, Hospitality: Brady Williams

Chef, entrepreneur

For all of its culinary reputation, no Seattle restaurant has ever earned a Michelin star, regarded as the highest praise in the culinary world. Brady Williams is changing that. In the last year he has brought notable and accomplished chefs and restaurateurs from out of town that have earned Michelin stars.

You Better Belize It

You Better Belize It

Fly nonstop from Seattle and enjoy the jungle, the sea, and everything else the country has to offer

With its colonial past as British Honduras, Belize is the only English-speaking country in the region. But the blend of European, Central American, Mexican, Spanish, and Caribbean influences doesn’t even begin to describe Belize’s unique potpourri of cultures. The landscape is dotted with numerous Mayan temples, both ready to visit and still under excavation. The

Edible Art

Edible Art

Check out these elegant practitioners of pastry just in time for Valentine's Day

Whether you like Valentine’s Day because you enjoy celebrating all the ways love exists in your life, or you want an excuse to eat delicious dessert with your girlfriends for Galentine’s, plenty of Seattle pastry shops and chocolatiers will keep you well fed.

Most Influential, Equity: Matt Chan

Most Influential, Equity: Matt Chan

Activist, entrepreneur

Matt Chan has been a provocateur much of his life, from his childhood in Portland, to his time as a student at the University of Oregon, and throughout a successful career in television production. “The main mistake people make about storytelling is to want to tell their story,” Chan says of his communications strategy. “A

Most Influential, Equity: Conrad Reynoldson

Most Influential, Equity: Conrad Reynoldson

Activist, entrepreneur

After facing numerous barriers to inclusion, including employment discrimination, Conrad Reynoldson decided to “hire himself” and start his own nonprofit disability rights law firm to advocate for the disability community in Washington state and beyond. Reynoldson and team have quietly been making a huge difference to the disability community by advocating for access in public

Most Influential, Sports: Sandy Gregory

Most Influential, Sports: Sandy Gregory

Sports executive, activist

Sandy Gregory was an original Seahawk, hired six months before the team played its first game, and no one had a bigger role in weaving that franchise into the fabric of this region. She spent decades doing everything from arranging charity appearances to coordinating events to getting items signed for benefit auctions and people in

Minecraft Motivation

Minecraft Motivation

Couple uses video game for renovation inspiration

They had a hard time visualizing what their new home might look like, so they turned to Minecraft, a hugely popular video game Microsoft markets as a tool for creative types to “battle mobs, construct shelter, and explore the landscape.” They had been playing the game for years, and didn’t need to consult the box

Most Influential, Business: Joy Shigaki

Most Influential, Business: Joy Shigaki

President & CEO, Friends of Waterfront Seattle

Her familial dedication to service and passion for community followed her into her 20-year career working in the nonprofit, government, and community development field in roles across the U.S. and internationally. In September 2022, Shigaki took over as CEO of Friends of Waterfront Seattle, where she works to manage, program, and fundraise to revitalize the

Most Influential, Arts: Daniel James Brown

Most Influential, Arts: Daniel James Brown

Author

Brown never expected the enormous success of The Boys in the Boat, but believes his book has fostered deserved recognition for the sport of rowing, the Husky crew team, and the Seattle area. Already, Boys in the Boat fans journey to the Montlake Cut from across the world to see the spot a group of