With the woods of New Hampshire as her childhood stomping grounds, Kellie developed an appreciation for the natural world and our connection to it. She spent the first decade of her career working in environmental consulting and now seeks to change the world on a much more local level - by building community, connecting over passions, and sharing skills. Kellie founded The Works in 2018 as a place to do just that. Growing from a one-woman pop-up into a brick and mortar location in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, Kellie’s role now includes supporting our amazing team with operations, developing new curriculum, and sales and marketing. You can still catch her on the class schedule teaching once in a while too!

Born and raised right here in the PNW and, growing up with a lively battle between her left and right brain, Kia developed a deep curiosity for the why and how stories of the world around her. She has spent most of her career in HR and Ops roles across various industries and companies, both large and small. Never content to just follow the pack, she loves infusing unconventional creativity into traditionally unimaginative situations. Having a deep appreciation for the maker community, Kia feels right at home at The Works. Her role is to partner with Kellie and the team to ideate and activate innovation, growth, and strategic goals, oversee day-to-day operations and business activities, and most importantly support our team and community along their journey of learning and self-discovery.

Alyssa grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, surrounded by bright, neon lights. She embarked on a new chapter in Boston for college, where she studied marketing and design. Drawn to Seattle thanks to her love for the movie Sleepless in Seattle, she moved to Seattle in 2017, settling in with her partner and two cats. Her journey has been defined by her passion for creativity and her desire to inspire others. At The Works, Alyssa wears several hats as a graphic designer, teacher, and leader of our marketing initiatives. She brings a unique perspective to her crafting, combining her eye for design with her love of textiles. As a teacher, she takes pride in empowering students to explore their artistic abilities and expand their horizons with embroidery, punch needle, and needle felting. Whether in her graphic design work or classes, Alyssa's ultimate goal is to spark joy and encourage others to embrace their creativity. When she's not teaching or working on marketing campaigns, you can find her immersed in her latest craft project, sipping on a cup of tea, and enjoying the company of her feline friends.

Ashley was born and raised in Northern California, in the small-ish town of Salinas. After college she decided to make a move up north to Seattle and hasn’t looked back. Ashley grew-up in a crafty, do-it-yourself household and learned at a young age the joy of making and creating. Sewing, knitting, painting and creating handmade items have been consistent in her life; mostly done after work and on the weekend before she quit her boring insurance job and joined The Works in 2022. At The Works, she wears a lot of different hats, serving as a teacher and kit production extraordinaire! Ashley teaches a wide range of class topics from plant care, mending, painting and much more! When she is not in the classroom, you can find her in the backroom packing and building all The Work’s DIY kits. At home you can find her and her rescue dog Josie chilling on the couch as she works on her next craft project!

As a child Robin spent her time picking weeds and flowers, and dabbling in artistic endeavors. Decades later she is still doing the same thing. Robin’s art practice includes watercolor painting, drawing, and making her own watercolors from foraged materials. She finds great joy in teaching and celebrating others in their artistic journey.

A Seattle local, Marisha is a lifelong creative with a love of nature, color, and making things. Working in childcare and education, she found a passion for helping others learn and grow, and joy in building community through sharing art. After a lifetime of crafting as a hobby, Marisha is thrilled to join The Works as a teacher where she can combine her passions and nurture her creativity!

Creative, crafty and curious have been constants in Melanie’s world. Despite the many stops on their journey, the PNW is where Melanie feels most at home. Melanie has “collected” many arts and craft skills along her path and loves to teach and share them with others. They spent a lifetime in a corporate career teaching others until the time came to realign priorities and begin again on a new path. As a child Melanie was always confused by the limited representation of beauty reflected in the mainstream world around them, so she began filling the void with their art. You can find some of their art out in the world, often depicting the joy of diverse bodies without shame or desire to be anything but themselves…beautiful! Melanie believes art and community have power to connect and inspire in ways words can’t. Melanie is delighted to be able to teach and share craft with others at the works and hopes that they will be able to meet you in class!