Illustration by Aly Miller @aly_illustrations

Hello friendly CMers,

Miss you and hope you’re well. We have a lot of goodness to recap from our June event before we open up registration for July’s (scroll for the save-the-date!). Can you believe June marked our 6-month anniversary since our reawakening?! We crunched the numbers (not our strong suit) and were tickled to learn that we’ve served a whopping 832 coffees since Jan. 2024. That’s a lot of Discourse and a lot of CM love. Thanks for continuing to show up.

On June 21st we gathered at Milwaukee Public Library’s historic Centennial Hall. Instead of our usual CM/MKE Spotify theme playlist, we were greeted by the songs of two pianists: Phineas Lee and Lucas LaBeau of Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. Read more about MYSO in our 30-Second Pitch section below.

Melissa Howard- Community Relations and Engagement Director, and Fawn Siemsen-Fuchs and Evan Szymkowski - the duo behind Milwaukee Public Library’s Peabody Award-nominated TikTok account, shared fun & surprising facts about the library and its programming; including…

And closing our event we announced an event hosted by our community partners at Islands of Brilliance. Join us THIS EVENING from 4-6 PM at Wantable Cafe for their free Doodle Lounge.

>>> GIVE TO OUR CHAPTER <<<

Portrait by Linda Smallpage

“We have to critique the pattern. Where do you work, what is your life, and what patterns are you in? Who created the expectations to which you are holding yourself?“ - Jake Daggett

Our main event was Jake Daggett, and boy did Jake serve main event energy. What a joy! At the top of his keynote, Jake referred to a line of questioning from our chapter’s speaker coach, Alea Cross: Who are you when you’re not teaching? When you’re not fighting for literacy rights? When you’re not on instagram?

Jake, we are so grateful for the digging you did to uncover deeper parts of yourself and for sharing these gems with us. We laughed, we cried, and dare I say some of us were sweating!

This one’s worth a rewatch. Click below to be inspired!

Jake Daggett: Embracing Structure within the Gray

Filmed & edited by Joy Frame

Follow Jake on Instagram @jake_daggett and visit his website!

CreativeMornings is about shining the light on our communities. One way we do this is via 30 Second Pitches. This is where we invite a few people to the stage and share a pitch. Our 30 Second Pitch Nomination Form is always open! Feel free to self-nominate :)

Tenia Fisher is director of health and wellness for Social X MKE, a DEI consulting group that creates a connective platform for professionals thrive in Milwaukee. A lifelong runner and lover of fitness, Tenia is also the lead captain for Forget Everything and Run (F.E.A.R.), which brings together individuals who have a passion for health, fitness, socializing and running. Email Tenia at tenia[at]socialxmke.com or sign up for the Social X MKE newsletter to learn more.

We recently celebrated the grand opening of Andy Reiland Creative Studio, which offers brand design, creative strategy and production services. Go visit our friend Andy in his stunning new Third Ward studio, check out his work on his website, and follow Reiland Creative on Instagram @reilandcreative

Amber Thomas created BrushBox art therapy kits to bring accessible art practices to all communities, of all ages. From vision board workshops to help with goal setting to “Build your own superhero” kits to foster personal empowerment, BrushBox will help unleash your creativity. Subscribe to Amber’s newsletter or check out BrushBox on Instagram.

We also heard from our dear friend Steve Glynn about how music can change kids’ lives. When he’s not busy interviewing charming locals for his beloved Experience MKE podcast, Steve is marketing director for Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO).

Recently they launched Milwaukee’s Rising Musicians, a MYSO podcast. Its bio reads: Whether you’re a young musician mastering a legendary composer’s most complex work. Or a proud parent sacrificing to nurture your child’s talent. Or one of our visionary supporters, this podcast is for you. Together, we’ll go behind the scenes to experience the electrifying performances, grueling practices, lifelong friendships forged, and incredible life lessons learned through the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Check out their first episode, From MYSO to Berklee: Lucas LaBeau’s Remarkable Musical Journey.