In 2021, Jen Girardi founded Alto Marketing + Management (Alto MM). Her agency has opened up various career opportunities, but it also inadvertently led to a feeling of isolation from others in the industry.
After pondering what to do in response, Girardi kick-started a new local project known as Coffee + Creatives.
"This is a free, inclusive event series to foster connections and learning within the creative community," she explains. "We wanted to create a welcoming space where creativity is inspired through shared experiences and discussions. After founding Alto MM, I felt a bit of a loss in the collaborative in-house environment from when I worked on brand teams.
"Being self-employed or working in a small agency, we often take meetings from behind computer screens or work solo at home. There's a really big disconnect, but when we do shoots or creative projects, these people come out of the woodwork. I wanted to recreate that [energy] without needing to have a client on the line … and I thought that if I had these feelings, others who work in the creative space might also."
Coffee + Creatives began on Sept. 5 with a photography-oriented event featuring Blake Jorgenson and Guy Fattal as speakers. It followed up with a Nov. 27 session where media professionals Holly Fraser, Abby Cooper and Leanne Pelosi discussed the art of pitching ideas to clients. Both sessions took place at the Mountain Club Whistler, with Gradient Coffee providing refreshments.
All are welcome to drop by, from established pros and students to individuals exploring a new hobby or career path.
"Blake's talk on what it takes to be professional and have longevity in your career resonated with everybody in the room … and Guy Fattal's experience getting into photography was very different from Blake," recalls Girardi. "The first event was really well received, and the second one we oversold. We had 56 people out of 50 available spots, so I was pulling up coffee tables for people to sit on. There's always space."
'When we support each other, everybody wins'
If you've already been supporting or making it out to Coffee + Creatives, you'll be happy to learn it is being incorporated into the next World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF).
Between April 4 and 13, three more meetings will take place in the Whistler Conference Centre. Details are not finalized yet, but these activities are planned to be informative sessions highlighting a range of photography and videography topics.
Girardi believes her new speaker series will be a great match for the WSSF: itself a popular celebration of mountain culture that highlights the ubiquitous marriage between action sports athletes and the shooters who document their jaw-dropping deeds.
Regardless of venue or who is presenting, each Coffee + Creatives outing strives to follow a similar format.
"Each event features a facilitated discussion led by industry professionals on a specific creative topic," Girardi explains. "Attendees are encouraged to participate in a Q&A, fostering a two-way exchange of ideas and advice. The relaxed atmosphere encourages attendees to meet peers and build meaningful connections."
The Sea to Sky corridor tends to draw in passionate people, whether they're passionate about skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, photos or movies. Creativity overlaps with athleticism naturally in this part of the world, and that's why Girardi feels good about the future of her new gig.
"A big thank you to everyone that's been involved thus far in Coffee + Creatives. It's a personal project for me, so everybody has volunteered their time and efforts," she says. "There's a really big desire for people to connect in person. If you create an opportunity … the community wants to show up, and I think in Whistler the majority of people understand that when we support each other, everybody wins."
Find more information about Coffee + Creatives at altomm.com/coffeeandcreatives.
