Make.Shift Directory

Nikko Van Wyck is a performing musician and photographer who has been a part of the Bellingham music community since 2008. He performed in several local touring bands, including The Cat From Hue, Candysound, and Vacationeer. He grew up catching shows and performing at all-ages spaces like WhAAM, Jinx, The Vera Project, Ground Zero, and The Old Fire House. He formerly wrote for Bellingham’s own What’s Up Magazine, reviewing local and touring bands for close to a decade.


A WWU graduate, Nikko also spent the better part of a decade working at DistroKid, an online music distributor. While there, he helped empower artists at all levels to create and share their work. Working with the National Association of Broadcasting Employees and Technicians, he proudly helped organize The DistroKid Union, one of the first labor unions in the music streaming space. He has a passion for helping artists and colleagues find their voice and footing in a rapidly changing arts landscape.

He currently performs and plays bass for Ya Tseen (Sub Pop), and in his free time enjoys long hikes in the North Cascades, soaking in the sun on one of the many Chuckanut beaches, or exploring the hidden corners of Skagit Valley to take photos of birds.

Kelly Sorbel is a visual artist and musician. A longstanding touring DIY musician in his band Kurly Somthing, Kelly returned to Bellingham in 2019 to complete his academic studies in the fields of Cultural Anthropology and Media Production. Now serving as the Operations Director at Make.Shift, Kelly is making great strides to continue to foster an inclusive performance space that benefits both emerging and established performers.

Beth has spent most of their career working in non-profit and schools serving unhoused people, tenants, and young folks. While her work has a focus on housing services, Beth has seen the power that arts bring to these areas and she has had the immense privilege of organizing music, poetry, and art events with folks she has worked with. Beth’s experience organizing events in the Seattle Art scene was also a driving factor in their love for Make.Shift and all it provides.

As the Education Director, Beth hopes to amplify community-based learning to build connection, engagement, and understanding.

In their downtime, Beth organizes meal distribution with friends. Community-based work is Beth’s passion and has taught them the importance of building systems of care from the ground up. Beth also adores reading and learning about sustainable wear through knitting, crocheting, and sewing.

Marie Songer is a multi-media artist and musician from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She moved to the PNW to complete a Diploma of Environmental Protection Technology. Marie also has a BFA and has worked as a gardener, gluten-free baker, parking garage attendant, and music retail manager. 

Marie brings to KZAX her experience volunteering for WCBN FM in Ann Arbor as a freeform and experimental DJ. At WCBN she discovered what Rush refers to as “The Spirit of Radio” and has been hooked ever since. When not working on art or music Marie can be found exploring Bellingham with her dog Toutle.

Athena decided to move to Bellingham in May of 2023 for no other reason other than she likes it here. Previously, you could find her singing under bridges and in parks in and around her hometown or helping out with local shows there. She fell in love with helping put on DIY shows, picking up generators, and ending up a roadie at most shows she attended as an audience member. It’s no surprise that after finding some way to work at most shows she’s attended since high school, she ended up passionate about event production and fostering community through local music. Athena is striving to create a safe environment for all attendees of Make.Shift while fostering a similar environment of support and community care to the one she fell in love with.

Othello has lived in Bellingham since 2017 and has been involved in the arts and music scene just as long. He’s a jack of all trades, bouncing around from hobby to hobby and using the skills he builds to further his capabilities in his work.

He began as an intern in early 2023 and began working as the Outreach Director in January of 2024, handling a little bit of everything from social media, to booking, to teaching interns and running orientations: if you need something done, he’s your guy.

When he’s not at Makes.Shift, you can find him running door at the Shakedown.

Make.Shift Board of Directors

Erik Takuichi Wallace (Board Chair) — Audio Engineer, Producer, Live Sound Technician, Instructor of Audio Engineering, Western Washington University

Erik Takuichi Wallace (he/them) is a local musician, recording engineer, and music producer, as well as an instructor at Western Washington University. Erik moved to Bellingham over 20 years ago as a pre-teen and has been active in the local music scene since attending Bellingham High School in the mid-2000s.

Mike Nardone (Vice Chair) — Project Manager

Originally from Monterey, California, Mike Nardone (he/him) spent the last 35 years in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry. His love for music carried over into his professional life working for various record labels, producing music, and hosting the longest running hip hop show in Los Angeles, We Came from Beyond. Since moving to Bellingham in 2020, Mike works as a project manager for a production company, and hosts Essentials with Mike Nardone weekly on KZAX 94.9 FM. In his spare time, Mike enjoys bringing people together through a shared love of music and food, spending time with his family, and of course shopping for vinyl. He’s never seen a stack of records he didn’t dig through.

Riley Currie (Secretary) — Graphic Designer

Riley Currie (she/her) is a graphic designer, illustrator, & educator from Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from Western Washington University in 2021 with her BA in journalism/public relations and minors in philosophy and Holocaust/genocide studies. Riley has been involved with Make.Shift since 2019, when she started volunteering as a gallery attendant and KZAX trainee. She held a series of internship and staff roles at Make.Shift from 2019 to 2023 and is now proud to serve on the Board of Directors.

Sarah Kindl — Artist

Sarah Kindl (she/her) is mixed-media installation artist, and received her BFA in Fine & Performing Arts from Western Washington University in 2020.

Rosie Lockie — Artist, writer

Rosie Lockie Everson (she/her) is an artist and writer who makes drawings, paintings, and comics. She received her BA in Studio Art and MA in History from Western Washington University and currently works for the Whatcom County Library System. She has been involved with Make.Shift since 2018 as a volunteer, gallery artist, and as the host of The Rose Tint, a music history show on KZAX. 

Janelle Nardone — Audio Visual Technician

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Janelle fell in love with music and sampling culture from a young age. In 2018, they moved to Bellingham to pursue their interests in radio and music at Western Washington. During her freshman year, she began volunteering at KUGS, Western’s radio station, and hosted a variety of radio shows throughout her four years there. In 2021, she became the KUGS Music Director and worked to make a more diverse and inclusive community for incoming volunteers. Janelle received her BA in Ethnomusicology and Audio Technology through Fairhaven College in 2022. Janelle started working for KZAX 94.9, Make.Shift Radio as Community Manager in 2022 and worked to facilitate community outreach and community engagement with volunteers. In 2023, she was promoted to Station Manager and helped facilitate KZAX’s relocation to 103 E Holly St. During their time post grad, Janelle also began to DJ throughout Bellingham with Serato and vinyl sets. They moved to Seattle in 2024 and work in AV for Microsoft.

Sarah Stifler - Cultural Communications and Psychotherapist

Sarah Stifler (she/her) is a psychotherapist in private practice and seasoned communications executive who has provided strategic leadership to internationally recognized cultural institutions for over 20 years. Prior to her work as a consultant for arts organizations, Sarah served as Chief Communications Officer at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) and began her career at the UCLA’s Hammer Museum. Ms. Stifler has a M.A. and completed advanced coursework in Art History at the University of Southern California and holds a B.A. in Art History from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Sarah also holds a M.A. in Psychology from Antioch University and is increasingly interested in ways psychology can be helpful to organizational strategy and community development.

Lynx Hawthorne — Executive Director of the Bellingham Circus Guild

Summoned from the desert, Lynx (they/them) reveled in the green magic that is the Pacific Northwest in 2011 and never left. They pretty quickly joined a circus community where they were awe-mazed by the scrappy, playful and artistic humans they were surrounded by. This began their Edible Art Phase (catering and food prep), serving thousands of meals a year created from the abundance of local farms through productions of music and art events. From cheffing to event production, they found their niche in supporting small arts organizations transition to professional and polished businesses. Today you can usually find them at the Bellingham Circus Guild, wearing stripes and a teal mustache - swirling around and making sure all aspects of the non-profit are running smoothly and effectively. 

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Trevor Westerlund — Business Consultant

Anna Arvan — Local Musician

Wanna join the Make.Shift Board?

We’re currently accepting applications! We're looking for folks with a background or interest in:

• Philanthropy and fundraising

• Visual arts industries

• Broadcasting and public radio

• Youth empowerment

• Intergenerational learning

• Nonprofit finances