Lisa is a Bay Area Native born to a Swedish-American mother and a Japanese father. She has always been interested in the arts (both fine and performing) as well as exploring the many cultures and languages of the world. She has studied belly dance with Suhaila Salimpour and hula with Māhealani Uchiyama. Her attraction to art forms rooted in tradition speaks to her desire to find connection and meaning in all aspects of her life.

After taking a break from dance, Lisa found ceramics as an artistic outlet. Since 2014 she has been a member of The Potters’ Studio in Berkeley where she creates simple, utilitarian pieces made mostly on the wheel. Lisa’s passion for creating and her attention to detail make her a dedicated craftsperson.

In addition to ceramics and crafting, Lisa also enjoys event planning. She founded a private event and boutique catering business, suitcase supperclub, in 2014 after deciding she wanted to cook better, healthier meals.

In 2015, Lisa helped open San Francisco’s first cat cafe, KitTea. She’s had cats around her all her life, but now she finally has the joy of working with them! She is currently working on opening her own cat cafe in Berkeley (scheduled to open in 2016), Calico Café.