The Long

I was born in good ol’ Madison, Wisconsin. The son of a Librarian, also born in Wisconsin, and a Researcher, born in Venezuela. My earliest memories are of driving in the passenger seat of my grandpa’s station wagon, unbuckled and passing fields of corn visiting farmers. (He was an agricultural agent of Dane County.) I also remember hitting my papa’s car with a hammer, thinking I was helping him fix it.

We moved to Miami, FL in 1992 to be somewhat closer to South America 🇻🇪 and experienced our first foray in the world of tropical weather: Hurricane Andrew. This category 5 storm remains the strongest hurricane to hit the state of Florida, costing $27.3 billion in damage.

We survived that night, a sister was born that night, and I continued to grow until I was 6’ 2 and a half”. Many years passed and I attended the University of Florida 🐊, intent on studying biotechnology 🐛 or something marine science-y. To the delight of my parents, I swapped majors and graduated with a BFA in graphic design. (They are stoked now.)

After college I moved to Austin for a hot second and more things happened. I moved to Charleston in 2011 and met my incredibly talented wife within three months of the move. We got a pup, discovered an immense love for Italy and France, I started oystering for Seaborn Oyster Co., had a little girl, had a little boy and more stuff in between all of that stuff too. So much stuff happens!

In 2022 I had the pleasure of co-founding The Marsh Appreciation and Restoration Society for Happiness Project with two other pals. Together we have been stoking native-re-wilding-fires around Charleston, SC, getting neighbors to dig up their lawn in favor of native plants. Why? To celebrate biodiversity, inspire homeowners to become stewards of their little lots, and to offset a teeny-tiny amount of carbon. Also… why not do what we can amidst the pollinator crisis?

If you are interested in working with me, please fill out the form on the right!