Secret Knowledge

Description

"I started Secret Knowledge because I saw how Portland was changing around us. Portland has a huge, growing creative population and a lot of those creative people were already struggling to make a living. People were flocking here driven by the cultural wealth of this place.

Even though their success depends on it no one teaches an artist, musician, crafter, or any of the other talented creative solo entrepreneurs how to run and grow an independent business. It's not part of the training you get as you hone your craft, even for highly educated creatives.

I knew that if we did nothing to support them we would soon lose the artists, musicians, creative business makers, and with them we would lose the vital heartwood of Portland's cultural wealth. Nobody was writing about this problem back then, but the signs were everywhere. I knew it was going to get much worse.

I started Secret Knowledge to do something about it.

Creative business education is something people need. Talent alone isn't enough."

Noah Kleiman, Founding Director