Join us and CreativeMornings PDX for an inspiring conversation with Eugénie Jolivett Fontana.
RSVP Required.
Eugénie Jolivett Fontana is an exuberant creative force whose work lives at the intersection of culture, leadership, and transformative learning. Her path has carried her from the multimedia creative sector into civic, educational, and cross-sector environments where thoughtful facilitation, cultural fluency, and collaborative design are essential to lasting impact.
After earning her degree from the University of California, Irvine, Eugenie launched an interactive multimedia creative technology firm, building platforms that bridged storytelling and innovation. Experiencing firsthand the gaps in representation across creative industries led her to co-create We Are Here in 2016 — a collective space centered on people of the Global Majority and LGBTQIA2S+ communities. Following more than two decades in creative leadership, she founded Gather & Garner to support individuals and organizations navigating complexity, growth, and cultural change. In addition to transformative work, Eugenie serves as the current Festival Director of the Cascade Festival of African Films, held in the city of Portland.
Eugenie has facilitated and spoken on topics ranging from diversity in leadership to cultural barriers in the workplace, community leadership, and strategic engagement. She has partnered with organizations including Portland State University, Blue Sky (Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts), AIGA Portland, PDXWIT (Portland Women In Technology), Visible Studio, Design Portland, Design Museum, the City of Portland, Portland State University School of Art + Design, Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA Design), and St. Mary's Academy, among others.
As a speaker, facilitator, creative strategist, and community convener, Eugenie believes that meaningful collaboration requires courage, care, and embodiment. Cultivating meaningful relationships and advancing community-centered change by amplifying diverse perspectives is the driving force behind her work.