OUR TEAM
TEAM 86

Zach Whitman
Artistic Director & Co-founder
Zach's been moonlighting as a server for the last ten years. His poetry has been featured on three collaborations with candle designer Thompson Ferrier. On stage his audience involvement sets him apart from traditional spoken word poets, while on page you can find him in collaborations such as Poem Wars’ Bloom.



Mike Ferrin
Managing Editor & Co-founder
Born just outside of Chicago, Mike now lives and works in Astoria, Queens. Mike has spent time at just about every job possible in the service industry and though it’s been years since he hung up his chef coat, his heart has never strayed far from his back-of-house roots. His enthusiasm for sausage is unmatched. He has no doubts, that if God exists, his fingers must surely be made of bratwursts. His thumbs would dispense mustard – God’s thumbs not Mike’s.
Kate Meadows
Associate Editor
Kate hails from North Carolina and has been getting to know the city through food and beverage for the past year, serving up cocktails at night and using late mornings to develop new poems. With a special interest in community-based literary programs, she’s also worked with innovative publishing initatives and poetry nonprofits to help shape and support emerging writers. Her own work can be found in Scalawag, Southern Cultures, and her website.

Outreach & Communication
Quinn has spent her life around restaurants, losing her first tooth in the buildout of a family friend's establishment and later working in said establishment. She has been employed in the industry since age 14, holding nearly every position from barista, to pizza delivery driver, to server, barback, bartender, manager, and event coordinator. When not busy freelancing in digital design, photography, or video editing, her creative pursuits include painting, mixed media collage, and amassing a collection of 35mm portraits & candids, which she aspires to publish in various formats.

We are always looking for volunteer help. To inquire contact us at Pineapple@86logic.com