Getting to know the incredible creative minds of the community has always been one of the best parts of Wandering Wyld, and we were so honored when the Audacity Fund gave us the ability to give tangible financial support to local businesses.
With over fifty wonderful and worthy applications, we mean it when we say this was a seriously hard choice. We wish we could support each and every venture. But after much thought and tough deliberation, we're delighted to introduce the creative ventures the grant will help start, grow, and evolve. With this fund, we're investing in Reno's creative heartbeat, and we can't wait to see how it spreads.
5 Two Press
In todays world of facing down publishers who may not want to honor marginalized voices, or self-publishing through unfeeling mega-corporations, authors face a major challenge in getting their work to audiences. 5 Two Press is an independent publishing company from right here in Reno, Nevada.
Sharissa has built more than a publishing company. She's created a launchpad for voices too often left out of the literary conversation. They began with publishing non-fiction, with a focus on memoirs, and have recently branched out into accepting romance manuscripts. She also hosts a free digital writing club to help people get their creativity flowing, and get plugged into a supportive community. The grant will help 5 Two Press grow and expand with confidence as they continue into this next phase!
Amarirey Productions
There's magic in the moment when a woman sees her own strength reflected back at her. Alita with Amarirey Productions has partnered with Safe Embrace, a local domestic abuse center. Her current project works with them to provide free photo sessions for women over forty, helping them celebrate and see the beauty of their soul: the laugh lines earned from decades of resilience, the posture of someone who's learned to stand in her power.
Each of these women also have the chance to select one of their photos for inclusion in a book celebrating the awe-inspiring resilience of women who have overcome life's challenges, helping share their story, and inspire others. With Wyld Creative support, she'll extend this gift of visibility to more women in our community.
Auntie's Grant Advisory
Operating in the vital spaces between need and opportunity, Tara of Auntie's Grant Writing has become a quiet architect of Reno's cultural growth. After years of experience as an educator and volunteer, she saw first-hand how much of a need for funding can arise, and how worthy causes can often struggle to connect with those sources.
After stepping into the new chapter of motherhood, she's tackling a new chapter of community building as well, using her skills to uplift and champion other voices in the community. This grant will amplify her impact, helping her connect with new causes and non-profits, and help them navigate the complicated and often-daunting world of financial support.
Equus Insight
Sometimes, healing can be found in the touch of nature, and that includes on the back of a horse. Melinda and Equus Insight give people a chance to connect with animals in the gorgeous high desert. Her horses mirror back our unspoken energy, teaching executives, teams, and trauma survivors alike how to lead from authenticity rather than armor. We're so honored to be able to help them build and expand their community programs!
It's a BOP
KaPreace and Tyler's It's a B.O.P (Black-Owned Pop-Up) is more than a marketplace, it's a movement. Their events blend commerce and culture into joyful gatherings where Black businesses flourish, from R&B brunches with DJ-spun grooves to vendor tables bursting with handmade treasures. This grant fuels their vision for monthly events that celebrate Black excellence, and create space for community to flourish.
Don't miss their upcoming 90s Brunch at Z Bar, where you can sip, shop, and sing the best of the 90s. Come check it out, grab a delicious bite to eat, and enjoy the good vibes! And be sure to check back to see what other amazing events are coming up, and what local businesses they're platforming.
Krystal with a K
Krystal understands creativity as emotional alchemy. She's been through years of artistic struggles, both triumphs and low points, and she knows first-hand the struggles of finding the confidence to step into the artistic world.
Her upcoming course, The Key, is an online program built to help artists, creatives, or anyone connect with new mediums, and build their skills. She strives to give access and understanding to artistic foundations and concepts in a way that empowers students to feel liberated from old stories, and begin new ventures. With Wyld Creative support, she'll be able to collaborate with other local artists and creatives to bring this venture to life before the end of the year.
Sacred Transits
As our population ages and healthcare systems strain, Melissa champions a radical return to sacred transitions. Her work training end-of-life doulas treats death not as a medical event but as a human one, worthy of poetry, presence, and proper support. In addition to helping find healing in grief, she also works with clients in the fields of reiki and healthy sex lives, creating inner balance and peace.
Melissa tackles the things in our lives that are hard to discuss, but that are still deeply important, and that impact all of us. With this grant, she'll be able to expand her community efforts and programs to support more of those seeking peace, harmony and healing.
The Honeycomb Project
Like bees to a hive, Candace's Honeycomb Project gathers artists for collaborative exhibitions that explore unity without uniformity. Each cell in a honeycomb can have a unique purpose, from storing pollen or honey, to providing a home for baby bees, but they all work together to make an integral framework. The traveling show demonstrates how individual creative voices combine into something greater.
With the support of the Grant, Candace will be able to expand the Honeycomb Project's reach within Northern Nevada, adding new exhibition dates and allowing more artists, creatives and dreamers to join in and share their vision and voice.
The Radical Cat
The Radical Cat proves revolution can be cozy. Part bookstore, part adoption center, part community space, this little corner of Reno is ALL awesome. In addition to cute cats to meet (and take home, if you're looking for a furry friend!) they also provide a space to find your next read, connect with an accepting community, and experience events like author talks, book clubs, movie nights, and more.
They'll use the Wyld Creative support to help them achieve their goal of purchasing a used Risograph machine, allowing them to start printing here in Reno. Starting with small zines and poetry books, they'll give local writers and authors a new avenue to reach the community, because independent voices deserve ink and paper as much as digital space.
The Spirit of Ray
Born from personal loss, Ray's "Bones and the Bereaved" transforms sorrow into something tactile and tender. This grief workbook's art projects and writing prompts honor absence without being consumed by it. The grant will help expand the project into workshops where healing happens collectively, giving those in grief someone to walk their path alongside them.
Zawadisha
After years empowering Kenyan women through micro-loans, Jen is now channeling that expertise homeward. Her Reno workshops will equip small business owners with both practical skills and the confidence to use them, because thriving local economies are built one nurtured entrepreneur at a time. Rising prices and global uncertainty make it harder and harder to be a small creator, and now more than ever, we need framework to help them grow. Jen will be dedicating her years of experience with non-profits into growing our community's roots.