Our People

Katie Carpenter (she/her/hers) is the Executive Director of Perennial.  She’s in awe of the beautiful and treasured items the Perennial community crafts out of broken and discarded materials. Katie is dedicated to securing resources and connecting with new audiences to keep programming accessible and share the value of a sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle. Katie’s always up for an adventure whether it’s cooking an egg on a volcano in Bali or a spur of the moment road trip to the Iowa State Fair, but she feels most at home surrounded by St. Louis brick.  Her nonprofit experience includes arts-programming, fundraising, and direct service. She holds an MPA with a focus in nonprofit management from Drake University.

Karalyn Skinner (she/her/hers) is the Director of Details at Perennial. She helps to keep the gears turning at Perennial, using her love of details to create and maintain systems for accounting, data-tracking, membership, and anything else that needs a bit of organization! She holds an MA in Library and Information Science from the University of Missouri as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English and History. Karalyn is always looking for an opportunity to geocache, eat yummy vegetarian food, and to share her love for Pilates.

Sophia (she/her/hers) is our Director of Creative ReUse. Her favorite part of her job is getting to tell the stories of the passion and creativity that flows out of Perennial. She owes her love of creative reuse to her grandmother, who could find a second life for anything. Sophia holds a BFA in Studio Art with a minor in International Human Rights from Webster University. Outside of Perennial, you can find Sophia making things, dreaming, and running her eco-friendly paper goods and accessories business, Just Human Studio.

Brad Hutchison (he/him/his) has been making things from whatever material he could find for his whole life. Somewhere out there is a picture of a grinning kid with big glasses and a bowl cut proudly holding up a chair nailed together from scraps of plywood (never mind the fact that it immediately collapsed from underneath him). He’s been making, building, and fixing things professionally for the past 20 years, across a wide variety of jobs: construction worker, museum exhibit builder/installer, handyman, furniture maker…the list could go on for a while. Most recently, Brad and his wife and favorite person Ash (also very much a maker) were property managers at a 100 year old former brothel/speakeasy turned camp/resort where he happily spent his days building and fixing. Brad lives to be in the shop making things. He and Ash have two young boys who are so great (and have an early love for making things as well). Brad carries around the knowledge and skill to make and fix given to him by countless other people. The only job he loves more than making things is passing all that knowledge on to other people.

Avery Pollard (she/they) is Perennial’s Outreach Specialist. She works with our partner agencies and women at transitional points in their lives to provide free creative reuse workshops and studio time. Avery was raised in St. Louis and owes their knack for reuse to their grandmother, their should-have-been-a-hippie mother, and their wonderful professors in university. Avery obtained their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ball State University- which promotes reuse and upcycling to their students and in their programs. She also owes her propensity for supporting others to their mother who taught Avery that acceptance, kindness, and fierce advocacy are essential to life. Avery is so excited to be a part of the amazing team of people that make up the heart of Perennial!

Neeka Allsup (she/her/hers) is Perennial’s Shop and Marketing Specialist. She was born in the back of a toy store in Austin Texas to two hippies that made toys from wood. She grew up painting and drawing, making her own jewelry and clothes. Neeka attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is a professional oil painter and muralist. She loves reusing things in her art and rehabbing antique frames. She is inspired by Perennial’s mission, and as the Shop Specialist, she uses her background in art and retail to make the shop and social media lovely, organized and inspiring to others.