The Firsthand Team.
Each of the Firsthand team is dedicated to our mission of bringing our handmade makers to the best shoppers in Colorado.
With twenty years experience as a corporate and estate planning paralegal and then as principal of a small-business website design and marketing consulting firm, Raj joined the Colorado art market world after accompanying his maker/vendor wife to various markets throughout the area and falling in love with the indie scene. Raj's goal of making Firsthand the most vendor-centric market in Colorado and expanding Firsthand's reach to the limits of the Earth means we're just getting started! (Pictured above with his friend Mantee.)
An accomplished artist and vendor in her own right, Denise has been involved in the creation of some of the best markets in the US. From the creation of the Little Monster Market in Los Angeles in 2007 to the co-founding of Firefly Markets in Boulder in 2010, Denise believes that art is meant to be created, enjoyed - and touched - by everyone. A Rhode Island School of Design graduate and professional industrial designer - with career stops at multiple Fortune 500 companies - Denise's creative vision drives the look and feel of Firsthand's market brand, and she leads each market jury to ensure great artisan lineups and market layouts.
After graduating with a degree in Architecture, Natalie found that making drawings of sections and floor plans were just too "square" for her taste. Don't tell Zaha Hadid! She decided instead to cannonball into her career (and lifelong dream) as an artist. That's where she found her deep enjoyment in working side-by-side with other creators like you! When she's not working on her own art or helping plan events for Firsthand, you can find her slacklining in the park, coaching Crossfit, hiking with friends, or sipping coffee while tending to her one million and three house plants.
An artist at heart but a STEM-focused engineering and computer science student by day, Owyn brings her sense of all things right to Firsthand by focusing on vendors and the vendor experience. From the installation of signage during initial market setup to vendor logistics, vendor relations and everything in between, Owyn ensures that Firsthand's market vendors have the tools they need to sell. With more than half of her life spent in vendor booths and on the front lines of market production, Owyn knows a good market when she sees one!