meet the

Michaela

michaela is one of the creators and caretakers of maek friends. with a forever love of all things moldable, far too much determination, and a passion for other peoples hobbies, she and her partner ryan dreamt up maek friends. her clay journey started as an accident in college and quickly morphed into a dusty path forward.

Ryan

ryan is one of the creators of and top ideator at maek friends. If you can’t tell by the glasses, he likes to make big weird stuff, has a shocking amount of hobbies, and is the biggest cheerleader of people following their dreams. ryan messed around with clay in high school and fell in love with clay (and michaela) in college.

Haplin

hap created and manages all things tech. he is a big music nerd with a deep love for software, and he is probably beating you at online chess right now. hap started his ceramic journey here at Maek Friends! 

Holly

holly is the wonderful studio operator of Maek. She is the hardest worker around and genuinely loves a good system. after finishing a bachelor ceramics degree at sdsu, holly came on board to help run the studio and maek friends couldn’t be what it is without her! if she’s not in the studio working or potting for fun, you might find her flying low above the lake with a pair of waterskis on.

Walker

walker is one of the studio technicians at maek friends! He is a gentle soul, a patient teacher, and has lots of hidden talents. he approaches people and ceramics with a wonderful curiosity, creating welcoming spaces wherever he goes. it wouldn’t be shocking to find Walker watering someone’s else’s plants.

Mike

mike is one of the studio technicians at maek friends! mike takes care of the people and things around him. a talented hand-builder as well as wheel thrower, his pots are somehow both experimental and reserved much like one of his favorite pastimes: bonsai.