Progress Report
Mike reflects on the challenges of his nonprofit Crimson Rouge Studios, shares his vision for a more inclusive space that emphasizes STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education for the Queer community, and invites viewers to help shape the organization's future.
Good afternoon, everyone! It’s Mike George, coming to you live from Crimson House on this — well, not exactly beautiful — Monday afternoon in Alexandria.
It is freezing out there. I just checked the thermometer and it's 5 degrees (40F). Considering it was in the 60s and 70s just a few days ago, that’s a pretty significant drop. It’s raining too, which I guess we needed, but it’s definitely a gorgeous day to be inside.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the future of Crimson House and Crimson Rouge Studios. I realized that despite talking about it for six months, I’ve raised exactly zero dollars from the community. Not even a dollar in the kitty! I’m half-convinced I just forgot to enable a "donate" button somewhere and there’s a pile of backfilled donations waiting for me. But in all seriousness, it’s made me re-evaluate how I’m pitching this.
A big part of Crimson House is helping people in the queer community who might otherwise be on the streets. But whenever I say that, people immediately think "homeless shelter" or "halfway house." We aren't that. I’m basically trying to sublease rooms to people who are broke and subsidizing it with other income—events, donations, or grants. It’s more of a communal, subsidized living complex that also acts as a hub for our local chapter of Crimson Rouge Studios.
One thing that makes us special is the focus on STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. We need more queer representation in those fields, especially in energy and power. Engineering is still such a straight, male-dominated field, and I want to encourage more of us to develop that expertise.
Tonight at 19:00 Central (20:00 Eastern/17:00 Pacific), we’re having a general meeting for Crimson Rouge Studios on Zoom. It’s going to be a casual mixer for the first half hour, and then we’ll dive into our plans for 2023, including our peer mentoring program and upcoming retreat.
I’d love to see you there, even if you have no idea what Crimson House is. Since we’ve raised zero dollars so far, everything is on the table—even changing the name! We want your feedback on what you want to see from us next year.
So, stay warm, stay safe, and join us tonight. Let’s get some work done before Christmas so we don't have to dread going back to the office. Take care of yourselves and your neighbors.
From Crimson House, this is Mike George. Toodle-loo!
