Member and artist spotlight: Lisa Congdon
Ridwell is all the rage in Portland. We sat down with Lisa Congdon, an “obsessed” Ridwell member, iconic Portland artist, and the creator of our Portland “this house is wasting less” yard sign to find out why. Lisa is a self-described artist, joy monger, author, activist, world traveler, collector, goofball, avid cyclist, and Portlander.
A serendipitous beginning
Having seen Ridwell’s classic white bins on the front porches of multiple adorable Portland homes, when Lisa and her partner Clay were then serendipitously told about the awesome service by separate friends on the same day, they knew it was meant to be. They joined that day, received their bin, and have been obsessed ever since.
Living a Ridwell lifestyle
Lisa loves to recycle and reuse and says Ridwell has been a magical addition to her home life, extending her personal passion for thrift store shopping for reusable items like vintage erasers and her studio’s eco-friendly-first approach to shipping materials, paper, and other products. She and Clay eagerly anticipate the bi-weekly featured categories. They recently moved and have used Ridwell to responsibly purge old things during their move.
From left to right: Milkshake, Lisa, Clay, and Wilfredo.
Favorite featured categories
Every Sunday Lisa and Clay have a “power hour,” where they organize one small corner of their house (A ritual we love!). A recent junk-drawer-focused power hour lined up with Ridwell’s rotating featured category of electronics and cords, and everything went right from the drawer into the Ridwell bin. Lisa said, “It was so satisfying!”
Lisa and Clay are also avid cyclists, which means they’ve collected a lot of bicycling gear and accessories over time. Last summer, when the Portland Ridwell team collected bicycle gear and accessories, Lisa and Clay had a blast going through their bike gear. They realized that some of their unwanted or unused gear was actually high quality and expensive equipment, which made them feel great about sending the gear off to a second life with a new owner.
Portland’s “this house is wasting less” Ridwell yard sign design.
A yard sign inspired by and designed to inspire Portlanders
Lisa recently designed Portland’s new Ridwell yard sign. She said she wanted the yard sign to clearly represent Portland, celebrate Ridwell, and inspire passersby to ask "What is Ridwell?", which "has been life changing" as she describes it. Rooted in Ridwell’s orange and inspired by Portland’s infamous Big Pink, the piece features the Tilikum Crossing Bridge, the Portland Oregon sign, Mt. Hood, and the Springwater Corridor Trail that Lisa frequents on her bike rides – it's a combination of Portland’s natural beauty, outdoor activities, and urban lifestyle. She hopes to help spread Ridwell's powerful message and lifestyle far and wide.
If you're a Portland Ridwell member, be sure to request your exclusive Lisa Congdon yard sign before we run out! (Simply make a request via your member dashboard.)
New to Ridwell? Join Lisa, Clay, Milkshake, and Wilfredo in wasting less!