Our Team
K A T Y
Owner & Designer • Founded Grayling: Winter 2009
Hailing from Montana, land of plentiful mountains and beautiful surroundings, Katy's lapidary grandfather sparked her love of jewelry and stones in particular. As part of a military family, Katy spent six years living overseas in Europe and Asia where she gathered inspiration for what would eventually become Grayling.
Some of her favorite childhood pursuits were playing store and selling travel-sized shampoos door-to-door. Katy got her start in the jewelry business selling pieces out of her locker in high school and eventually, her love for the craft blossomed into a full-time career. In 2009, she manifested her dream of running her own business designing and handcrafting versatile, hypo-allergenic pieces all jewelry lovers can wear.
S H A N N O N
Inventory Manager • Production • Joined Grayling: Fall 2017
Known for her level-headedness, Shannon stays calm and collected no matter what's going on (usually with a grin on her face)! She makes sure our store is filled with enough inventory and your online orders are processed quickly so they arrive on time. On any given day, Shannon spends just as much time stone-setting and making jewelry as she does working with customers in our retail store!
Shannon is known for her genuine, warm personality and gorgeous mermaid hair. When she’s not in our workshop, she’s probably planning her next trip to see her family in Montana, or at the cinema catching the latest horror flick! Shannon uses her creative downtime to work on her sketching and painting (this girl is bursting with talent) and could probably never tire of the faces of her furry children (okay, kitties).
R A C H E L
Art Director • Joined Grayling: Fall 2020
After bouncing up and down the West coast, most recently San Francisco, Rachel landed back in Portland. She spends her days plotting ways to keep Grayling looking shiny and bright, whether it be shooting new styles in her studio, or showcasing all things shiny with our marketing team. Rachel makes us all swoon with how makes our pieces sparkle, so that our fans can feel amazing when adorned in them.
As a former travel magazine photo editor, Rachel is always taming her relentless travel bug. Which she attempts by spending lots of time outside, planning future trips and dropping everything to say YES to spontaneous weekend excursions. She often unwinds in the garden, cooking with friends, wandering bookstore aisles, or tinkering in her art studio. Her dazzling wit and storytelling keeps us all on our toes, when we can keep up with her that is!
K I M
Store Manager & Customer Experience Lead • Joined Graying: Fall 2021
Breezing in from down south in New Mexico + California, Kim is snug as a bug here in Portland. She adores working with her hands and adding to her technique arsenal as a metalworker in our studio & truly can’t get enough of the satisfaction that finishing a shiny piece of jewelry brings, and she does it all for you, folks.
When Kim’s off the clock she’s been spotted bounding down the river with her pups, thrift shopping, rockhounding or documentary binging like there’s no tomorrow. She’s also a sucker for every trinket at Paxton Gate, obsesses over playlist curation and don’t get her started on all things mythical and cryptic (Mothman, anyone?). When she’s not trying her hand at a new craft project she’s easily persuaded to watch the sunset at a rooftop bar with something delicious to sip on. Cheers Kim, we’ll join ya.
S T A R
Fulfillment Lead • Joined Graying: Summer 2024
Strolling over from St. Louis to Portland in the last decade, our production and customer service teams have been so much brighter since Star landed on our team. A true fashionmonger at heart, Star loves helping customers discover their own unique style & build out dream looks, always tickled at how the curation unfolds on our fellow jewelry-lovers. Aka, ask for Star next time you're at the shop and want to freshen your hardware!
In their downtime, Star jams to K-pop, heads to live shows or watches anime and horror flicks with friends. More often than not, there’s art involved; making their own art, hosting pop ups for their fellow artists in their community, or plotting when to get away to the LACMA, the Met or museums abroad for inspiration to fuel their next project. When they’re not in search of the perfect bowl of noodles or cuddling their kitty, they also keep all the plants at Grayling alive, well and genuinely happy with that magic green thumb!
C I R A
HR Coordinator • Joined Graying: Summer 2024
From Salt Lake City to Scotland (and a hefty handful of zip codes in between) Cira has settled in Oregon for the time being which we are, selfishly, thrilled about. They’ve been crafting jewelry for 5+ years and are a true magpie - can’t get enough of shines & sparkles, which makes them the perfect fit on our productions and sales teams.
Outside the office, Cira is often enriching their life as a devoted yoga student and teacher, pursuing holistic learning of all kinds, unwinding at the sauna or with a paint brush in hand. It’s a safe bet they’re most likely on the move; getting outside with their doggies and spouse, escaping to the ocean, vibing at music festivals, traveling to the long list of must-see cities (but honestly, probably Iceland, their favorite place on Earth. We’re packing ourselves in your suitcase, fyi).
O L I V I A
Floor Supervisor & Production Assistant • Joined Graying: Fall 2024
Our small-town Oregon girl, Olivia, has been bopping around Portland the past few years and we are pleased as punch to have her in our corner of the world. A customer service rockstar, she thrives when getting her weld on with Endless, helping style up Grayling-lovers for events and keeping those inside jokes alive with our loyal jewelry enthusiasts who can’t stay away (we get it, the shiny things call to us too)!
When Olivia is off the clock she’s definitely on the move - be it thrifting, sewing, belting out tunes, snacking on sushi all day everyday (with extra ginger, or else there’s not point), and hitting the town with her crew. Not to mention always lending a little zap of energy into every interaction, and her fashion - we see you in those little cheetah boots, yes we do and we salute ya!
J A N I E
Customer Service & Production Assistant • Joined Graying: Winter 2025
Janie has graced us with their presence all the way from Eugene, by way of SoCal, and are quite cozy here in Portland. Janie happily jumps between styling moments with our ever-collaborative customers, and keeping the work bench hot, crafting our beloved Grayling jewels (a Janie of all trades, if you will).
When they’re not disarming us with their tranquil charm or serving looks in a bolo tie, Janie’s likely on a really long walk, has their head in a book or hands on an art or graphic design project. Their partner and furry crew aren’t far behind either, probably in search of the nearest dance floor to scorch, music festival to bop around at, or natural gem to hike and camp in. There’s nothing that hits Janie quite like where the ocean and forest meet, or hightailing it down to Joshua Tree for a sky full of stars.
