“So much of a child’s early development is based on gravitating toward what they’re praised for and shying away from what they’re shamed for. Mentoring, to me, is an opportunity to praise instead of shame, and to encourage both children and adults to indulge in the things that excite us with respect and non-judgement. To support each other in deepening our love for the things that bring us joy, safety, and a sense of belonging.” Joe Birdseye is a fourth-generation Duluthian who first found a community of his own in theater. A ward of the Duluth Playhouse, he performed in over a dozen plays (mostly Shakespeare) and musicals (mostly not-Shakespeare), under the profound mentorship of the director of the children’s theater. After graduating high school, his mentor assisted him in entering the workforce as an audio engineer at the Duluth Playhouse, teaching audio engineering to teens, and designing sound and stage managing for over 50 shows during his tenure. While spending a lot of his time behind the scenes, he continued to perform on stage and grow as an artist, which led him to join the Renegade Improv team! Mere months before the pandemic shut down all live performance venues... Not one to slow the progress of self-improvement, he used the lockdown to attend Eastern Gateway Community College, read voraciously, and to begin a new chapter working for the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Lakes and Pines Council. His time at the Girl Scouts was spent engaging with troops, providing them with resources they needed, and recruiting youth and troop leaders (all while eating arguably too many cookies). Still, art pervaded his life, as he grew from performing improv comedy to teaching it. Joe made the difficult decision to leave the Girl Scouts to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Hamline University, where he graduated summa cum laude. While studying, he spent his time working in the brewery at Blacklist Brewing Company. While he loved working such a unique and interesting job, he missed connecting with people. He began bartending and coaching axe throwing in the Blacklist taproom to see the faces of revelers enjoying the fruits of his labor, and to have thoughtful conversations with new friends over a pint. Still, he continued performing improv and teaching classes, eventually teaching teen improv intensives and facilitating an improv club for students at Many Rivers Montessori. All the while, he was working for Zeitgeist offering theater technology and event coordination support, stage managing theatrical performances for young audiences, and working as tour manager for the youth-oriented play, “The Wonderful World of Chris Monroe,” based on the works of the regional author. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Joe continued his work teaching, performing, and working with Zeitgeist while seeking a meaningful way to use his education, leading him to Mentor North. Joe considers himself a “cat man,” having never met a cat that didn’t take a liking to him… Yet. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and writing, hiking and fitness, playing video games (don’t ask him how many hours he’s logged in Civilization), acting as Dungeon Master for his friends’ D&D group, attending live theater and concerts, taking classes through Duluth Community Education, singing and playing music, and using lists to justify run-on sentences. Joe is passionate about mentorship and community connection, crediting mentorship for the trajectory of his life and making him the person he is today. He is an ardent supporter of “finding your people” and seeks to help others have the same impactful experience he has in any way he can. Social development is the root of upward ascending movement toward greater creativity, comprehension, education, and quality of life in our communities, and Joe Birdseye believes that mentorship is the nutrient-rich soil in which those roots grow.