The Dream Team
Hey, we’re people too
Jordan Clark
Market & Merchandise Manager
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” –Robert Frost
Erin Curtis
Operations Director
“It ain’t all about you.” – Mom (she was right)
“Do or do not, there is no try.” – Yoda & my Dad (yeah…okay Dad, good talk)
Heather Curtis
Public Relations Director
“Happiness over suffering is the key. Is what we’re doing creating happiness or suffering for someone else?”
“I’m still standing.”
“Honesty and authenticity should never be traded for approval and perceived perfection.”
Emile DeFelice
CEO & Founder
“You are likely creating the problem you are experiencing.”
“Drive on the crown of the road.”
“Bite off more than you can chew.”
“Cash is king.”
Olivia Pope
Business & Finance Manager
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” – Samwise Gamgee
“We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?” – Doctor Who
Stephen Ruxton
Soda City Staffer Extraodinaire
Immanuel Kant spent much of his life working on an ethic that essentially boils down to the idea that every person should be treated as an end-in-itself. Basically, we shouldn’t use people to get what we want. Every person as a consequence of being alive has value, and our value does not rely on anything outside the fact that we exist. So, since we are all alive on this planet together and we all have inherent value – we should always show respect and kindness towards each other based on the simple fact that we are all humans.
Jordan Clark
At Soda City I…
manage our weekly Soda City Market, Brookland Brunch (when we kick it back in), and our merchandise strategies, orders, inventory, and sales. Large scale public events are complicated, so making sure all the known variables are covered lets me – us – react better to the unknowns. My priority is to ensure that every market runs safely and smoothly on the street and behind the scene, onboarding new vendors, assisting vendors as they load in and out, managing market staff, and solving problems in real time. I make sure all is well by the opening bell.
If you run into me around Columbia, it’s mostly likely…
at Soda City Market every Saturday (I’ve only missed 2 markets in 4+ years!) or enjoying a comedy show at Curiosity Coffee Bar.
Favorite Fact
George Washington Carver invented over 300 uses for the peanut, but not peanut butter.
Erin Curtis
At Soda City I…
am mostly behind the scenes, overseeing company ops, business development, and managing our non-profit arm, Soda City Friends — plus HR and IT needs. Essentially, my job is to take care of the things that allow my colleagues to focus on the real work, like running our markets, special events, marketing, and building strong community relations. Because we’re a small company, almost all of us run some events throughout the year. My annual “super bowl” is the Gervais Street Bridge Dinner, which I co-organize with Heather Curtis.
If you run into me around Columbia, it’s mostly likely…
grabbing a beer with friends at a local brewery or biking around the North Main and Main Street District.
Favorite Fact
On August 6, 2014, the Rosetta space probe reached a Comet 67P after a 10 year journey through space. In order to reach the velocity needed to catch up with 67P, Rosetta performed 3 gravity assisted flybys (like a slingshot), 2 by Earth and 1 by Mars. Rosetta travelled a total of 4 billion miles to reach Comet 67P, which at that time was travelling 34,000 mph — but she was not done. Slowing down to a relative velocity of 2.2 mph (by completing 3 arc maneuvers), Rosetta began orbiting 67P and on November 12th dropped the Philae lander ON THE COMET from an approximate distance of 20 miles. Science is wild, y’all.
Heather Curtis
At Soda City I…
am a dot connector, a community builder, an engagement specialist, a copywriter, a social media strategist, a creative planner, and an event organizer.
Contact me if:
- You’re writing or covering a story of Soda City, and our company events
- You’re looking to sponsor Soda City Market or Gervais Street Bridge Dinner
- Your organization is wanting to partner with our organization
- You have an event idea you’d like us to spearhead
- You want to be featured on our social media channels or in our weekly newsletter
- You’re interested in just building an authentic relationship
- You’re in need of public relations, marketing, or social media advice
If you run into me around Columbia, it’s mostly likely…
running Riverfront Park, walking the Cayce Riverwalk, teaching a class at the Downtown YMCA sipping something earthy at one of the local coffee shops, modeling for a small business or Columbia-based photographer, watching a movie at The Nickelodeon, attending a 1 Million Cups or Junior League of Columbia meeting, or hanging with the Leadership Columbia Class of 2017.
Favorite Fact
The Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park is the oldest baseball stadium in the United States. Built in 1912, the Titanic sank 5 days prior to opening day. That same year Arizona and New Mexico joined the Union. Needless to say, it was a big year.
On the topic of the Boston Red Sox, Babe Ruth donned the red, midnight navy, and white uniform and helped bring home the 1918 World Series before being traded to the New York Yankees.
Emile DeFelice
At Soda City I…
steer the vision and come up with some of the big ideas. Day to day, I weigh in on events and initiatives, and support co-workers in whatever way possible, such as meeting Erin on the Gervais St Bridge to figure out progressively ambitious logistics for that annual dinner, being Jordan’s and Stephen’s eyes and ears at the market, trimming down Olivia’s inbox by sorting out junk mail and handling the more rote responses, and plain ole’ being a good boy — i.e. not creating any PR situations that Heather has to undo! 😉
If you run into me around Columbia, it’s mostly likely…
zipping around on my bike, sometimes with my little pup, Dobby, onboard. I am pretty domestic and stay mostly near home or grill out with Kristian (who co-founded the market with me back in November 2005) and friends at his place. When going out, you might catch me at Bourbon, Motor Supply, Baan Sawan, or Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen. Kayaking down the Saluda and an end of the summer day cool down swim at West Columbia Riverfront Park with my friend, Tom, are my favorite in-town things to do.
Favorite Fact
Columbia is one of only TWO southern cities with Class 4-5 rapids running through it. High-five Richmond, VA!
Olivia Pope
At Soda City I…
Ensure vending at the Soda City Market is simple and streamlined process. Whether I am bookkeeping, onboarding new vendors, event planning, explaining market protocol, sending invoices, running to the bank, or trying to determine which office snacks to order, it is all for the betterment of the company and each small business we have the pleasure in supporting.
If you run into me around Columbia, it’s mostly likely…
Grabbing fresh sushi at Camon, sipping a drink at Bourbon, cosplaying at a local convention, picking up coffee at Cool Beans, reading at Barnes & Noble, painting in the Horseshoe, lounging at the Saluda river, or just hanging out with my friends.
Favorite Fact
The Fermi Paradox is the ongoing debate that exists to hypothesize the contradictory and tantalizing question we have all asked ourselves: Are there other intelligent lifeforms in the universe?
Stephen Ruxton
At Soda City I…
do whatever I can to help out. Most of the time that means helping Jordan ensure the market runs smoothly, but it also includes cutting paper for the Gervais Street Bridge Dinner, pouring beers, and driving around a big white van.
If you run into me around Columbia, it’s mostly likely…
drinking a cold brew at my favorite neighborhood coffee shop with my wife and our giant fur-child.
Favorite Fact
Your face is older than your feet. Einstein’s theory of relativity tells us that the closer you are to the center of the Earth, the slower time goes. Therefore, time is actually passing faster at your head, than it is at your feet. If you were to stand at the top of Mount Everest, a year would be 15 microseconds shorter than someone who is standing on the beach. All of this may be a moot point, however, as some physicists have proposed that time itself could be slowing, and in a few billion years everything as we know it today will be just like a picture – frozen in time.
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