Shawn Kemp describes himself as a Technologist. Entrepreneur. Generative Artist. He started with an interest in nature and technology early on. He was born in Kona, Hawaii and spent years getting to explore the beautiful nature there. He soon discovered his fascination for technology when his Grandpa let him use a computer and he soon started coding his own little games on that computer. The computer had no way to store the information which forced Shawn to start over on a new project every time.

However, this was just the beginning of his relationship with technology and nature. He attended our very own Western Washington University for a degree in Industrial Design. After graduating in 1998 he began to work with Microsoft on the Xbox project where he led the design of xbox.live and Microsoft websites. Shawn worked at Microsoft but after 8 years of long work hours and a realization that the project he was working on was not fulfilling as well as optimizing for a space where digital connection was emphasized over in person interactions.

Shawn launched and worked on The Big Idea Lab, a coworking space and start-up accelerator. He worked on this for a number of years but ended up moving on to other things as he felt the space had not worked how he envisioned. A few years before that, Shawn saw a missing link between non-profts and their use of social media. He knew that by leveraging social media, non-profits and civic organizations could bridge to their audiences easier and scale their impact. So in partnership with Drew Bernard and George DeCarlo they created ActionSprout.  

During the pandemic Shawn started trying out generative art which he does by creating a unique math equation that he then plugs into a program he built. The program will then randomly generate a pattern that he had designed with the math equation. To finish it all off he uses book-binding techniques to put layers and layers of thin paper/wood to create his artworks.

Shawn and I discussed the future of technology, how is it being used, how can we use it for good and how that can have a social and ecological impact. He now works at the Non-GMO Project in Bellingham where his goal is to have people consuming safe and healthy foods that give them the energy to be changemakers themselves.