| Year | Milestone | How It Happened | |------|-----------|-----------------| | | Mike sells his SaaS company | A $30 M exit leaves him with the capital and the itch for something “tangible.” | | 2015 | Nina’s breakout textile show in Paris | The show garners Vogue attention; she decides to explore “edible textiles.” | | 2017 | First meeting at The Blue Note, Seattle | A mutual friend introduces them during a jam session; they discover a shared fascination with “storytelling through material.” | | 2019 | Conceptualization of Lustery | Over a series of sketch‑filled evenings, they outline a “restaurant‑gallery hybrid” that would marry Nina’s kinetic installations with Mike’s data‑driven menu development. | | 2021 | Securing the lease on 212 W. 4th Ave. | A city‑backed historic‑preservation grant covers 30 % of renovation costs. |
As the sun began to set, the three friends gathered on stage for a final performance. Lustery read a poem, Mike played a guitar, and Nina sang a haunting melody. The crowd was entranced, and the festival ended on a high note. mike nina lustery full