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FAN EXPO PORTLAND TEAM
CHELSEA MANGOLD (SHE/HER)
SHOW MANAGER
It’s time to meet Mike Mangold, the world champion Red Bull Air Racing Pilot. Wait. No, sorry. He’s Chelsea’s uncle. It’s pretty cool to be related to someone famous! What’s not cool is E.T. - Chelsea is terrified of that alien movie & will never watch it again. Chelsea grew up watching Disney movies as a kid & she’s been a fan ever since. She loves spending time with her family, with her dog, and traveling the world as often as she can. What Chelsea doesn’t love is when people don’t return her calls. Just call her back! It’s not that hard. Plus, then you can hear all about her love for tacos, shoes, & Schitt’s Creek.
LIAM FLEMING (HE/HIM)
PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR (US)
When Liam Fleming is not busy being the Partnerships Director US, he’s a man who has many questions about this thing called life. For instance, he asked on one particularly frigid Sunday, “Why ride an e-scooter with one wheel and not two”? Then, in the early hours of dawn on a Wednesday, he said under his breath: “ Does February truly exist? Also, why do people get on the subway before other people have gotten off”? Perhaps, Liam, some questions aren’t meant to be answered. Fortunately, his curiosity is an asset to FAN EXPO HQ.
CLAUDIA WIESE (SHE/HER)
EXHIBITOR & SPONSORSHIP RELATIONS MANAGER
Claudia’s earliest adventure into Fandom was waiting in line for the 4th Harry Potter book release at Chapters. Since then, you can catch her watching True Detective (Season 1), Grand Budapest Hotel, or daydreaming about being best friends with Deb Morgan from Dexter. If someone from the Fandom world were going to play Claudia in a movie about her life, it would have to be Jennifer Lawrence. That’s for sure. If you’re the type of person to wear socks & sandals while watching TikTok, it’s generally best to steer clear of Claudia. Just a fair warning. If you like yoga, hiking or veggies & humus however, you and Claudia will get along just fine.
DD HERNANDEZ (SHE/HER)
CLIENT RELATIONS COORDINATOR
With her 75lb pomsky named Koa at her side, DD is ready to take on the robot uprising. No really, why are you all giving AI and ChatGPT so much power? If you are going to keep talking to them, then at least befriend them like how DD would with Light Yagami. It’s always a smart idea to be on the good side of the guy with the pen and scary notebook. Along with her real dog, she’s also a big fan of dog plushies, but has rules about collecting them: they must be found at a convention as DD loves the thrill of the hunt. However, she may slow down on buying Gundam models as she already has many in boxes yet to be built. Hey, it’s a commitment to start one.
ALEX WER (HE/HIM)
SALES MANAGER
Introducing the award-winning pumpkin artist, The Pumpkin Geek. When Alex isn’t winning awards for his jaw-dropping pumpkin carvings, he’s writing and recording music in his studio. Did we mention that he once got offered a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1993? He’s also managed to master the art of becoming Spider-Man… he’s jumped off his roof many times and never been hurt. In his off time, you can find Alex watching Friends, Modern Family, This is Us or any of Emily Blunt’s projects (he loves everything she does).
TAJSHEN CAMPBELL (SHE/HER)
U.S. PROGRAMMING LEAD
Tajshen was always going to be in the Fandom world. She never stood a chance since her mom took her to see Batman (1989) when she was literally one week old. She has three different answers when you ask for her favourite movie. The usual answer: The Godfather: Part 2. The real answer: Clue. The Fandom answer: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. She thinks they’re all excellent movies (and we agree). She has always wanted a quality lightsaber and collects anything that looks like it would be in Indiana Jones’ office. She can’t prove this, but her grandfather always told her that she was related to Mary Todd. What she can prove is that you should never trust gas station coffee. Ask her about it sometime.
SYDNEY HANLON (SHE/HER)
CONTENT LEAD
If you forget to drink water, Sydney will remind you. She has numerous active hobbies, like hiking, kayaking, and biking, so she’s always on top of staying hydrated. She’ll never say no to a hot, black cup of coffee though. That’s a necessity. If asked her guilty pleasure, Sydney would say it’s cheesy rom-coms. Hallmark? Netflix? She loves them all, but her fave is The Proposal. Once you get to know her, you'll discover that Sydney's love for travel keeps her constantly exploring the world. You never know where you'll find her next.
KAYLA SMITH (SHE/HER)
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Grab your dancing shoes, a reliable fanny pack, & a copy of Singing in the Rain: it’s time to meet Kayla. If you’re a fan of glitter & Minnie Mouse, we think you two would get along. When Kayla isn’t helping put on amazing FAN EXPO shows, you can find her hiking, going to concerts, and collecting Broadway Playbills. You’ll never find her skydiving again though. Kayla’s perfect evening would include watching Below Deck and eating a loaded baked potato. Her earliest experience with Fandom was going to all of the Jets home games with her Grandfather. She’s been a football fan ever since.
SHELBY O'CONNOR (SHE/HER)
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Shelby is always ready to add a new book recommendation to her TBR list. Just don’t expect a review anytime soon, her reading list is over 1,600 books long. She blames BookTube. As a book collector, she also faces the constant question of “can I donate this, or will I want to read it again?” – every reader’s greatest conundrum. Aside from books, Shelby is also a fan of One Piece, The Witcher, Arcane, Pachinko, and The Haunting of Bly Manor, but her very first fandom was Pokémon. She had a ton of board games, pajamas, clothes, bed sheets, travel bags, plush toys, and backpacks. Literally everything except the video games and cards since she wasn’t allowed to play with them. Her gaming goals have changed as an adult, and now all she wants is a well-built PC so she can live her best Sims life.
NIKO HARRIS (HE/HIM)
SALES ACCOUNT COORDINATOR
Niko is always ready for a throwback, especially if it’s related to The Golden Girls. Thank you for being a friend, Niko. And thanks to Niko’s older brother for introducing him to fandom through comic books. Now, as an adult, Niko is a fan of Daredevil and Black Panther. You never forget your first fandom. Niko is also a hero himself as he's a dad to two incredible twins.