Poki Bio

2008-11-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Poki (Hugo) Piottin
Born 3/7/1958 in Lyon, France

AREAS OF INTEREST
Urban farming, composting, yoga, free-form dance and bicycling
Social utilities fostering sustainable culture
Community landtrusts
Sustainable construction
Preservation of indigenous way of life
Community Dance Rituals as Planetary Medicine

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EXPERIENCE

2011 (June-present) Dandelion Ranch. An experiment in creating a 1/8 acre community urban farm in the heart of Santa Fe.

2011 (Jan-June) San Pancho Community Garden. An experiment in community gardening, using the Biodynamic French-intensive method pioneered by Alan Chadwick, a close student of Rudolph Steiner, the famed Austrian philosopher and educator, founder of the Waldorf school. The project is located in San Pancho (aka San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico).

2009-2011 The Nodilus Project. Currently in the early development phase of a social utility designed to harness collective intelligence in order to inspire and foster sustainable and regenerative culture.

2008 Sabbatical: Embarked on a five-month walkabout in France, Morocco and Ghana, West Africa. Hiked the New Mexico portion of the Continental Divide Trail to go experience the Gila wilderness.

2003-2007 Founder and Director, Gypsie Nation: an organization fostering community dance rituals for self-expression, healing and community-building. Gypsie Nation initiated and a dozen dances in Hawai’i, Washington, Colorado, Montana and New Mexico.

2001-2003 Board Member,Evergreen Land Trust: a community landtrust in Washington state. Helped develop Pragtri Farm in Arlington, WA, and built a passive solar house on the farm in 2002.

2000-2001 Traveled: in South America and American Southwest.

1999-2000 Director, Field Operations and Training: ServiceMagic, Inc. a start-up company, now the largest provider of home remodeling services on the Internet. Resigned after 14 months and upon participating in the World Trade Organization (WTO) demonstrations of Seattle in Nov.1999.

1993-1999 Founder, President and majority shareholder, Contractor Referrals Inc.: This company marketed more than 150 small and medium-size construction firms in the Seattle area. ServiceMagic Inc. purchased Contractor Referrals in April of 1999.

1994-1998 Developed custom-coded contact management software for referral businesses in collaboration with an MIT graduate and former Microsoft programmer. Initially created as the operating platform for Contractor Referrals, the software was marketed and sold to other referral services around the country.

1991-1995 President, Miranda Ltd.: a company specializing in design and consulting to the food industry. Developed concepts and facilities for Seattle restaurants and food manufacturers. Clients include Gravity Bar, Plenty, Northwest Bagels, Sit and Spin, and Essential Foods.

1988-1991 Corporate Trainer, Sportsmind, Inc. Clients included such Fortune 500 companies as: AT&amp;amp;T, General Motors, Microsoft, and the James River Paper Co. Facilitated five-day seminars on team-building and corporate visioning.

1985-1988 Creator, owner and operator, Free Mars: an innovative vegetarian restaurant and art gallery in Seattle’s Belltown district. The business was sold in 1988.

1982-1985 Owner, Metropolis Productions: promoter of contemporary live music in medium-size venues (500 – 4,000 seats). Metropolis Productions produced more than 100 concerts over a three-year period in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver, B.C. Owner and operator, Metropolis Club: a 300-seat all-ages nightclub in Seattle.

1978-1982 Commercial fisherman in Alaska, during summer seasons. Fished salmon, herring and halibut in the waters surrounding Kodiak Island and in the Bering Sea. Worked for Tom Nelson, Alaska’s legendary skipper.

1976-1982 Professional ski coach and instructor, French Alps. Graduate of the National Institute of Mountaineering (ENSA) in Chamonix, France.

STUDIES AND DIPLOMAS
Baccalaureat of Maths and Physics (France)
Studied biology at the University of La Doua (France)
Graduate of ENSA (France) as a professional ski instructor
Skipper’s License (France)
Pilot’s license (USA)

LANGUAGES SPOKEN
French: Native fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Moderate

SPORTS EXPERIENCES
1971-1981 Downhill ski racer in France and Europe. Raced the International FIS circuit.
1992-1999 In-line skate road-racing. Finished 11th nationwide in the US professional masters division (35 and older) in 1999.

NON-PROFIT AND VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT
NW Hospital, Seattle - volunteer
Bailey Boushay House (Aids Hospice), Seattle - volunteer
Seattle Men Magazine, Seattle - Board of Directors
Seattle Men Wisdom's Council - volunteer, facilitator
Eco-Building Guild, Seattle - Board of Directors
Evergreen Land Trust, Washington - Board of Directors

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TESTIMONIALS

Hugo is a unique individual whom I admire and respect greatly. I have known Hugo for five years. I met Hugo as a direct report to me in our respective prior lives, but more importantly, Hugo was concurrently a colleague, confidant, personal adviser and teacher of mine regarding the service industry we served. Hugo brings to any situation in which he is allowed to contribute, an unusual combination of passion, insight, creativity, customer focus, and a commitment to excellence. He is a natural leader, coach, mentor and an uncompromising advocate for what he believes to be right for the constituents he serves. I know of no one who has a higher level of both personal and organizational integrity. I would be happy to work with, or for, Hugo at anytime in the future – or to provide additional details re my admiration and respect for him.
- Steven Baumhardt
Senior Vice President, TransCore, Inc.
Former Vice President Operations, ServiceMagic Inc.
Hugo combines determination, endurance and sustained focus with impeccable organizational skills to achieve tangible results.
- Jim Goebelbecker
Former Business Development Manager, ServiceMagic Inc.
I have known Hugo for 5 years. In my 25 years of business experience there are few men I would trust to lead and manage any project of almost any magnitude. Hugo is very effective at motivating and aligning people behind a shared vision to get the job done. His community-minded values and commitment to impeccability are matched by his skills in visioning, strategizing, designing, building, and negotiating. I have and would again, trust him with any of my business matters.
- Ted Knodel
Organizational Consultant. Owner, Measurable Chance Associates
I have to say it again, it was such a complete blessing to dance with you almost every week of my stay on the Big Island. I can say with no hesitation that the sacred space you created, allowed for the freest explorations and discoveries that changed me forever. You have been moved and inspired to create something that has been touching so many people, and changed them in endless ways. I wanted to thank you for that again, as well as the spirits that guide you, and wish you the most beautiful dances for all the days to come.
- Nadine Kreisberger
Advisor to the Vice Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia
I had the privilege to work with Hugo about five years ago when he came to the Big Island of Hawai’i to offer the Gypsie Nation dances. He brought together community in a joyful and sustainable way, creating a format for healing and growth for a vast number of community members. Hugo's talents lies in his passion, integrity and commitment to a vision, as well as in the admirable quality of being able to look at himself clearly and with humor.
- Angela Rosa
Barefoot Doctor, Registered Nurse, Massage Therapist, Medical Advocate and Educator in Hawi, on the Big Island of Hawaii. EssentialHealth.com
In my conspiracies with Poki, he has always blown me away by his complete thoroughness in all tasks of life, along with the integrity he carries to his commitments. He is the number one person I would want on my team to ensure success, fun, completion, creativity, and unlimited potential. His capacity for the above is at a very high level of integration to his projects.....whatever he determines to do, he will do, and do so beyond most expectations. Poki also has a keen sense of humor that partners his dedication, not to mention his sensitivity and awareness. His experiences have created a very diverse, loving, and dynamic being who is to me a very adored creature!
- Jennie Bradway
Owner, Four Season Xeriscapes
I am a 55 year old artist and community builder. I have known Poki for 21 years. We met at a highly charged time when we each were the creator/owners of two very unique and magical restaurants....Poki had launched the notorious cafe called Free Mars and I had just opened the art and health establishment called Gravity Bar. (both in Seattle) Since selling Gravity Bar in 2000, I have been painting, writing and traveling, while building the community rapport and networking for the creation of an intentional land-based community. During our friendship, we have found ourselves focused similarly on the dynamics of Visionary Cultural Evolution through the development of our businesses, our community networks, and in our own personal lives. When I consider illuminating Poki's character, I offer the view of a man whose immense energy and vision are matched by his widely varied skills. As both a leader and collaborator, he is a deeply feeling and heart-centered person with a passionate nature. Whether he is visioning, strategizing, problem-solving or just plain dancing his ass off, there is nobody who lives more outrageously in alignment with his values and high ideals. I am honored to consider Poki my friend and trust that our friendship will always find new dimensions to explore together.
- Laurrien Gilman
Artist, Creator and Owner, Gravity Bar
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