Meet Morlock

Founder, Past Lives.

I spent five years in prison. During that time, I searched for ways to stay hopeful and active. I had worked in factories and woodworking shops, so I applied those skills to figure out a future helping others. My dream was to create a place where the formerly incarcerated could get a shot at renewal while learning a trade and earning a fair wage.

In late 2020, I opened Past Lives as a small makerspace in Southeast Portland. We began offering membership and classes with a wood shop and metal shop. And as we grew, we created employment opportunities for those struggling to reenter the workforce.

Past Lives is now flourishing in an expansive new space at 28o8 SE 9th Avenue in Portland. I'm still building the vision, but now I have the support of a partner who knows how to build a business: Glenn Dahl, co-founder of Dave's Killer Bread.

To learn about our support for the currently incarcerated through art and craft, please click here.