Where subculture, social activism, and spirituality come together.

I'm on a mission to help people feel more alive in their bodies and more connected to each other—whether that's through the music that moves us, the words that reveal us, or the practices that ground us.

As DJ Ricki Free, I use vinyl as a vehicle for storytelling, vibe-shifting, and community-building. My collection features the alternative subcultures of yesteryear, ranging from vintage country and rockabilly to soul, funk, and disco. I curate sets that invite people to rediscover a truth that their bodies have always known: dancing is medicine. When I'm not behind the decks, you'll likely find me two-stepping, jiving, or strolling my way across a dance floor myself.

As a curator of connection, I'm drawn to practices that bring us back to ourselves and strengthen our bonds with each other—convening conversations about our relationship to the land, our communities, and our natural rhythms; working with horses to deepen embodiment; and spending time in the desert, my spiritual home. My holistic health certification through the Academy of Healing Nutrition informs this work as I integrate ancient wisdom with modern-day living.

As a writer, I explore both inner landscapes and the world at large through personal narrative, poetry, and lyrics. My work has been published in outlets ranging from VegNews.com to Driftless Magazine, and has been featured in From the Waist Down, a collection of essays from Papeachu Press that recounts female and nonbinary experiences in healthcare.

As a strategic operations leader and culture builder, I spend my week days contributing 10+ years of experience in people operations, organizational development, and project management to support a responsible tech non-profit that’s working to strengthen social trust and connection in our communities. While I draw spiritual nourishment from the desert, my hometown of Chicago is my forever muse. I'm deeply rooted here, endlessly inspired by vintage aesthetics, and often dreaming of wide-open desert landscapes.

Photo by Alex Connor @viciousiris