Nat West
Portland Oregon
Nat West
Portland Oregon
Wow, what a busy time the last few years have been! In late 2023, I finished a project of 12 years: Reverend Nat's Hard Cider. I was on a mission to change the perspective of cider in America, and we did it. With the help of dozens of coworkers, we won dozens of awards, appeared in major media and books, and became known as a pioneer in new ciders.
In early 2024, I decided that I would try my hand at politics. I ran for Portland City Council during an historic election. Over the course of 10 months, I built a great team, recruited dozens of volunteers, raised the most number of donations in my race, secured major endorsements from labor unions, progressive groups, and The Oregonian, but ultimately wasn't able to turn those wins into the big win.
In between those two projects, I was a bus driver for TriMet, where I developed a deep love of service and appreciation for smart transportation planning.
Now I'm looking for what's next. My priorities include small business support and entrepreneurship, packaged food and beverage products, active transportation and bicycle advocacy, and civic leadership.