About the Founder
The Story Behind Gesture
Hi! I'm Parker, the founder of Gesture.
I’ve been living in Portland for almost four years, and it’s really become home. I love getting out on the trails, exploring new coffee shops, and spending quiet evenings in (sometimes watching bad reality TV) with my partner and our four cats. This city’s mix of creativity, community, and nature is what brought me here initially and now is what keeps me here.
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My background is in communications and content creation, and I’m working toward my master’s in User Experience Design (UX). Gesture actually started as part of a school project, but the heart of it comes from my own life. I grew up in a neighborhood where people showed up for each other. If someone needed a ride, a meal, or a hand with something, a neighbor was there. That kind of generosity left a mark on me.
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Over time, I noticed how those everyday connections aren’t as common anymore, not because people don’t care, but because life moves fast and it’s not always clear how to help. Gesture is my way of bringing that neighbor-to-neighbor spirit back, using design to make giving and receiving help simpler, faster, and more visible.
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This genuinely isn’t just a project for me, it’s something I believe in deeply. It’s about turning small acts of kindness into something that can spread and make a real difference. I believe that we can all be the change we want to see in the world, sometimes it just takes the right tools to start.
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I'd love to hear from you, whether it is interest in involvement, ideas, or just to say hello.
