NAMI Washington's Brainpower Showcase
~ an evening of stories, creativity & connection ~
November 15, 2025 at Town Hall in Seattle
Saturday November 15, 2025
@Town Hall Seattle’s Wyncote Forum
5:45 pm ~ Pre-Show Supporter Shindig,
food & drink by Cameron Catering
7:00 pm ~ General Admission Show
​​
Join NAMI Washington to celebrate the power of stories, creativity, and honest connection in a festive gathering to uplift mental health in Washington. There will be Music, Storytelling, Spoken Word, an interactive game, and a few meaningful surprises…
Tickets
$100 - Supporter Shindig, plus the live Show
$25 - General Admission Show
$10 - Student Ticket
​
A fundraising event to support the continuing work of NAMI Washington, as we look toward our 50th Anniversary in 2030!
Attire
Festive dress encouraged, not required. What does festive look like to you?! It's time to grab that item that you've held onto for a rare occasion... is it a top hat? fun suspenders? a fabulous fedora or feather boa? Or maybe it's the fantastic dress you bought for some day... Well, friends, some day has arrived! This is your chance to say, it's not something I have to wear -- it's something I get to wear :)
​​
Refreshments Beer, wine, cocktails, soda, chips, cookies, and snacks are available for sale at the Otto Bar throughout the night.
​
Parking
Find detailed Parking Information with a range of options at the Town Hall Seattle Parking Info page.
​
For sponsorship opportunities,
please contact Director of Philanthropy, Vanessa Osage
Meet The Storytellers
Carol Rhodes
Carol Rhodes is passionate about the need to tell our story to fight stigma and normalize mental health. She has a 30-year career as a project director and engineer. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder during the first year of her career. Carol’s story shares the reality and complexities of mental illness, the impact of support versus stigma, and the guiding messages of hope she has been so fortunate to receive of healing, health, and success. Carol is a dedicated NAMI volunteer supporting several NAMI educational and support programs.
Michael Robertson
Michael Robertson is a certified peer counselor. Micheal is a staunch advocate for policy change regarding behavioral health policy. He works in the field of peer support within the platform of community re-entry. As a person with past felony convictions Michael is living proof and hope for persons whose lives are currently imbalanced spiritually, emotionally and physically. Michael has been recognized for his work on SB 1477, volunteering for several nonprofit groups in the music industry that promote a message of wellness and inner healing and recovery. A favorite quote: "Uncomfortability is the downpayment toward the gift of positive change."
Robin Hinz
Robin Hinz is the Youth and Young Adult Program Coordinator for NAMI South King County. Not only does she have the honor of working for NAMI, but she is also an individual who spent the majority of her life with undiagnosed ADHD and Major Depression. Robin’s viewpoint is that it is never too late to seek help, her stories discuss how growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, when little help was available to those living with mental illness, made life unbearable as an adult. Robin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the age of 59, and her Master of Arts in Sociology at the age of 62, demonstrating it is never too late to get help.
Artists from Path With Art
Lauren Tucker
Lauren Tucker is a Seattle-based poet, mixed media artist and hobby musician. Her writing gravitates toward darker themes that find their genesis in feelings of alienation, both social and corporeal, though she rejects cynicism and is a true believer in the power of art to forge meaning and community. She would like to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to her peers in Writing for the Moment sponsored by Cancer Lifeline, whose fellowship led her to her voice during a long night of the soul lasting 665 days and whose writing continues to inspire her life and work.
Ray Birklid
Ray is a long time volunteer of the music program at Path With Art. Formerly a homeless, hopeless, active alcoholic, Ray found that community and creativity were keys out of the darkness and onto his road of recovery and healing. He finds happiness and fulfillment in paying it forward by volunteering to ensure that those keys are easily found by anyone that may need them.
Stuart Zobel
Stuart Zobel is a guitarist and composer who specializes in Latin American music. He is a member of Cafecito, and a regular performer at Tango Happy Hour, playing as a duo with various tango musicians. A composer and bandleader for theatrical productions, he has composed music for various films, including Threatened a Tribeca Film Festival finalist documentary, and an Burlesque dance film of The Odyssey. Stuart teaches guitar, music theory, and has designed and taught music classes for Path with Art, a non-profit focused on helping people recovering from trauma. He has also designed a series of classes that use music and movement to teach Spanish.
