Kayt Mathers
Kayt began her career in wine distribution and retail before finding wine PR. She worked at Teuwen Communications in New York City, coordinating campaigns and events for restaurants, wine brands and wine regions. Kayt joined First Press Public Relations in 2011, where she managed restaurant and wine clients, including California Wine Month, Cider Week and Aquavit, among others. In August 2015, Kayt moved back home to Oregon and started Play Nice Public Relations with the goal of working with independent companies in the food and beverage space. Kayt is a graduate of Portland State University and has a Level 3 Award in Wines from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust. She is fluent in French and Spanish.
Linh Tu
Linh has extensive experience working in public relations/marketing, events, operations, and business development for hospitality and food & beverage clients in New York, Miami, and Las Vegas. She has launched hotels, restaurants, lounges, and bars for high-profile international/national hospitality groups and chefs, including Hotel Hugo, Bar Hugo, SUSHISAMBA, KG-NY Restaurant Group, Chef John DeLucie, Hakkasan, Menin Hospitality, Chef Herb Wilson (former Top Chef Masters contestant), and others. Linh is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and is certified in Revenue Management from Cornell University.
ALEXA DARROW
Alexa brings 17+ years of experience in hospitality communications, with a focus on restaurants, hotels, wineries, and tourism-facing businesses. She previously held positions at Portland's Little Green Pickle and agencies on the East Coast, where she built expertise in media relations, storytelling, strategy, and event planning. Today, Alexa works with restaurants and hospitality clients on public relations, client and media relations, and communications strategy in Portland and beyond.
CASSONDRA BIRD
Cassondra is a writer and sommelier based in Portland, Oregon. She holds an MFA in Writing from Portland State University, a WSET Diploma in Wines, and is a Certified Sommelier. She has worked multiple harvests and lived around the world. Cassondra applies her writing skills and deep wine knowledge to sharing the stories of Play Nice’s wine clients. (Photo credit Alyson Levy Photography)
DEVIN WHITE
Devin White gravitated towards photography and social media during his 10-year tenure in hospitality. While working at some of the top coffee shops in Portland, Devin also did freelance photography and videography for GMS, a local media and advertising company. At GMS, Devin worked on shoots for Nike, Providence, Portland Timbers, In & Out, and others, while also honing his food and drink photography. Devin is a talented photographer and a data-driven social media manager.
MADI SHAW
Madi studied at Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland before earning her bachelor's in communications from Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho and a master's in PR and Advertising from DePaul University in Illinois. While in Chicago, she worked at a global agency, garnering national media coverage, securing influencer partnerships, and ideating and executing on unique campaign angles. Today, Madi works with local businesses on social media management, media relations, strategy, and influencer and event coordination in Chicago, Boise, and Portland.