Fuse's ‘Fireside Chat’ series kicks off April 12 in Richland

Editor's note: This event was canceled in February because of bad weather. It's been rescheduled for April 12. About 10 tickets are left for the free event.Organizers plan to post an audio recording afterward for those who can't be there. This story originally published Feb. 7.

Erin Schmidt went to a fireside chat in Austin, Texas, a while back.

“It was amazing,” she said. “It was like going to a coffee shop and being able to eavesdrop on two interesting people having a one-on-one.”

She thought having a similar event might work well in the Tri-Cities. This week, she’ll find out if she was right.

Schmidt is part of a Fuse Coworking Space team launching a new Fireside Chat series at 710 George Washington Way, Suite A, Richland.

Organized by Fuse’s education committee, the series kicks off Wednesday with local business owner and music luminary Dara Quinn as the interviewee.

They plan to hold Fireside Chats quarterly, with the next one expected in the spring.

The idea is to “introduce the community to people who’ve done great things (locally), from small business owners to CEOs to creators,” said Vanessa Cozza, a lead organizer.

When the team began thinking about who should be the first Fireside Chat subject, Quinn’s name shot to the top of the list. She is co-owner of the Emerald of Siam in Richland, a hub for live music in the Tri-Cities. An accomplished musician herself and a vocal supporter of the arts, she’s often credited as a significant part of the arts and culture revival happening in Richland and the Tri-Cities.

Quinn “fits perfectly into a confluence of a few different things” — a patron of the arts, a small business owner, someone who understands building community and improving the community, said Tyler Soldat, another organizer.

“She’s everything we wanted to do with the series rolled into one,” he said.

Quinn said she was “shocked and flattered” to be chosen for the first Fireside Chat.

Her aim is to build up the Tri-City arts and culture scene to “keep cool people from moving away,” she said.

Fuse has a similar goal of connecting and building the community, Quinn added, saying, “I really love what these guys are doing.”

Soldat will interview Quinn during the Fireside Chat. The pair have met to prepare, but Soldat said to expect spontaneity and free-flowing conversation.

Emerald of Siam is catering the event.

Along with Cozza, Schmidt and Soldat, other organizers include Carrie Benitez, Ken Schmidt, Ron Boninger, Isaac Lewis and Justin Jones.

Organizers said they hope the series inspires. They want to show what the community has to offer and share stories of people doing important and innovative things.

Also, the Tri-Cities can at times feel fragmented.

“At Fuse, we’re trying to show you can create this sense of community across the Tri-Cities,” Soldat said. “This is an opportunity to explore a community you didn’t know existed or have an opportunity to explore before.”

To stay up to date on the Fireside Chat series, follow Fuse on Facebook under Fuse SPC or go to fusespc.com. Fuse also is looking for sponsors for the series. To learn more, email jess@fusespc.com.

This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Fuse's ‘Fireside Chat’ series kicks off April 12 in Richland."