The Team

Dustin Feider / The Tree Man

Dustin graduated from the Minneapolis College of art and design in Furniture Design with a minor in film. Dustin worked for a year and a half at Brandow Creative a 3-d / interior design studio in Minneapolis. Soon after graduating he also built his first

geodesic sphere treehouse and shortly following began O2 Sustainability a sustainable design work shop located in Minneapolis. His treehouse design has received national

and international recognition in the design community appearing in over 24 design periodicals and publications around the world. Other projects O2 Sustainability is involved in include a 50 kilowatt residential application wind tower, a tire terrace wall system designed for expressway sound barrier walls, development of a new algae biofuels system in partnership with Renewergy Corporation of Erie PA, and a hopeful t-shirt campaign called Ts-4-Trees designed to raise money to save endangered rainforests. Raised as a climber and outdoors “wild child” when Feider gets the chance he likes to camp, hike and bike and generally stick his head in places he doesn’t belong. Feider is a member of Green Drinks, Eco Tuesdays, the Eco Innovation Network, and O2 Global Design Network and advocate of the Architecture for Humanity and the Open Architecture Network. Most recently Dustin took part in the Design Science lab at the United Nations building in New York to work on the Millennium Development Goals, also recently was a finalist in the Urban Revision competition for his carbon trade through cellular networks concept. Feider is an innovator at heart and enjoys keeping a studio, investigating other treehouse forms and sustainable products.

Elyse LaCosse / The Go - To

Elyse is a diehard member of the O2 family, having experienced the pain of hanging for hours constructing the treehouse floor, and the joy of standing on that floor! She is also the first initiate into the O2 Road Trip Hall of Fame. Elyse is our go-to as project manager, eco-tourism lead, treehouse builder, and resident masseuse. Recently graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, she holds a B.S: Visualization with studies in Sustainable Design. Elyse's true passion is traveling, she wants to go anywhere and everywhere and take O2 with her. Elyse studied Sustainable Tourism Development while in London and is ecstatic to be heading up our eco-tourism ventures. She is most interested in designing holistic systems; considering the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts of design. She will bring this concept to our eco-tourism projects to work with the local cultures, not for them. When she's not "all things treehouse", Elyse is dreaming about her next adventure, reading travel books, doing yoga, working on her own designs, and helping develop curriculum as a teaching assistant for an MCAD class, Aesthetics of Sustainability.

Sara LeVere / The California Guru

Sara is an eco-loving health enthusiast with a zest for entrepreneurialism and philanthropy. She got her feet wet at an early age growing up in Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s transcendental meditation community amidst the cornfields of Iowa where creativity and spirituality is fortunately the norm. Management of Santa Monica Power Yoga and Account Executive at Gaiam’s Lime.com and Yogamates.com came serendipitously as the next step. Now she and her husband, Marcus, run a donation-based downloadable yoga website called YogiChocolate.com. As a contributing member of Lift Kids non-profit organization and the Tree of Life Yoga Foundation, Sara is traveling the world to get her hands dirty building eco yoga retreats and schools with an agricultural component to nourish and sustain developing countries, starting with Goa, India and Mombasa, Kenya.

Wade Cordts / The Wade of all Trades

Wade is our technology and marketing guru. With a background in union feature film Wade has over 2 years working as a producer at Bradford Entertainment, Inc. and over 5 years working freelance as an assistant director, camera operator, editor, and production manager on films and tv shows. Some of the productions he has worked on include those for for Warner Bros. Pictures, HGTV, DIY, History, PBS, E!, Style Network, Travel Channel, and more. In addition he has over 5 years of experience marketing products and services for different companies. And to top it off, he is an avid rock climber and will be a great addition to helping complete the build. Wade looks forward to getting up in the tree as soon as possible.

For more information about wade check out his personal website at:

www.wadecordts.com

Corey Koenen / The Beach Bum

Corey came to us from the beach. Like a beacon on the water he emerged. It was a random day when he and Dustin met and discussed treehouses on the sand. He is a painter for McCoy Decorative Painting, he is versed in the art of Venetian plaster, faux painting, detailed walls and ceilings, he is your painting expert! He has had lots of experience in the built environment and is excited to add treehouses to his repertoire. Corey is looking forward to working with the heights of the trees. Our beach bum has perfected his schedule so he works inside in the Minnesota winter months and spends his summers at the beach. He will miss his little girl, Melia, who will be three soon but hopes when he gets back he can introduce her to the world of treehouses!

Jamin Poulos / The (Comic) Relief

Other than putting smiles on our faces, Jamin is our relief after we lost Wade to his new job. He flew in last minute from Salt Lake City and we don't know what we would have done without him. Jamin is a great addition as he is versed in many handyman trades. In his free time he is a proud father, and talented drummer. He is looking forward to a new experience and learning a new skill.

Raised amongst the wild of Wisconsin, Josh McKevitt moved to Minneapolis in 2000 to pursue an education at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. There he focused primarily on film studies as well as animation, graphic design, and illustration.

Since graduation in 2004, he has worked for a Minneapolis-based company called, Apropos Painting Studio, Incorporated (www.aproposstudio.com). While working there he developed a stronger understanding of painting and aesthetics as well as design and presentation. Some of the work he produced while working there were for major clients such as Victoria's Secret, The Limited, BCBG, and St. John's Knits.

In his spare time from working, Josh has been a huge participant to the arts and music culture of Minneapolis. He has been showcased in several gallery shows as well as a few solo exhibitions as a visual artist, but also performs under the moniker, DANGER HAVOK, as a local musician and dj.

He has been an influential figure in the Minneapolis electronic and rock scene as DANGER HAVOK by incorporating his video installation work into the music he performs. www.dangerhavok.com

Heather Feider / The Raw Foodie

Heather shares the same cognomen as our main man. This would be the result of years of growing up as brother and sister. In Heather's words she is an artist, dreamer, bliss junkie, mischief maker, raw food chef, spiritual being, and tree hugger! She is using her talents in raw foods as the resident chef making sure we all have the most energy we can to swing from branches all day!