Meet Katy
Hailing from Montana, land of plentiful mountains and beautiful surroundings, Katy Kippen's lapidary grandfather sparked her love of jewelry and stones in particular. She and her family would spend summers at her grandparent's cabin where rock hunting was a household tradition. As part of a military family, Katy spent six years living overseas in Europe and Asia where she gathered inspiration for what would eventually become Grayling.
A born retailer, some of Katy's favorite childhood pursuits were playing store and selling travel-sized shampoos and conditioners door-to-door. But she was equally addicted to crafts; Katy's parents would often find her creating collages under the covers via flashlight long after bedtime.
Katy got her start in the jewelry business selling pieces out of her locker in high school and eventually, her love for the craft blossomed into a full-time career. In 2009, she manifested her dream of running her own business designing and handcrafting versatile, hypo-allergenic pieces all jewelry lovers can wear.
Like many of her customers, Katy almost gave up on wearing jewelry because it irritated her skin. Once she learned a (fairly common) nickel allergy was to blame she decided to rid the world of nickel, one necklace at a time.
On any given day you'll find Katy in the studio playing with new designs, checking in on projects (as well as each team member) or going out of her way to help someone find the perfect piece to complete their wardrobe. Seriously, you've never met someone with such a knack for names and faces!
Katy brings a fresh new perspective to every conversation, truly listening and offering helpful solutions to any problem, work-related or not. Keeping herself well-informed and updated, she's our own living dictionary on women's health, as well as a strong advocate for endometriosis and infertility awareness, two causes that affect her personally. She also gets personal satisfaction from pushing others to live out their goals and dreams, making her the go-to gal for some real advice.
If there's ever a dull moment, she'll break out into a song, dance or both! Katy seems to know every tune and has an enviable plethora of obscure dance moves. She also likes to keep her pulse on things by listening to podcasts (current favorites are Still Processing and The Minimalists).
Katy also finds inspiration in slow living and wellness. To maintain balance in her life she does yoga, meditates and gardens, in addition to finding ways to shop ethically. At home, Katy is usually trying new recipes (and hopefully bringing the team some samples if we're lucky)! Her chocolate zucchini muffins will put you in an absolute state of pure bliss.
On the weekends, you'll find her redesigning part of her garden for the hundredth time or reading a new find while cuddling her two adorable rat terriers and super sweet hubby, David. Katy and David love exploring the world together and one of their favorite activities is spending time on the Oregon coast.
