Chrissy Widmayer is a scholar of community connections. She has a PhD in Folklore Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Her dissertation research explored how communities create connections and relationships using foodways and storytelling. Her postdoctoral research will build on the four years she spent directing an award-winning initiative called “Community Powered” at Wisconsin Humanities (currently on pause due to federal funding cuts) that put the tools of history, culture, and storytelling in the hands of Wisconsinites through training and educational programming. Chrissy’s hopes to help Nordic American communities in the Upper Midwest build capacity to collect their own folklore and produce dynamic public programming around those traditions. Chrissy is also a co-founder of WiseFolk Productions and content creator for Folkwise.