Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah Hay.
Hi Mariah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as the daughter of two art educators, so creativity, curiosity, and learning were always woven into everyday life. While I’ve spent most of my professional career working in software development and product, I’ve also always been deeply interested in community building — creating spaces where people can connect, share ideas, and learn from one another.
In 2025, I had the opportunity to reimagine how a space in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood could be used. I kept coming back to the idea that cities need more welcoming, flexible “third spaces” — places outside of home and work where people can gather around creativity, conversation, and shared interests.
That idea eventually evolved into Potluck, the learning and gallery space I’m opening in Mount Vernon. The vision for Potluck is simple: a community space where people can teach each other things, share art, host workshops and meetups, and explore new ideas together. I want it to feel approachable, flexible, and joyful — a place where someone might come to learn a new skill, discover a local artist, meet neighbors, or simply reconnect with their own creativity.
At its core, Potluck is about bringing people together around the things they love and creating more opportunities for meaningful, in-person connection.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road — but I also think that’s true for most meaningful things people try to build.
I’m not really someone who simply “goes with the flow.” I’m deeply curious, highly motivated, and I care a lot about people and the communities I’m part of. When I become excited about an idea or see an opportunity to create something meaningful, it tends to become a major focus for me.
Because of that, many of the challenges I’ve faced have actually come from the drive to make things happen. Building community-oriented spaces and projects often means swimming upstream a bit — navigating uncertainty, convincing people to believe in an idea, balancing creativity with practical realities, and continuing forward even when there isn’t a clear roadmap.
At the same time, I’ve found that to be an incredibly satisfying way to live. I try to spend my time building things that genuinely light my brain up and create opportunities for connection, creativity, and joy for other people too. Potluck is very much an extension of that mindset.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Most of my career has been spent building both physical and digital products. Early on, I realized that the only way to create something truly valuable for people is to deeply understand them — how they live, what they need, what frustrates them, and what brings them joy. In my industry, that approach is called human-centered design, and it has shaped the way I work throughout my career.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve focused not only on designing products, but also on building the kinds of teams and environments where people can do their best work. I’ve learned a lot about servant leadership, collaboration, and community-building — creating spaces where people feel empowered to contribute ideas, be creative, and build meaningful things together.
What I’m most proud of are the relationships I’ve built along the way and the opportunities I’ve had to support and elevate other people. Whether through leading teams, teaching, mentoring, or building communities, seeing other people succeed has always been one of the most rewarding parts of my work.
That same philosophy is a big part of what inspired Potluck. In many ways, it brings together everything I’ve spent my career focused on: creativity, learning, collaboration, human-centered thinking, and creating environments where people can connect and thrive together.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Right now, the biggest way people can collaborate with and support me is through Potluck. Our website is potluckstudio.org. The vision for the space is very community-driven — I want it to become a place where people feel empowered to share what they know, show their work, host gatherings, teach classes, experiment with ideas, and meet others who are excited about creativity and learning.
I’m especially interested in connecting with local artists, makers, teachers, community organizers, and people who simply have something they’re passionate about and want to share with others. Potluck is intentionally flexible, and I hope the community helps shape what it becomes over time.
People can support the project by attending events, participating in workshops, proposing ideas, collaborating on programming, or simply helping spread the word. Some of the most meaningful community spaces grow through small contributions from many different people, and I’d love for Potluck to evolve that way.
Beyond Potluck, I’m always excited to connect with people interested in human-centered design, product development, community building, and creating thoughtful experiences — whether that’s through collaboration, mentorship, or conversation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://potluckstudio.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/potluckstudiobaltimore/
