A cool city clouded by,
well, clouds.
Telling the stories of our city.
Founded in 2015, I Heart ROC is a collection of interviews and stories by real humans living and working in Rochester, NY. We hope they inspire you to find your own secret places, have adventures, and make the Flower City aa better place every day.
As of November 2020, we will no longer be publishing new content. You can read our founder Maria's reflections here and our director Emily's thoughts here. Thanks for your support over the past five years!
DIRECTOR
Emily has led the charge on our content strategy and creation since 2016. She interviews each person we feature IRL, edits and publishes the interviews, organizes and schedules the Instagram takeovers, and maintains our vibrant social media presence.
Emily runs her own social media consulting business, Serve Me the Sky Digital. She also serves on the Board of Cameron Community Ministries. Emily is an avid reader and the mother of two rescue dogs.
FOUNDER
Although technically born in California, Maria is a fully-bred Rochestarian with an eye for cool things in weird places. Observing a slight lack of enthusiasm about her hometown from those around her, Maria was inspired to create I Heart ROC, an ode to the things that make Rochester a great place to live. They're not always pretty, or safe, or clean, but at the core of all the stories here, you'll find realness, heart, and an interminable sense of humor.
Maria is a designer by trade, currently based in San Francisco, who spends her spare time drawing and making all sorts of things.