Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published March 15, 2018.

Where are you originally from? What brought you to Rochester?

Liza: I grew up in Henrietta and went to school in Lima, in the Southern Tier. After high school, I attended MCC and moved to the city after that.

Ashley: I grew up in Greece and did the same as Liza, moving to the city after college. I went to FIT for a year, where I studied accessory design. We had always been thinking we’d do something together, some kind of creative business.

Liza: We met ten years ago and have been working together for eight.

What is your favorite part of living in Rochester?

Liza: As a business owner, it gives us the financial freedom to experiment. If you don’t meet your quotas, you don’t have to give up your studio space.

Ashley: The overhead isn’t as bad as it would be in a larger city.

Liza: Plus, there’s a really tight-knit creative community here, and people bounce ideas off each other.

Ashley: Everyone wants to see Rochester succeed and grow. We want to move the city forward together.

Liza: It’s also a great testing ground for products here. It’s forgiving, since we don’t have to put something out to the whole world. We can just try it out here first.

What are some of your favorite/secret Rochester spots? 

Ashley: We like to get away to nature and parks when we can. Corbett’s Glen is nice, and Mendon Ponds is our go-to. It’s far enough away that it feels like a nice retreat.

Liza: We like to trail run with our dog at Mendon Ponds. It helps us shut our brains off. There’s also a secret beach we like to visit up on the lake. You have to cut through the back streets to get there. In the restaurant world, Good Luck is our spot. It’s like our Cheers!

Ashley: In general, we like discovering things that we don’t know are here.

What's the most unique or interesting event you've attended in Rochester? 

Liza: The Image Out Film Festival is a favorite--it’s close to our community. Rochester is very supportive of all things LGBT.

Ashley: It’s been awesome to see it grow.

Liza: It’s one of the biggest LGBT film festivals out there! They have a great youth program too. We’ve also done a few fundraisers that help Pride.

What local charities/nonprofits do you like to support? 

Liza: The Out Alliance is a big one.

Ashley: We’re also currently working with the Women’s Foundation of Genesee Valley on their “A Purse for Change” event. You can look forward to a cool custom art piece on custom canvases!

If you had $100 and 2 hours to kill in Rochester, how would you spend the money/time? 

Liza: Most days we’re so into making!

Ashley: It really would depend on the day. We might buy a new machine or fabric for work to help move our company forward...or we might go out to the Finger Lakes and do some wine tasting and hiking in that area.

What's the best place to get a garbage plate?

Liza: McCann’s--they can work with my dietary restrictions. It’s solid! I swap the mac salad for potato salad but the spirit of the plate is still there.

If Rochester was a drink, what would it be?

Liza: It would be a New York Sour.

Ashley: A strong classic thing on the bottom....

Liza: And wine on the top for winter nights! It’s basically a whiskey sour with a red wine float on top, and sometimes an egg. It’s a unique little thing. Go see Elise at Good Luck and she’ll make you one!

What's your personal coping mechanism for cold/gray weather?

Ashley: Wine and more making.

Liza: We always get out of here in February so we can recharge. That keeps you going til it’s warmer.

What is your favorite Rochester memory?

Liza: Growing up and discovering culture downtown. The first time I went to Java’s, my mind was blown. I used to go there all the time! It was the 90s and it was a unique scene.

Ashley: Mine is similar. That time in my life when I was starting to be a part of Rochester instead of the suburbs. I’d come downtown and look around and think to myself, “I like this.”

What makes Rochester unique?

Liza: We’re positioned with all these great colleges in the area, plus we’re close to New York City and Toronto. And we’re thriving right now, going through a renaissance.

Ashley: We have great food and drink culture here, and we’re a great hub too.

Liza: I feel like we’re in the right place at the right time.

Ashley: And it’s a nice melting pot here--so many people are trying so many cool things.

Liza: It’s a mecca--all these people are coming back to do stuff. We couldn’t have launched EvenOdd in NYC and be standing where we are today. Being in Rochester is also nice too because you can tap into the talent stream from the local colleges.

Ashley: The schools definitely help more than you think.

What do you think could be improved?

Liza: I think we need to make it more friendly downtown, all around. Bike lanes and beyond.

Ashley: More accessible in general. It’s easy to get around, but there are so many other ways.

Liza: Public transportation could be improved. We should be fostering growth in every aspect of the city.

Tell me a little bit about your company, EvenOdd Creative. 

Liza: We’ve had a couple different incarnations. We started back in 2009.

Ashley: To start, we used old vinyl billboards and signs for our products.

Liza: We just used whatever was around. It was inner tubes that finally stuck. We found that vinyl wasn’t as weather-resistant. Now, we are delving into more service industry things. Our knife/chef roll is our biggest seller. We’re moving into things like aprons, check presenters, and more. It’s fun to tackle new challenges and make useful things.

Ashley: We always want to try new things without restrictions.

How would you describe the creative/entrepreneurial community in Rochester?

Liza: It’s growing really quickly. Things like RocGirlGang are doing a great job highlighting entrepreneurs and creatives. It’s also encouraging people to start their own businesses.

Ashley: When you see others do it, you start to realize that you can do it too.

Liza: It’s cyclical, the more the community supports these creative endeavors, the more creative endeavors we have. Everyone supports each other.

What advice would you give to creatives/entrepreneurs who are just starting out?

Liza: Find your voice and stick to what you do best. Own what you do and stick to your unique, creative vision.

Ashley: Stick with your gut.

Liza: And remember, mistakes are an opportunity to grow.

Ashley: Keep things simple.

Liza: And start adding and refining things as time goes on.

Ashley: But really, simplify as much as possible.

Liza: Also, right when you’re about to quit, keep going.

Ashley: Figure out how you learn best, and just keep taking in information. Don’t stop learning.

Liza: Your connections are your biggest resource.