We recently connected with Gina Johnson-geiger and have shared our conversation below.

Gina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My hero is my mom, Julie, who inspired me in all aspects of life. She was strong, creative, independent, and community-minded. She raised my sister and I as a single mom on a low income, watching every penny. Despite her full-time job as an accountant, she gave so much of her time to her community, filling any free time with volunteering in our neighborhood improvement association. She organized community art events, always striving to support local artists. An extremely eco-conscious person, she taught me to care for the earth—about composting, recycling, and reducing waste. These values guide how I run my studio.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello! I’m Gina, owner and mom of Kollektiv Clay Studio, born in 2023 in Oakland, CA. I was born and raised in Oakland, so it’s incredibly special to be doing what I love while teaching others in my hometown. I got into clay at San Francisco State University and was immediately hooked. This is where my interest in using wild foraged clay (using clay from my mom’s backyard!) began. After graduating with a BA in Studio Art, I got a few jobs working as a Studio Tech at different ceramic studios in the city, as well as assisting a production potter. I eventually began teaching, and fell in love with the rewarding feeling that it gives.

Kollektiv Clay offers one time classes, six week courses, private events, and memberships. We are very proud to have recently launched the Julie Johnson Scholarship, enabling us to increase access to clay and community. We are thrilled to have been able to award a couple scholarships since launching.

Our studio focuses on being mindful of our environmental impact and taking accountability for it. We encourage students and members to think intentionally about what they send through the kilns, keeping in mind that what we fire remains in the world forever, which is both incredibly cool, but also incredibly daunting at the same time!

A unique feature of Kollektiv is our recycled water system, which significantly reduces our water usage. This was designed and built by my husband, Robert, who also built out the entire studio! Whenever possible, we shopped secondhand, and sourced materials that can be recycled at the end of their life. Other sustainable practices include: recycling all clay and glaze waste into Kollektiv “House Mixes”, sorting our trash, recycling, and compost bins making sure things are going in the correct place, and washing all plastic clay bags to reuse (just like my mom taught me at home!)

Above all, Kollektiv is a community centered around clay, supporting each other on our clay journeys.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One month after opening, my mom died in a car accident. She was on her way to meet us at the studio to measure for curtains she was going to sew. I was still figuring out (and still am) how to run a business. No matter how much I wanted to just shut down, that was not an option. We figured out a gameplan the next day, frantically finding teachers to sub my classes and fill in hours where needed, which I am so thankful for. I don’t know how I communicated or even simply formed thoughts, I just did it. I had to.

This experience has completely changed who I am now, and what I want Kollektiv to be. I’ve joked with members that our studio is turning morbid, as I have been hosting workshops for folks that are grieving. I’m part of a Young Daughters Motherloss support group and hosted them for a clay workshop on Mothers Day. We have another coming up around the Holidays for anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one and plan to have more in the future. There is this whole grieving community out there that you don’t know about until you’re in it. I want Kollektiv to be a space to hold that grief, and to be a safe space to share whatever needs to be shared.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Ever heard of petsitting? For one and a half years, Robert and I bounced around from houses to apartments to sheds, taking care of dogs and cats while their owners were away. We’d move every couple of days, weeks, and if we were lucky, we got to stay somewhere for a month. It was extremely tiring, and definitely was a test of our relationship! We did it for free so that we almost always had a gig (we stayed at my moms for any odd nights we didn’t). This is how we were able to come up with our initial startup funds, saving on high Bay Area rent. We also borrowed from family, interest free, which I am incredibly grateful for!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kollektivclaystudio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kollektivclay?igshid=YTY2NzY3YTc%3D
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kollektiv-Clay-Studio/100088101441613/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kollektiv-clay-studio-oakland