Author: Mike Higdon

I love showing people what’s important in their city and helping them make better choices. I'm a multi-talented communicator and storyteller who can write, design, photograph, video, build websites and manage events. I've used these skills to build a thought leadership and influencer brand in Reno. I am an expert on Reno’s urban evolution and I've been called the king of the hipsters. I covered Reno life — downtown and Midtown development, change, millennial issues, poverty and culture — for the Reno Gazette Journal. from 2015 to 2018. Now I am the marketing manager for Nevada's first business improvement district, the Downtown Reno Partnership. Our goal is to enhance downtown with marketing, economic development and hospitality and social outreach ambassadors. Starting in 2013, I broke news on and analyzed major developments shaping Reno. I explained the origin of Reno's cultural touchstones, such as unearthing the never-before-known origin of the legendary Picon punch cocktail and telling the complete story of Reno's 95-year obsession with arches. I am also an expert on Lime bikes and 747s parked in the desert. In addition to telling stories, my expertise allows me to extend my brand to more than just news. I've organized panels on Reno's housing crisis, served on the mayor's Operation Downtown committee and given more Ignite Reno presentations than anyone else in the city. Today, I use all those skills to bring new life to Reno's urban core.