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Christopher Lawhead
C.E.O., Earth Concept Inc.

Chris is the ringleader of the talented group of partners that is Earth Concept Inc. His career and first love is music. He is president of his productions company, Lawhead Productions Inc. He performs, teaches, records and produces on many instruments; and is known world-wide for his flute-playing. His musical journey has included performances at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater, the famous Jazz Cafe in Costa Rica, the Miazawa Flute Show at Carnagie Hall, some special performances in Europe, a psychedelic jam experiment in an abandoned water tank, and endless gigs at pubs, bars, theaters, street corners, and living rooms. Chris gives a yearly performance for the King of Hawaii Aka Mahi and humbly stands in his court on the Big Island of Hawaii. Chris currently leads his self-titled rock band Lawhead, is a member of Mike Brick’s Afro Samba, and plays with improvisational bands Vegas Witchcraft, Curruptor, and Wonderlick. Chris has also shared the stage and recorded with groups Nicole Torres, Rhythm Vision, Zebra Junction, Katalyst, and many more.Over the years Chris has discovered his gift and love of serving others. He has served as a educator in Denver and Littleton Public Schools as a Lacrosse coach and as a music teacher for preschool and special-ed kids. Chris was the Music Ambassador for Swedish Hospital in Englewood, CO. He currently holds a teaching position at the Music and Arts Center in Littleton, CO. Through his study of Neuro-linguistic Programing (NLP), Hawaiian Huna, hypnosis, and kinesiolgy, Chris continues to develop ways to serve his fellow man and the planet. He is a certified practitioner of NLP and has collaborated with Dr. Steven Schwartz, Olympian Maggie Connor, and national champion bicyclist Traci Brown in the development of various audio projects used to heal and empower people. Chris’s primary modality is love which is expressed though the vibrations of music. He knows that we are all more than what we do.

Beth Rypkema
Program Officer, Earth Concept Inc.
Consultant, Artist, Educator, Musician

Beth Rypkema is co-owner of Art Career Essentials (ACE), a consulting company specializing in the art business. She is a Community Arts Consultant, an independent film-maker, a free-lance writer, musician and teacher. With over 25 years of experience in business and the arts, Beth has developed collaborative projects and award-winning programs for arts organizations, schools and cultural events. Her project partners have included the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver Center Media, the Black Hills Heritage Festival, the Dahl Fine Arts Center, The Creative Force Collaborative (TCFC), the Metropolitan State College of Denver, Rite of Passage, Feed the Children International and the United States Air Force Reserve.

Heidi B
Graphic Designer and Event Producer, Earth Concept Inc.
Fashion Designer, Power Tool Enthusiast, Clothier

Heidi is the founder and owner of Funklectic line of clothing. She began designing in high school but then drifted from it slightly in college. However, in her junior year, she brought her mother’s sewing machine to school and began anew. The compliments she received inspired her to create a fashion line. This was her senior thesis, and the beginning of her business.Funklectic combines funk with eclectic, imaginative flair. Fiber and design of collected chaos ignite her fashion ideas. These are characterized by originality, modishness, and unconventionality. Funklectic is made up of a combination of elements from a variety of sources. Heidi is also a free-lance graphic designer, and does not take anything for granted.

Marc Matthews
Web Designer, Logistics, Development, Earth Concept Inc.
Linguistic Anthropologist, Rogue Engineer, Musician, Web Architect

For Marc, each passing day is divided between design, programming, and the audio realm. Information junkie to the Nth degree, Marc keeps focus on exploring new ideas in all activities. Between his research in mechanical distortion with SubAnalong and his full-time web development with Interzone and other companies, each day closes with a head full of ideas for the next 24 hours.Musically, Marc entered the scene in the late 1990’s with experimental fusion projects and later with Bugpowder (electronic jam), and then with many smaller side projects. The incarnation of Vegas Witchcraft in 2003 introduced an all-improv rotating staff of musicians who performed weekly in clubs such as Dazzle and 5 Degrees. Vegas Witchcraft soon turned into Vegas Trio and the song-writing began with a tight-knit trio– keys/vibes, bass, and drums. Marc is also a member of Lawhead, Corruptor, and has sat with bands such as Octopus Nebula, LOG, and Zebra Junction. Marc is proud to have opened for acts such as Cheb i Sabbah, Robert Walters 20 Congress, Garaj Mahal, Caberet Diosa, and Jachimo Gates - to name only a few.On the electronics frontier– Marc has critiqued the standard selection of processing as weak and lacking in creative prompting, which is a custom line of processing accessories. This technology, often under the auspice of SubAnalog, fits in well with decades of studio experience and years of teaching synthesis and MIDI applications. His thirst for solving problems compels Marc to push all platforms– from music, to programming, to sound handling, and into instrument restoration and modifications. Marc is often called to “debug” or find better solutions, as well as to do any necessary investigation to assure the success of a project. Marc says that without logistics, all you get is dreams.

Hannah Raynes
Financial Officer, Earth Concept Inc.
Financial Advisor, Music Marketing, Socially Responsible Investment Advocate

Hannah’s commitment to environmentally and socially responsible businesses is very much valued at Earth Concept Inc. Hannah is currently a senior investment executive at Trilogy Financial Services. She is an advocate for “green investing”– into companies which pass a stringent standard in the following criteria: ethics and government, environmental impact, community relations, work environment, product safety and impact, international operations and human rights, and indigenous peoples rights. She points out that these investments do just as well as conventional ones. Hannah is committed to help people achieve their financial goals and save for their retirement through socially responsible investments. She also shows people the importance of alternative energy investment because of the impact of fossil fuels on our environment as well as the growing need for alternative energy for our future.Hannah graduated with her masters in Communication Studies from Eastern New Mexico University in 2006 and wrote her master’s thesis on music (How Independent Music is Heard, Communicated and Disseminated in a Consolidated Music Industry). Upon her entry into the financial world, her personal mission was to help musicians with financial management on account of the struggle it is making music a full-time career. She is excited to be involved with Earth Concept Inc. because she is able to participate in musical events while “greening” up Mother Earth. “It’s all about making a difference one step at a time,” she says. If you would like to learn how you can make a positive change in your financial life and how you can do so through socially responsible investing, please call Hannah at 303-300-3323 ext. 5188.

Eric Matelski
Promoter, Earth Concept Inc.
Artist, Arts Advocate, Art Pimp

Eric Matelski has made his place in the art community by painting live before audiences, curating, co-ordinating art events, and donating his time and artwork to a number of charities and non-profits. Over the past five years as a “live artist,” he has painted musicians and performers at hundreds of concerts and events. He has attracted audiences of his own, and completed paintings in just minutes. Although painting live is what gained his local recognition, Eric also works at a slower pace in his home studio, painting and assembling a range of experimental paintings and installations. He has been commissioned by companies and individuals from all over to paint murals and custom works.At his free monthly event, the First Monday Art Talk (FMAT) at Dazzle (930 Lincoln St. Denver), Eric also focuses on other local artists. At the FMAT, people enjoy music, food and drinks, an interview with the artist and his or her artwork and influences. Eric also organizes art shows like Art Farm which is a series of “green” art shows hosted by Denver Urban Gardens. At these art shows Eric turns community garden spaces into full galleries for one day. It excites him to see how the plants accent the artwork.