Name: Christopher McKenna
Age: 29
Title: Founder of The Valley of the Fun
City you live in: Phoenix. I’ve lived all over this city stretching from Arcadia to North Central.
A typical day in my life includes…
scouring the city for new, exciting events that need to be shared out to the masses and creating partnerships with organizations trying to further their reach within our community. The Valley of the Fun was created out of a selfish desire because I couldn’t find a central location for all the events going on in our city, so I made one instead. We still aren’t perfect, but we continue to grow each day and add to the ever-expanding list of opportunities that this city has to offer. When I’m not working to expand our offerings, you can find me on the basketball court or tennis court!
I was born…
in Phoenix, Arizona, left briefly for college at Santa Clara University. And as much as I loved Santa Clara and the Bay Area, I knew I needed to be back in this special place.
My favorite thing about Arizona…
is the variety and breadth of things to do! Seemingly every day there is some kind of fun concert or festival to attend in Phoenix. The beautiful mountains, literally in the middle of our city, offer amazing views and unique ways to experience a large, metropolitan city. And within just two hours you can be in the midst of the Red Rocks in Sedona, playing in the snow in Flagstaff, or soaking up the wonders of the Sonoran Desert. In addition to all of that, Phoenix is growing leaps and bounds as a place filled with great restaurants and bars. It seems like every week, a new place pops up!
I’m listening to…
I’m all about my podcasts and audiobooks. My library is full of NPR podcasts and I’m currently listening to Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari.
My family…
means everything to me. I have been afforded many opportunities in life through the love of my family and I do everything I can to repay that to them.
One thing I cannot live without…
would have to be physical activity. I love hiking, biking, playing basketball and tennis, and generally just being outside. Arizona is such a great place for all of these things and more.
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
a professional basketball player… but then I stopped growing! I still play, quite frequently, and happily cheer on our Phoenix Suns!
I’m inspired by…
the creators of this city. I love Phoenix and want everyone else to love it too! If I can’t be one of those unique creators, I want The Valley of the Fun to be an avenue for the people of our city to get connected to those creators and their amazing works.
The one person who motivates me is…
my dad. The guy is incredibly smart and works his butt off to achieve his goals, and is also one of the kindest, and most genuine people I know. If I could be half the person that he is, I’d be happy.
My first job was…
as a busser. I think everyone should work in a customer service role at some point in their life. It gives you a greater appreciation of how to properly treat others.
My favorite escape…
is traveling to new places! As much as I love home, I also know how important it is to see the world and take in as many varying cultures as possible. Our planet and species are so diverse and as long as I have the opportunity to explore it, I’m going to try and touch all the corners of the Earth.
My life…
is constantly changing. I have gone through a lot of personal change in the last year, and so has The Valley of the Fun. Not everything went how I envisioned it, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I pride myself on being able to roll with the punches and respond quickly and appropriately, and I think I’ve done that this year.
I’m currently working on…
expanding the offerings of The Valley of the Fun in terms of the number and types of events that we promote, a rebrand of the website to make it more user-friendly, and cooking up ways to co-brand some events around town that people will love.
Always…
give people the benefit of the doubt.
Never…
give up. No matter if it’s in reference to life, work, a relationship. If something is worth fighting for, never give up.
Favorite Quote…
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
Or “Rise and Shine” – Kylie Jenner
Biggest Dream…
is just to continue being happy. Happiness means different things to different people, but once you find out what happiness means to you, chase that feeling and never let it go. My current way of achieving happiness is tirelessly working to grow The Valley of the Fun into a large platform that reaches all its potential core audience and adds value to their lives.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
people who are apathetic or think they can’t make a difference because they are just one person. Be the change you wish to see in the world, and the proper energies will follow. Shout out Greta Thunberg!
