What began with the desire to grow the gaming community in Sacramento evolved into Wildflower Apiary. We chose this name because wildflowers grow in the wild and an apiary is a designated location where hives are kept and maintained. We currently have three hives/groups, with more developing – All Inclusive RPGs, The Femme Initiative, and Rainbow Collective. Gaming may be what brings us together, as we aim to pollinate imagination, but intentional cultivation i.e. community building is what will keep us together. Our goal is to build connections and safer third spaces for marginalized groups. With this nonprofit we want to allow people to show up as their most authentic (and wild) selves.
President – Jess (Jessica) Lum (Fae/Faer)
I am AFAB (assigned female at birth), queer, neurodiverse, and grew up in poverty, and I know firsthand how difficult it can be to feel understood, to be taken seriously, and to feel like you truly belong in gaming spaces. So when someone proposed a women’s Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) night, I took that opportunity, ran with it, and most importantly, dreamed bigger! I created All Inclusive RPGs, and when that wasn’t enough I created The Femme Initiative, and when that wasn’t enough I created Wildflower Apiary—all with the goal of removing barriers to gaming and, most importantly, creating community. My background in social services, years of experience in TTRPGs, and experience building inclusive gaming events and communities have given me the tools to turn that dream into something tangible. Today, I have an amazing team working alongside me to bring marginalized nerds together, give them space to utilize their imaginations, and remind them that we should never stop dreaming for more.
Vice President – Petra Shultz (She/They)
With a Liberal Studies degree specializing in Art Education and years of hands on experience as a nanny, art teacher, and IHSS caregiver, I have always approached caregiving through the lens of creativity and play. My work is rooted in the belief that imaginative play is a lifelong tool for connection and growth. Tabletop Roleplaying Games gave that philosophy a new purpose. As a collaborative storytelling experience, TTRPG’s invite us to play, imagine, and grow together. Through Wildflower Apiary, we transform that shared storytelling into trust, empathy, and lasting bonds.
Board Member – Fred Fisher (He/They)
I am a veteran of the Air Force and for the last 15 years I’ve been a civil servant most recently for California State. I have been gaming since I was 16, when my best friend introduced me to tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) via Rifts. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to find gamers everywhere I’ve lived who have been there when I needed it and I’ve been there for them in turn. I’m excited to help build and serve the communities where I’ve felt the most welcome and spread support to those of us who need it.
All Inclusive RPGs Steward – Dana Kimball (He/Him)
I was introduced to the Wildflower Apiary through All Inclusive RPGs. I’ve been playing and running TTRPGs since middle school, and when I wanted to meet new people and make new friends through one of my favorite hobbies, I joined All Inclusive. I was immediately sold on the community due to how welcoming and passionate it is. I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to give back to the community, using my long experience with TTRPGs, my limited organizing experience, and my willingness to consistently show up to help support the mission of All Inclusive and Wildflower Apiary: creating a space where everyone can safely express themselves and have fun.
MultiCultural MeltingCauldron Steward – Marcus Johnson (He/Him)
Hello. I’m Marcus, I go by he/him pronouns. I’m mixed race with personal ties to many cultures, and a healthy dose of interest in learning about more. I’ve been playing TTRPGs since I was 18 years old, and since then I have been expanding my interest in the hobby. I’ve always wanted to share the magic of experience a world that cooperative imagination brings to me with as many people and as many types of people as I can. Since I’ve been in the hobby for 15 years, I’ve met many different types of people I can share these goals with. However I have found that outside of my direct friends, the roleplaying community is very mono-ethnic and it has a limited scope of exploring primarily European fantasy or occasionally American horror. This scope has been expanding in recent years and with that I hope I can introduce people of many diverse backgrounds to this hobby, as well as explore what their perspective and interests would focus on. I’ve joined the Wildflower Apiary with these goals in mind, and have great plans for the bi-poc hive, dubbed the Multicultural Melting Cauldron!
Rainbow Collective Steward – Rowan J Rose (He/Him)
I owe my first introduction to TTRPGs to this group via All Inclusive RPG meetup. I am AFAB trans male, pansexual, bisexual, queer, pagan, neurodivergent, recovering drug addict and now — thanks to the Wildflower Apiary — I’m a gamer and game master. I’m here to support each of us in our healing via imagination and building community.
Rainbow Collective Steward – Rob Rogers (They/Them)
As a lifelong nerd, I got into TTRPGs at the beginning of high school and soon after that also picked up Magic the Gathering not too long after it came out. Over the years, my interests shifted, and those games took a backseat for quite a while. That is until, while looking for meetups to help find some queer community, I stumbled on to All Inclusive RPGs. I am very happy to have found the group at just the right time to not only get to play games and meet people, but to have also been able to step in and help in the growth of AIRPG, but also now to help steward even more queer community through the formation of Rainbow Collective.
The Femme Initiative Steward – Diana Alestra (She/Her)
I’m dedicated to creating inclusive spaces where people can find connection, belonging, and opportunities to grow together. My work with Wildflower Apiary and The Femme Initiative grew from seeing friends feel unwelcome in gaming spaces. That experience inspired us to create The Beehive, a protected space where people can gather, play, create, and connect without judgment. Today, I focus on building The Femme Initiative into an inclusive community where femme-presenting persons can form meaningful friendships, discover new interests, and feel a genuine sense of belonging.