Jake is co-owner and co-founder of Wicked Grain.  He graduated from Kansas University with a degree in art.  A short stint as a substitute art teacher led to a full-time teaching opportunity as a special education teacher, which lead to a vocational teaching program for special needs students at Turner High School here in Kansas City.  He went back to school and received his Master's degree in special education while continuing to teach.  It was during this time that he began teaching his students how to turn pieces of wood into functional art as a way to raise money for their program.  Eventually, Jake had the opportunity to finally teach art within the district, which he did for several years before the "functional art" pieces he was creating for Wicked Grain required more and more of his attention.  In 2015, Jake took the leap to pursue Wicked Grain full-time and he hasn't looked back since. He credits his grandfather, an avid woodworker, for influencing his desire for woodworking