Laughing Planet Cafe Reno Blog

Hi there!

We are the Community Engagement, Outreach and Marketing Team for Laughing Planet Reno. We are the faces and the minds behind the posts you see, blogs you read, and events you attend. We wanted to introduce ourselves, hoping that if you see us you’ll do the same. Our team is made up of four people: Anna, Hannah Tim and Manny.

Laughing Planet Reno’s Community Engagement, Outreach and Marketing Team (from left-to-right): Manny, Anna (Lipp), Miyu and Tim.

Anna

Anna Walsh Lipparelli is a Reno native, currently studying strategic communications and journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. She values telling creative stories, in untraditional ways. She is a family oriented and people person, always looking to include as many people as she can. Anna worked on the counter staff at Laughing Planet for two years, before starting an internship elsewhere. Yet, she couldn’t stay away and rejoined the LP staff on the Community Team.

“Laughing Planet has always been a home to me and the people who work here and visit here have become family. I never stopped saying ‘we’ when I would refer to Laughing Planet, even after I was working elsewhere. Once you join the LP family, you never really leave.” — Anna

Miyu

I am currently a senior studying Art and Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. I am an international student from Japan and moved to Reno 3 years ago. I love going to museums and galleries to open my eyes to the new world and hoping to be a curator back in Japan in the future. I am passionate about graphic design as well as photography.

“I am so grateful to team up with Laughing Planet because it was the first restaurant I went in Reno when I moved here!” — Miyu

Tim

Tim Healion has been involved in the food industry in Northern Nevada for about 35 years. He has been instrumental in starting a number of businesses both for and not for profit, including and not limited to the legendary Deux Gros Nez, The Pneumatic Diner and the Tour de Nez Outreach. Tim’s current business adventures are with the Laughing Planet Cafés in Midtown Reno and by the University, which advocate for locally sourced and super healthy food. There, he serves as the brand ambassador and community relations guy.

Tim has advocated for health and well being from local community to the state legislature. He has promoted and managed local, regional, national and international events. In particular, the Mighty Tour de Nez Celebration of Cycling, which under his reign, became a top 5 multi day bicycle race on the national calendar and experienced international television coverage.

“I’m currently interested in what we can do to support the community by doing a good job at the restaurant. A lot of that has to do with getting the wonderful attributes of the University of Nevada more known in the local community. It’s also vital that our work throughout Laughing Planet helps contribute to saving the planet. — Tim

Manny

Manny Becerra is a first-generation Mexican-American; proud son of Mexican immigrants. He has a passion for creating usable, online experiences, engaging with new and diverse communities and ideas, supporting sustainable initiatives and businesses, and preserving the one world we all have: Earth.

He is conscious about what and where he places his focus on for  maximizing his contributions toward helping solve real-world problems.

“I am proud and excited to be a part of the Laughing Planet Community Engagement, Outreach and Marketing Initiative with other wonderful people. We’re focused on helping connect the vision of Laughing Planet’s triple-bottom-line business model in amplifying the lives and efforts of Northern Nevada’s communities through music, education, social media & web content development, community outreach & partnerships, sustainable food practices, and, of course, laughter.” — Manny

Tim, Hannah and Anna (Lipp) with the KWNK team discussing partnership and collaboration opportunities. Photo by Manny Becerra.

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