Owner & Managing Director

zachary[at]binderymke.com

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Zachary is a culture and heritage aficionado with a passion for place-making, community development, and the interaction between preservation and the arts.

Zach was the driving force behind saving Milwaukee's last standing traditional book bindery.  As a collaborator at heart, he has been consistently working with the book and literary community in Milwaukee to shape a proud, inclusive, and multifaceted future for one of Milwaukee's historic businesses. 

Prior to moving to Milwaukee in 2016, Zach was the inaugural manager of CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia's coworking space and programming specifically for arts, creative, and heritage workers. He brings this experience to Milwaukee's first shared work space for book artisans, printmakers and writers.

Zach holds an M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University, as well as a a B.A. in Arts Management from Bennington College.  He's also still close friends with his high school English teacher (hi Becca) which perhaps says more about his foundational love of words, writing, and publication than anything else above.  

Design Director

diana[at]binderymke.com

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Diana Chu is a Chinese-American designer and illustrator. She hails from Virginia, studied in St. Louis, and received her MFA in Baltimore. Diana's drawings have been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, and published in The New York Times.

Diana is also co-owner of bearbear, the creative studio and Risograph micro-press she runs with her husband, Ben.

Lead Bookbinder

hamlin[at]binderymke.com

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Daniel has an M.A. in History from SOAS, University of London and trained in bookbinding in Madison, Wisconsin under Master Bookbinder Christopher Brown.  Formerly, he was the founder of Hamlin Binding, a private practice established in Seattle, Washington in 2015.  Daniel is a member of The Guild of Bookworkers.

Milwaukee Zine Fest Coordinator

quinn[at]binderymke.com

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Quinn Blackshere is a Milwaukee-based illustrator whose interests span a range of artistic avenues from animation, to comics, to zines! Quinn found her way to Milwaukee Zine Fest in early 2019 when she joined forces to teach zine workshops with The Bindery. From there, Quinn was welcomed into the Milwaukee Zine Fest Zine Team. Quinn has found a home in helping run the festival, connecting with local zine makers, and now becoming the first Latina to be a director within Milwaukee Zine Fest and The Bindery project.

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Quinn’s passion has always resided in storytelling through drawing. Through creating comprehensive worlds and enjoyable characters, her goal is to transport the viewer to a fantastic yet relatable new realm. Her work is whimsical, colorful, and often with a sprinkle of humor. Quinn uses her background in illustration to create image based zines, and connect with other artists within the zine community. 

Designer & Risography Master

Ben Grzenia is a Wisconsin-based artist that primarily focuses on printmaking and design. He received his MFA at PAFA in Philadelphia and scratches his printmaking itch with risography and zine making. You can also see his more playful illustrations on Eagle Park Brewing’s beer cans.

Ben is co-owner of bearbear, the creative studio and Risograph micro-press he runs with his wife, Diana.

Ol' Shop Dog  (R.I.P.)

Miles was our gentle, groany pit bull who sometimes kicked it in the back office and provided cute glossy eyeballs to cheer us up.  He recently crossed over the pet rainbow bridge but we'll honor him here in the hopes that you'll bring your pittie by to visit us in the courtyard!  Miles didn't really like book arts or print work, or writing, or poetry slams... and he really disliked typewriters.  But that's ok, he was still a good boy.  Miles had a stuffed kanagroo, an aversion to peas, and slept roughly 18 hours a day.  May this lifestyle continue to inspire us all.