Nate Olison

Nate Olison founded Optimist Comics in 2020 and enjoys making, teaching, and talking about comics full-time! He is a Chicago resident and a California native. His teaching artist career began in 2010. He coached the slam team at Westinghouse College Prep for 4 years and has created and facilitated many experiences that inspire the moment a young person realizes the power of their own voice. He has served as a mentor, an advocate, a coach, and a confidant for hundreds of students across the Chicago landscape, including pioneering Pitch In, a dynamic social emotional learning program at the middle school level. He is the inaugural facilitator of OLAAI’s Artivism Project of Lawndale youth cohort.