Tough Shit is an onstage conversation about the most challenging questions Portlanders are facing. We’ll bring together three people with very different experiences of and perspectives on the city to talk through some shit with help from the audience and a moderator. The questions will be tough, and this shit will not be resolved in one night; We expect to leave with more questions than answers, plus some renewed hope for the future. And if not, well….

This first Tough Shit event will feature Emi Day, Lorelei Juntunen, and Alex Stone in conversation with moderator Adam Davis.

This event is presented in partnership with the Tomorrow Theater. Tickets are available at tomorrowtheater.org.

About our guests

Emi Day
Emi Day is an architect, strategist, and founder of One Day, a neighborhood placemaking studio rooted in social impact, climate action, and community resilience. Working across civic, technology, and education sectors, she brings a user-experience mindset to the built environment, leading inclusive projects that create more connected, human-centered cities. Her current work focuses on helping small creative businesses activate vacant storefronts and promoting cyclelogistics as a way to build cleaner, safer, and more livable communities. Emi has designed award-winning high schools, facilitated international workshops, and has extensive public service field experience, including frontline work with the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic and disaster relief efforts for displaced residents following Hurricane Katrina. Emi is a licensed architect in Oregon, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and serves on the City of Portland's Bicycle Advisory Committee. She lives car-free in Northwest Portland.

Lorelei Juntunen
Lorelie Juntunen is President and CEO of the public policy research firm ECOnorthwest. She has devoted her career to improving policy outcomes at the intersection of public investment, equitable community and economic development, and housing affordability. She led the State of Oregon’s first Statewide Housing Plan, which organized state resources to better meet the challenge of affordable housing production. In 2023, she led the team that drove the largest reform of Oregon’s land use planning system in its fifty years of existence. This reform began with the development of the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis, a new methodology for understanding housing needs in Oregon. The project team’s recommendations, including substantial changes to the land use system to align state and local actions and resources to meet quantitative targets for housing production, were adopted in the 2023 legislative session. Lorelei is proud to serve as a thought leader in this critical conversation about reforming state planning systems to more equitably address housing shortages. In communities large and small across the American West, Lorelei works with clients to develop economic revitalization strategies, affordable housing plans, and post-COVID recovery strategies. 

Alex Stone
Alex Stone is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in security, law enforcement, business management, and education. He previously worked as a police officer in Oregon, where he received a meritorious citation and played a key role in officer training and labor negotiations. His military service as a US Army officer (2011–16) included supporting soldiers facing crisis situations. Alex founded and operated many businesses, including Monkey Tree Learning Center, a multi-location daycare system; Republic Property Tax, a property tax service company in Texas; and Echelon Security, a private security firm operating in the Western US. His commitment to public service extends to his previous and currency role as a board member for several professional and community organizations, including Loving One Another, Oregon’s Department of Public Safety Standards & Training, and the Professional Security Association of Oregon.

About the venue

Mobility access: The Tomorrow Theater is wheelchair-accessible, with capacity for 4 wheelchairs, along with 4 mobile companion seats, and additional seating in the front row that can be used to accommodate additional wheelchair and companion seats. Please notify the theater if you have ADA accessible needs so they can prepare the theater. You can email the theater at tomorrow@pamcut.org.

Parking: The theater is in a busy neighborhood with scarce street parking, though there are usually plenty of spaces available two blocks to the north or south. There is one accessible parking spot across Division on SE 35th Place between Division and SE Grant Court. There is a second accessible parking space two blocks away on SE 36th Ave between Division and SE Clinton St. There are modern curb cuts with truncated domes at the corner of SE 35th Place and SW Division and right in front of the entrance. There is a marked crosswalk across Division at SE 35th There is a ramp going from the entrance to the lobby area outside of the theater. 

Public transit: There are stops for the TriMet FX2 bus within two blocks of the theater. There are stops for Lines 9, 10, 14, and 72 within a ten-minute walking distance.

Food and drink: There is a concession stand in the lobby. Outside food and beverages are not permitted.

Lighting: The venue has appropriate overhead lighting before and after the conversation. During the conversation, lights are dimmed with staged lighting facing the stage. Lights in the lobby/bar remain on during the program. The auditorium has two steep carpeted aisles with red lights lining each edge.

Sound: There will be music at a moderate volume before and after the event.

Read more about the Tomorrow Theater.