We thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves. So every so often, a couple members of the Kickstarter team will be saying hello, and picking out a few projects — past or present, successful or not — that they’re especially fond of. (They will also be posing for GIFs. The GIFs are mandatory.)

This week, meet Katie N. and Nigel:

Katie Needs (@katieneeds)

Job: “I help folks who have questions about Kickstarter, and I try to make sure that all the projects on Kickstarter fall within our rules.” (Note: If you’re having a hard time guessing where Katie is from, here’s a hint.)

Nigel Warren (@nigelw)

Job: “I’m a product manager. It’s pretty much like being an astronaut re-enacting M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls” video in a rover on the moon. In other words, crazy multiplied by cool. In other words, it involves working on improvements to the Kickstarter website. Researchifying, stategerizing, designificating… It’s a great job.”

  • Pancake in the Mail — “Imagine picking up your mail after work and mixed in with your bills is an envelope with three pancakes inside and no explanation. Someday soon, one of my friends will experience this when I send them pancakes anonymously. I won’t be there to experience it, but it makes me laugh thinking about it.”
  • Heat Seek NYC — “New York is freezing in the winter. I can’t imagine living in a building where the landlord refused to turn on the heat. This internet-connected thermometer helps low-income tenants document landlords that are breaking the law by under-heating their building. Love the cause, love the approach to tackling the problem.”
  • A One Year Student Reporting Lab within Homicide Watch DC — “Homicide Watch DC reports a huge number of crimes that newspapers aren’t covering. It has created an essential source of reporting for some of those most in need, using an innovative journalism model.”
  • ‘Submarine Sandwich’ - A Film by PES — “PES creates amazing stop-motion animations. He turns pick-up-sticks into spaghetti, grenades into avocados, and yellow sticky notes into pads of butter. I came across his Western Spaghetti short 6 years ago and have been a fan ever since. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for this latest project.”

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