Portland native Howard Lao is a noted photographer and track coach who applies his experience as a former University of Washington student-athlete to his work. Despite his unfortunate college choice, Lao is a pillar in the community from Portland to TrackTown USA and beyond. His photography has appeared worldwide and in The Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times, and The Oregonian. He’s done commercial work for Nike and his images have won multiple awards and made many shortlists. Outside of photography and coaching, Howard loves to play disc golf throughout Oregon. He shares, "I've been running fast my whole life. It's nice to slow down." His sneaker collection, on the other hand, shows no signs of slowing down.