Media Producer · Community Leader · Speaker
Making the invisible visible.
Helping people see what they didn't know they were missing — through media, advocacy, hospitality, and showing up.
About
Arkansas-based. Broadly curious. Hard to put in a box.
I'm a media producer, public speaker, and co-owner of Wanderoo Lodge & Gravel Bar in Eureka Springs, Arkansas — one of the most quirky and queer small towns in America. My work spans commercial aviation media, hospitality, and deep civic engagement in a community I love. I show up for the creative work, the operational work, and the work that doesn't have a name yet.
I'm also a husband, dog and cat dad, amateur handyman, and lifelong learner — currently studying Spanish and whatever else catches my attention.
10+ / Years in media production
ES, AR / Based in Eureka Springs
3 / Ventures running simultaneously
What I Do
Media Production
I'm a full-scope media producer with years of experience at a major commercial airline — video (pre-production through post), podcasts, animation, graphic design, photography, SOPs, project management, and increasingly, AI-assisted production. I work as an individual contributor and a player-coach: I can lead a team or do the work myself, remotely or on-site.
Formats: testimonials · how-tos · promos · interviews · explainers · internal communications
Wanderoo Lodge & Gravel Bar
I co-own and operate Wanderoo Lodge & Gravel Bar in Eureka Springs, Arkansas — a boutique lodge and live music venue that's become one of the area's most beloved gathering spots. My lane is the back end: revenue management, menu development, social media, and making sure the business runs as well as it feels from the outside.
Owl & Otter
Owl & Otter is my newest venture — a real estate and short-term rental photography business serving Eureka Springs and the surrounding area. If you're listing a property, launching a rental, or need imagery that actually does your space justice, this is where we start.
Speaking
I've spoken in front of legislative committees in Texas and Arkansas, presented to corporate audiences at Southwest Airlines, led Trans 101 workshops at faith communities and conferences nationwide, and delivered keynotes at Pride and advocacy events across the region. My talks draw on personal narrative, current policy, and a deep belief that visibility changes minds.
2026 · Eureka Springs Diversity Weekend · "We Have Always Found a Way" — Pride keynote
2025 · Unitarian Universalist Church, Eureka Springs · Guest presenter (2x)
2023 · Arkansas Senate Committee, Little Rock · Testimony on anti-trans legislation
2020 · North Texas LGBT Chamber of Commerce · Speaker (remote)
2019 · North Texas LGBT Chamber of Commerce · Speaker
2018 · Red Letter Christians Revival Conference · Trans 101
2017 · Texas Senate Committee, Austin · Testimony on anti-trans legislation
2017 · Cathedral of Hope, Dallas · Trans 101
2016–2025 · Southwest Airlines · My Story — presented to 150+ including CEO
2016–present · Trans Pride · Trans Day of Remembrance · Trans Day of Visibility · Speaker & presenter
Let's talk about your event
I speak to corporate teams, faith communities, legislative bodies, and public audiences on transgender inclusion, visibility, and what it actually means to show up for the people around you. Every talk is grounded in lived experience and designed to meet the room where it is — whether that's a boardroom, a sanctuary, or a senate chamber.
Topics:
LGBTQ+ resilience · My Story · Transgender inclusion · Trans 101 · Inclusion in Corporate America
Civic & Community
LGBTQ+ Advocacy
I'm the President of Safe To Be — a Northwest Arkansas organization providing emergency, transitional, and permanent housing for marginalized romantic and gender diverse people, with a strong emphasis on trans inclusion and support — and Vice President of Out In Eureka, the nonprofit that produces Eureka Springs Diversity Weekend. I also sit on the board of ECHO, a Eureka Springs community health and housing initiative. My advocacy work spans policy consulting, corporate inclusion, and direct community support — including creating transition guidelines for employees and leaders at a major Fortune 500 company, assisting community members with legal name changes, and maintaining a visible public presence as an out trans person in rural Arkansas.
Community Organizing
I sit on the board of Main Street Eureka Springs and help produce Diversity Weekend as part of the Out In Eureka leadership team. Locally, I lead a trans peer support group, host community info sessions on ballot initiatives and local policy, and curate events at the Gravel Bar that bring people together across difference.
Eureka Springs is a small town — the work of keeping it welcoming, weird, and worth fighting for is ongoing and collective.
Wanderoo Lodge & Gravel Bar
The Gravel Bar isn't just a bar — it's a gathering place. My husband David and I co-own Wanderoo Lodge & Gravel Bar in Eureka Springs, and none of it works without the remarkable team we've built around us. As co-owner, I've worked to make sure Wanderoo is a space where locals, artists, travelers, and community members all feel at home. It's where live music happens, where community conversations get started, and where Eureka Springs shows up for itself.
The 2025 Venue of the Year recognition was the community saying: this is our place.
Press
NPR Affiliate KUAF
TEA: Ethan Avanzino KUAF Public Radio · 2024
A profile of Ethan Avanzino as part of TEA — a series highlighting the lives and achievements of transgender individuals in Northwest Arkansas.
Arkansas Advocate
Proposed ban on teachers using transgender pronouns heads to Arkansas Senate Arkansas Advocate · 2023
Coverage of Arkansas House Bill 1468 and the legislative debate around transgender pronoun policies — including testimony from advocates.
Shoutout SoCal
Meet Ethan Avanzino Shoutout SoCal · 2025
A feature profile on Ethan Avanzino as co-owner of Wanderoo Lodge & Gravel Bar in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
See something that resonates?
I'd love to talk.
Let's be in touch.
Whether you're looking to collaborate on a media project, book me for a speaking engagement, ask about the lodge, or just say hello — I'd love to hear from you.