Meet The Team
Obe earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Colorado in Boulder. He worked for over 12 years in the nonprofit sector, including 7 years at The Colorado Symphony. Together, Obe and Whitney owned and operated their Denver restaurant, The Preservery, for nearly seven years before pivoting into the nonprofit sector with The Preservery Foundation in 2022.
He keeps the wheels on at The Preservery Foundation every week by organizing volunteers, making and distributing food, tirelessly tending to the community garden during growing season, and so much more behind the scenes. Look for him at car shows all across the country, teaching yoga classes, or spending time with his daughter, Adira.
Dr. Obe Ariss
Whitney Ariss
Whitney studied Vocal Performance at the University of Colorado in Boulder before deciding to quit school and work with food. She has almost two decades of experience in food service, from restaurant line cook to personal chef to coffee shop manager, lastly working as marketing director for Marczyk Fine Foods, a beloved neighborhood grocer in Denver.
In 2016 she opened The Preservery restaurant in Five Points with her partner in (almost) everything, Obe. She started the Giving Meals initiative during the pandemic, when Denver saw a huge surge in people experiencing homelessness. Eventually they decided to dedicate themselves to hunger relief full time and started The Preservery Foundation in 2022.
Keep an eye out for Whitney by visiting her yoga classes, baking with Adira, or just enjoying her time with the love of her life.