Our Community is at a Crossroads

"In my quest to find the beating heart of Columbus culture, I went to Two Dollar Radio Headquarters.” —Alexandra Fox, Culture Tantrum

September marks the 9th anniversary since we opened Two Dollar Radio Headquarters (HQ). In that time, we’ve hosted countless events, nearly all of them for free, including author readings, social justice discussions, election night viewing parties, poetry open mics, and magic shows. Our kitchen evolved from serving dips and hosting pop-ups, to a full-service operation, dishing out from-scratch food that you won’t find elsewhere in town, like Tortugas, Pambazos, and Pancake Tacos.

For our efforts, we made reader polls of the top-10 vegetarian/vegan restaurants at Columbus Underground and others; Brittany Moseley, writing for The Columbus Monthly, said that HQ “has become a local institution—not only one of the best independent publishing houses in the country, but also a community gathering spot for local literary types."

A lot has happened since we opened our doors, from pandemics, to a second *rump term, to skyrocketing expenses. We’ve done our best to weather those storms as they arrived while trying to maintain a calm veneer and stick to business as usual, despite exhaustion and anxiety, buoyed throughout by the community that has supported us since day one.

Not going to lie, the last year has been a lot, financially, mentally, and emotionally. We’ve watched as some of our favorite small businesses around the country announced their closure - from Red Bamboo in NYC to Good Intentions in St. Petersburg FL to Avid Bookshop in Athens GA to familiar local destinations and peers. This moment does feel like a tipping point for small businesses that we’ll be able to point to years down the road as a substantial setback.

Behind the scenes, we have spent much of the last year having many conversations, weighing options, trying to find the best possible route forward to ensure that HQ not only survives, but can continue serving the community confidently into the future. We understand that you’re all curious about what’s happening, as we receive questions daily. We’re excited to finally be able to share some answers to those questions: HQ is transitioning to a cooperative business ownership model. Long-time staffers, Ivan Davenny and Katie Sinclair, are becoming co-owners, joined by Matthew Ellis, Bela Koe-Krompecher, and Lindsay Vogt. Eric Obenauf, Eliza Wood-Obenauf, and Brett Gregory will remain as part of the ownership group, and involved in its operations, oversight, and care.

This collective brings together a thick lattice of support, lots of fresh energy, and, most importantly, more than a few superpowers that can ensure HQ can go on doing what it has for a long time: curating rad AF selections of independently published books that remind us of what art and the conditions of its (re)production can be, elevating the larger political and artistic consciousness of and from the Midwest, while being a welcome, community-building space for all who come here, a space where people can work on their art, share their ideas and creations, conceive their next projects and breakthroughs, and foster connection together.

With this massive leap, we are so incredibly eager to transition back to a 6-days-a-week operating schedule with enhanced event programming. But to do so, HQ is in need of repairs and a refresh. There are practical concerns: we need to repair a prep fridge, have plumbing and electrical issues addressed, fix tables and lights, apply new paint, hang new interior signage, redo the floors, boost our cocktail and food programs, hang wallpaper, and add more seating and bookshelves.

We know this is a lot, but we are asking you to take this leap with us by giving your support as we take this crucial next step together.

Will $29,000 repair everything, sand the floors, and buy all the paint? No, but it will enable us to start this next phase in HQ’s lifespan off on the right foot, with the confidence and freedom to look forward rather than back.

The Current Need

Operational costs and the unique demands of maintaining a community oriented bookstore and event space require consistent, reliable funding. Currently, we face several limitations that your contribution will help address:

Increasing costs of maintaining our public third space.
Equipment repairs and improvements.
Sanding floors, building new shelves, and applying fresh paint.
The need for expanded inventory of underrepresented voices, independent presses, and authors.
Logistical requirements for hosting free or low cost community events annually.

Our Vision for the Future

With your participation, we aim to solidify Two Dollar Radio Headquarters as a sustainable pillar of the arts. Our detailed project scope includes:

Facility Upgrades: Improving the setup of our kitchen and bar space, as well as to better support live readings, performances, and workshops, as well as an enhanced casual coffeeshop vibe during the day.
Program Expansion: Increasing our capacity to host visiting writers and intellectuals, as well as hosting community focused workshops.
Archival Preservation: Ensuring that the work of independent presses, diverse voices, and authors in translation remains accessible to our community.

Your Impact

Your contribution directly sustains the diverse voices that make our community unique. When you give, you are ensuring that independent culture has a permanent home in our town. For example, a gift of $100 helps cover the logistics for a community book launch, while $250 supports our ability to stock titles from five new independent presses that many retailers often overlook.

Support Our Mission

We need your help to ensure that Two Dollar Radio Headquarters can continue to serve as a beacon for creative expression and intellectual curiosity. Every dollar donated goes directly toward maintaining this essential space.

We invite you to join us in this investment. Together, we can preserve the vital role that independent culture plays in our community fabric.

Make Your Gift Today

Our Team

Matthew Ellis (he/him) is a queer creative living in Columbus, Ohio—just a short walk from HQ. He earned his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Toledo and currently teaches chemistry at Columbus State Community College. He also teaches yoga while following pursuits in writing and music—His first book, Little Heresies, was published by Wayfarer Books in 2026, and he released his 4th LP, The Space Between Two Breaths, in 2025. To keep up with his work, you can follow him on Instagram (@matthewellismusic3) or visit his website (www.MatthewEllisContemplation.com).

Lindsay Vogt is a cultural anthropologist whose literary sensibilities derive from that academic life and from taking refuge in books while growing up in several cavernous homes in suburban central Ohio. She momentarily studied printmaking under Ian Ruffino, book arts under Bob Tauber and Harry Reese, and typography under Richard Aschenbrand. She is a transatlantic commuter. She has published on the topics of techno-patronage and the political lives of tech-sector wealth, the right to the city and urban commons-making, the poetics of (photo)ethnography, and water. Book manuscripts (two) are in the works.

Ivan Davenny was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but has moved so many times that he just says he’s from “all over.” He received his MFA in Fiction from Virginia Tech in 2023, focusing primarily on shortform works concerning the confluence of horror and humor. Ivan is an award-winning barista with 15 years of experience in the coffee world. He also plays various roles within the Two Dollar Radio press and teaches fiction at CCAD. He and his wife live just a few blocks away, in the Southern Orchard neighborhood of Columbus.

Katie Sinclair is an avid reader, outdoor enthusiast, vegan, activist, and cocktail chef who has worked in several bars and restaurants in town, developing their cocktail programs. She lives in Columbus' Merion Village neighborhood with her son, Jack, and dog, Minx.

In the early 1990’s while working at Used Kids Records, Bela Koe-Krompecher partnered with Jerry Wick to create the independent record label Anyway Records. During the following decade, Bela was involved in Columbus’ underground music scene as a writer, concert promoter, and continued his role as the head of Anyway Records. In 2009, he began a popular blog chronicling his involvement in the burgeoning midwestern music scene and the characters who inhabited much of the national underground music world. He has since written three graphic comics based on his stories and experiences, which have been compared to the likes of Harvey Pekar, Nate Powell, and John Porcellino. In addition, his writing has appeared in the awarding winning book Malls Across America, as well as the publications Shredding Paper, Raygun, Dagger, and 614. Bela continues to champion new artists through Anyway while working as a social worker, professor, and guest lecturer in Columbus, Ohio.

Eric Obenauf co-founded Two Dollar Radio and Headquarters, and is the editor/publisher of the Two Dollar Radio imprint at Seven Stories Press. Eric has been included in Publishers Weekly's "50 Under 40" list, and was a finalist in Publishers Weekly's 2016 "Star Watch" program. He's lived on the South Side for the last 9 years, and coaches soccer at the local public school.

Help Support HQ’s Mission of Culture and Community

Strengthening the heart of our local literary community

Team Members