Meet Your Hosts

We are passionate about making sure that every guest who walks through our doors has a memorable experience.

Our hosts at The Butterfly Mill are here to help you every step of the way. We are committed to providing personalized service and ensuring that your visit is unique and unforgettable. Meet our hosts and let us help you create the gathering of your dreams.

The Butterfly Mill is owned and founded by Nicole and Andrew Van Cleve. Nicole is a writer, professor and educator. She is the author of multiple award-winning nonfiction books. In a past professional life, she was an advertising executive at Leo Burnett, working on clients like Disney, Hallmark and P&G. Andrew is an IT executive who has managed ecommerce websites for companies such as Vans, The North Face, Timberland and soccer.com.

Nicole and Andrew are like the Ying and Yang. Nicole is the creative dreamer; Andrew is the meticulous planner and project manager extraordinaire. Together, they envisioned a place for creatives, educators and corporate executives that is both inspiring and functional.

Long time city-folk, they traded in the hectic, city-life of Chicago and then, Philadelphia, for a quieter place to work and create. Rest assured that The Butterfly Mill is built for creatives by creatives. This included remodeling the Butterfly Mill into a space that would inspire. Nicole often went to retreat spaces and understood the importance of community and care has two essential elements of creative writing. What resulted is a sunlit space with views of a farm, the sprawling Lincoln Woods State Park, and the sound of a stream flowing adjacent to the mill.