As far back as I can remember, I’ve been curiously committed to exploring and understanding all that unites, divides and compels each of us to participate in this social experiment called life.

Personally, this was catalyzed by my experiences as a bright child who struggled with mental and social health, while growing up in a tumultuous home environment within a community that portrayed a different, more harmonious reality. At a young age, I became acutely aware of the difference between my experience and what I perceived that I lacked in my upbringing. That dissonance set me on a lifelong path of seeking out ways to cultivate belonging for myself, and eventually others.

Professionally, this has translated into an insatiable desire to affect positive change, foster human connection, and build purpose-driven communities and movements, so that we may collaborate towards a more inclusive and equitable future. That is what brings me to this work.

Today, I primarily work through my social impact strategy, consulting and facilitation firm, WHY [HERE] MATTERS LLC. The services I offer include, but are not limited to:

• Community Strategy

• Stakeholder Engagement & Ecosystem Development

• Experience Design

• In-Person & Virtual Group Facilitation

• Creative Storytelling & Placemaking

Since 2014, I’ve worked with over 40 different organizations - ranging from venture-backed startups and large foundations to small nonprofits and grassroots community organizations - to help them develop strategies, re-evaluate approaches and improve practices towards making the desired impact on their core stakeholders and broader communities.

At my core, I’m influenced by my upbringing as an athlete who has coached, captained and competed on nearly a hundred athletic teams; my education, with a liberal arts degree in sociology & environmental studies and participation in nine professional fellowships; and my lived experiences, having worked, lived and traveled through all 50 US states and 33 countries across six continents.