My Why: I discover, develop, and share the brain-based behaviors and tools that allow people to lead from wherever they are.

What Inspires Me: Creativity. Which for me means helping people synthesize what’s known, what’s not known, and what’s possible into something transformative and impactful.

Name Dropping: I’ve designed, produced, or facilitated leadership and culture programs at American Airlines, Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute, Meijer stores, US Bank Community Development Corporation, Flexera Software, Promax/BDA, Entrepreneurs’ Organization (St. Louis/Clayton), San Diego Youth Symphony and numerous start-up, small and mid-sized organizations.

My Most Inspiring Work: Helping build Mama’s Kitchen, a meal delivery service for people living with HIV and AIDS. As the organization’s first Executive Director at a time when no one wanted to talk about HIV and AIDS, I learned fast how to recruit allies and funders, persuade people to overcome huge bias and join the cause, and, most importantly, build and lead a team of people learning on the fly.  The legacy we left? Today, Mama’s is one of the most beloved social services programs in San Diego, serving thousands of meals each day to people living with HIV, cancer, and other life-threatening situations.

My Formative Years: I spent most of my 20s as part of Up with People, traveling the world and performing in everything from high school gyms in South Dakota to stadiums in Rome to a TV show seen by 15 million people in China.  What stays with me the most are the random people I met in each place I visited - hard-wiring the “make places people” philosophy of experiencing the world.

My Producing life:  Prior to getting into the organizational culture and leadership world, I was a theatre producer and manager, including having a hand in several Broadway and off-Broadway productions and the development of several world premiere musicals. I also helped produce the half-time show for Super Bowl XX in New Orleans and numerous major meetings and events in the US, Europe, and Argentina.

My Learning Life:  As far as traditional schooling goes, I earned a BA in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters in Theatre Management and Producing at Columbia University.  I’m currently exploring a fascination with the neuroscience of human interactions, mostly through everything the NeuroLeadership Institute, Association for Talent Development, Hidden Brain have to offer.

My Current Best Life: Living my dream life in San Diego near the beach with my husband, Johnny, and our dogs Penny (German shepherd, very!) and Beau (super dopey golden retriever). Our village includes a big collection of my mom, brothers, their families, neighbors, and friends filled with silliness and love. We all make the most of this amazing place we live, surfing, hiking, cycling - and most recently, playing pickleball!- as much as possible.