Home: St. Louis, MO. Age: Older than I look. Profession: Design, branding and marketing. Organization: The LaunchCode Foundation. Title: Vice President of Marketing and Creative. Pronouns: She/Her/Hers. Alma mater: Southern Illinois University; Yale School of Management (Executive Education).
Current project: Rethinking the discovery and decision process for thousands of under-resourced learners. Recent professional development: Joined CHIEF, a professional organization for leaders who are women. In just the first months I’ve learned so much from this community of brilliant, supportive, committed leaders. Latest accomplishment: Created a new brand identity for ESG startup Unified Ground, preparing them for Series A fundraising and market launch and enabling them to connect environmental, social, and governance initiatives, climate policy, and social impact dollars with localized community-based organizations to meet the needs of climate and social impact investments. Latest contribution to others: Pro bono branding and web development for a mental health services provider in my hometown. Hobbies: Reading so much that I’m probably putting my local bookseller’s kids through college. Also, painting. Last book read: I Hope This Finds You Well, by Kate Baer. Recent unique acquisition: An upside-down, single line, wrong-handed portrait of myself drawn by my new conference friend, Mira.
What is your greatest joy? Seeing my son discover something new and surprising. What is your guilty pleasure? Entirely unnecessary visits to the art supply store. What natural talent have you neglected? Acting. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Public defenders. What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? Anywhere books or art-making supplies are sold. What is at the top of your bucket list? More travel, especially abroad. How do you relieve stress? Meditation, exercise and spending time outdoors. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? Turning off all emails, messages and calendars.
What was your favorite college course? Typography. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? Inventing new contraptions to solve my kid-sized problems. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? Works by local artists. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? my high school art teacher, Dennis DeToye. He made me realize, first, that it was both possible and acceptable to do what I loved and make a living wage, and second, that the things inside my head were worth putting on the page. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Live within your means. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? The ability to always have thousands of books on a small device in my pocket. What is your go-to source of news and information? My local public radio station. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? Being a woman of color in America.
What change would you like to see in the world?
Widespread radical empathy.
What widely held belief do you reject? That everyone is given the same tools to work with in life, so those who have or achieve less are simply not trying hard enough. What mega-trend most excites you? Rethinking the way in which we work and live, with human wellbeing and sustainability in mind.
Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? An artist/creator. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? All the art and books I could carry. What advice would you give your younger self? Don’t worry, nobody else knows what they’re doing most of the time either.
Personal mission: Leave the world better than you found it for folks less fortunate than yourself. Personal motto: Mind your gaps. Favorite quote: “Do your little bit of good where you are; It’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world” (Desmond Tutu).
