Empathy is more than a buzzword. It’s a best practice for communicating in the 21st century. Like it or not, in business, people need to be the focal point of everything we do. If we can’t make an effort to understand what they want and need (including the person sitting right next to us), we might as well go back in time because we won’t get very far with anything less than a human-centered approach.
By putting humans at the center of what we do—by hearing what they have to say and appreciating the value they bring—we’re showing them that we’re human, too. Whether we’re leading, serving, selling or seeking to sway an opinion, the truth is always the same: empathy provides a competitive advantage.
Right out of college, I found myself working in human resources for an advanced tech manufacturer, administering benefits and managing internal communications for a few hundred employees, including 50 remote workers. My boss, the VP of HR, said this about my work: “Whether helping to coordinate sexual harassment training, transferring the employee database to a new technology platform, on-boarding new hires, or recruiting for temporary positions for department heads, his heart was always with the employees.” I’m proud to say this has never changed.
I’m fortunate to have had mentors early on who taught me the value of connection. “It’s simple,” one would say. “If you want to connect with someone, get to know them—hear their story.” Those words became the mantra that still guides me today.
I’m a well-connected and highly diversified communications professional with 15+ years of experience helping academics, philanthropy practitioners, scientists, and technologists to communicate, collaborate, and authentically connect with modern audiences. As a facilitator, I combine technical expertise with rapport-building and client relations skills to improve business partnerships and collaborations, optimize systems for learning and sharing, and align talent with organizational goals. I’ve worked with top universities, biotech companies, medical practices, tech consulting firms, legal advocacy groups, philanthropy associations, the world’s #1 fashion magazine, the United Nations, and the US State Department.
I started out in corporate culture, and years later, as a research scientist in pharmacogenomics, helped to pioneer a technology for organizing gene expression by ethnicity, making it possible for the first time to gauge drug response by genetic predisposition and dramatically reduce human loss in clinical trials. In Washington, DC, I co-developed a multimedia resource for college students that received national recognition from the US Department of Education. And in New York, I worked with attorneys on Varnum v. Brien, a landmark case that leveraged digital advocacy to establish marriage equality in Iowa and marked a turning point leading to the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.
In São Paulo, I launched a communications program for a global membership association representing 20,000 philanthropic entities across five continents. In San Francisco, I helped to connect 10 million nonprofits by partnering with major tech brands. And in Istanbul, I presented a framework for realizing the potential of social media for human-centered urban development. I’ve contributed to publications such as Singularity Hub, The Huffington Post, and Vogue Italia, and worked with the United Nations to advance ethical tech from the launch of the Post-2015 Agenda in 2013 to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2016.
From documenting social movements and genetic histories, to mapping workplace ethnographies and supporting communities of practice, I’m inspired by how we use technology to build relationships and learn from one another. This led me to Stanford’s Digital Civil Society Lab where I hosted the Digital Impact 4Q4 podcast—advancing safe, equitable, and effective digital practice by sharing the work of scholars, practitioners, and policy experts with a global audience.
Building on my work at Eastern Connecticut State University, George Mason University, Stanford University, and now as a graduate student at the University of Vermont, I’m building a framework for reclaiming personal autonomy, and reimagining what it means to connect with ourselves, our work, and each other.
As a future licensed clinical social worker, I’ll combine my experience in science, organizational culture, ethical tech, and social advocacy to support individuals in their personal and professional development, and work with organizations to create more resilient, human-centered workplaces.
I’m well-versed in a range of content types, including research reports, strategic plans and project assessments, blog posts, podcasts (writing and hosting), white papers, concept notes, internal communications, websites, and video content, and I enjoy working with experts and non-experts alike. I’m a skilled researcher and advisor; I’ve helped first-year college students find their voice as writers, served as a ghostwriter for C-suite execs, and worked with academics to turn complex subject matter into content that’s compelling, direct, detailed, and easy to absorb.
My editorial expertise includes developmental and structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, visual design, and user-centered design. I’m also proficient at aligning content with brand guidelines for B2B and B2C clients, and I have extensive experience handling sensitive materials and protecting client confidentiality.
Below, you can learn about my skills, my education and the editorial services I offer, and see what my clients have said about my work. To connect on LinkedIn or schedule a meeting, or for a look at my previous projects, see the menu in the footer. If you’re a human-centered business and building your comms program, or you simply want a pair of expert eyes on your work, please get it touch—I’d love to hear your story.