Timeline

When most people ask “who are you?” They usually want to know where you come from and what you’ve done along the way. This is my quick and dirty attempt to answer that question in reverse chronological order, so you only have to go as far back you want.

New Dad

Welcomed our new daughter into our home
Road-tripped with a four-month-old across seven states to the Albuquerque balloon fiesta and annular solar eclipse in an electric car
Designed and built a folding desk that can be somewhat hidden in our dining room, freeing up a room for our kid.
Joined board of New York criminal justice nonprofit.
Somehow bought a house in childhood neighborhood, next door to family

COVID-19 Pandemic

Co-Founded a 501(c)3 researching and promoting ways to use design to nudge people to be better to each other online.
Left Brooklyn intending to house-sit for a fiend outside Portland, Maine for one month. House-sat for one year.
Called and texted voters to support Joe Biden and other Democratic campaigns.
Moved back home to Seattle.
Volunteered to help Seattle homeless population, primarily helping people living in RVs safely get rid of wastewater.
Took a job with an Impact-First Investor (like a regular investor, only investing for maximum poverty alleviation while preserving capital, instead of maximizing profit).

After 2016 Election

Served as Interim Director of a New York criminal justice nonprofit.
Helped a Brooklyn-Based Resistance group share information and make use of new digital tools.
Took over a summer camp for a weekend to get married.
Researched and advocated for a way to bridge political divides and improve local policies through Crowdsourced Ballot Initiatives.

Post Grad School

Independently researched overlaps between technology and civil society, some of which is now published on TechCrunch.
Built out website content for things like Neil deGrasse Tyson’s podcast, StarTalk.
Helped organizations like this nonprofit that studies how media can change hearts and minds tell their story.
Trained New York Times reporters and editors to create livestream videos on Facebook.
Helped charitable foundation judge media innovation prototypes for grant competition.
Built a (janky) Android app to help enter the ticket lottery for Hamilton, used the ad revenue to buy a regular ticket.

Grad School

Earned Master in Public Administration degree from Columbia. Kind of like an MBA, only for people who care more about making the world a better place than maximizing profits.
Managed capstone team of eight consulting with Accenture, studying digital government programs in Brazil, India, Mexico, and USA.
Ran IT for a South African impact investor.
Gave TEDx talk on Crowdsourced Legislation.
Used human-centered design principles to co-found social enterprise bringing hand sanitation to Indian food carts, winning grant money for pilot testing.
Won several thousand dollars in grant money for student-led open data initiative.
Advised Haitian community center on setup of new computer lab using donated laptops.
Taught did IT/admin work for new nonprofit high school in E thiopia to serve gifted students who couldn’t otherwise access full education.

Not-So-Starving Artist Period

Was a Resident Artist with a NYC-based Shakespeare theater.
Acted in several Off-Off-Broadway stage productions (yes, that is a thing).
Toured with a dramatic improv ensemble.
Wrote for Backstage’s “Unscripted” blog.
Picked up two IMDB credits, one where you can’t see me, one where you can’t hear me, both a blast.
Tutored a few subjects* to pay the bills.
Designed a couple websites.

*Calculus, Trigonometry, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English, Spanish, US and World history, SSAT, ISEE, SAT, ACT, and GRE prep, among others, students from middle school to graduate level

Traveling the World

Used childhood savings to backpack across all seven continents.
Started small volunteer emergency flood relief effort in Latin America.
Helped coastal nature sanctuary cleanup in Australia.
Edited and revised grant applications in East Africa.
Roasted marshmallows over hot lava in Guatemala, ziplined off the Great Wall of China, snuck Malawian dignitaries into Zambian tribal ceremony, and other assorted hijinks.
Blogged about said hijinks as I went, posts republished on wide variety of sites.

College

Double-majored in Political Science and International Studies at the University of Chicago.
Helped organize the world’s largest scavenger hunt, later profiled by The New Yorker.
Studied abroad in India, starred in NBC web series about experience (along with 9 other students studying in other countries).
Acted in a dozen-plus student theater productions.
Worked summers fundraising for an environmental nonprofit, at a theater, and at a zoo.

Starting out

Grew up 90% in Seattle, 10% on a cattle ranch in eastern Washington state.
Played as varsity benchwarmer on high school basketball team.
Saved up at young age to travel the world, starting with a coin collection, continuing through lawn mowing and first summer jobs as ranch hand, sandwich maker, and at an ice cream/coffee/candy store called Bubbles.
Spent a lot of time hiking and biking.
Played a lot of video games.
Read a lot of mystery and fantasy novels.
Ate a lot of ice cream.

Wait, you read all of that? I’m flattered! At least I hope it’s because you found it interesting. If it’s because you were looking for something specific and didn’t find it, drop me a line – I want to know how to better serve people like you coming to this site.

Actually, since you made it all they way down here, even if you don’t have any suggestions, drop me a line anyway. I’m betting we’ve got something in common, and I’m always up to swap stories.