My Story

When I was very young, my father made a deal to pay me a handsome sum (for an 8 year old) every six months if I only watched a few hours of TV a week and made up the rest of the time with reading. This was one of the most important experiences of my life and I credit my early love of reading with everything I've accomplished since.

I went to college at Yale, earning a degree with distinction in American Studies with a focus in Literature. It was in college that I first understood that stories are at the center of how I think about the world, whether it's a literary story, a cultural story, or a product story. 

Much to my surprise, I moved to California soon after college and earned a degree in Industrial Design and most of another in Visual & Critical Studies. With an engineer dad and a graphic-designer mom I should've seen it coming, but we always think we won't turn into our parents, don't we?

I've been a product designer, business strategist, and startup founder. I've taught design research at the California College of the arts. I've lived in a van in New Zealand, on a glacier in Alaska, and on a bicycle crossing the USA. Craft and story are paramount in everything I do, whether it's coaching a team to excellence, creating digital and physical products, or planning my next adventure.