As a design researcher and strategist, I love defining opportunities in messy problem spaces, elevating voices that aren’t always heard and inviting imagination into complex problem solving processes.

Although I haven’t always used the words “innovation” or “design,” I have been designing experiences for humans at innovation-based organizations for almost a decade. I began my career as an Americorps member in San Francisco where I built an outdoor science program for 500 students at a public elementary school. Since then, I’ve worked at organizations that are pursuing innovative approaches to desegregating the education system, fostering empowerment through outdoor adventure and promoting self-compassionate approaches to productivity. In my time as a teacher, coach and program manager at these organizations, I learned how to work with a variety of stakeholders, design universally accessible experiences and facilitate spaces for transformation.

I became interested in formalizing my design training while pursuing my Masters of Education at Stanford, where I was lucky enough to participate in several design thinking workshops at the d.school. This ignited my interest in designing not just for individuals but also systems, which led me to the Institute of Design (ID) where I’ve been pursuing a Masters of Design for the past 2.5 years. While at ID, I’ve partnered with clients in the healthcare, civic and nonprofit sectors to design human-centered solutions to complex challenges. When I’m not at work or school, I enjoy discovering new neighborhoods, labyrinths and graphic novels.