The 2007-2008 financial crisis catalyzed a strategic career redirection that transformed my approach to sustainable community-led development and partnerships.
After my big firm experience and stepping down from my executive role at a virtual reality tech company, I pursued a deliberate three-part professional evolution: knowledge expansion through self-directed sustainable development studies with Washington DC think tanks; cross-cultural competency through Spanish immersion in Ecuador; and human-centered leadership as primary caregiver for my grandfather with Lewy body dementia.
This experience fundamentally reshaped my understanding of dignity-centered impact. For example, when my grandfather whispered during one difficult morning, “I am useless. This is painful… How is this living when we know that we’re not right in the head?”, it sparked our decision to create a photographic record of the experience and my commitment to humanity-centered practices like:
- Equitable, dignity-preserving approaches during organizational evolutions
- Relationship-centered engagement across cultures, functions and sectors
- Love-based disciplines as baseline for sustainable partnerships
These principles and this foundational experience shapes how I approach every partnership and initiative, ensuring that sustainable impact always centers human dignity and authentic relationships.
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