For more than two decades, I have helped social change makers in the U.S. and around the world increase effectiveness and impact in service of a more equitable, just, and climate-stable future.
I delight in accompanying individuals and groups as they learn and adapt. My work takes many forms: advising senior leaders, designing learning and evaluation systems, facilitating multi-stakeholder, board, and staff strategic dialogues, stewarding communities of practice, and leading collaborative research initiatives. I am especially passionate about fostering cultures where diverse people and perspectives can come together to imagine and enact paths toward a better future.
I held leadership positions inside foundations for six years. At the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, I oversaw and provided hands on support for learning, evaluation, and strategy efforts across five program areas. At Skoll Global Threats Fund, I stood up a new learning and evaluation function and designed and executed key components of the organization’s sunset. Before entering the foundation world, I worked as a strategist, facilitator, and researcher at the social change consulting firm, Monitor Institute, where I spearheaded a multi-year research and learning initiative on philanthropy’s role in catalyzing networks. Prior to Monitor, I honed my scenario planning skills at Global Business Network, a futurist think tank, learning network and consultancy.
I speak regularly at conferences and have authored numerous articles for philanthropic and nonprofit audiences, including Cultivating Equity-Promoting Networks (RWJF, 2021), Resilience in 2020 (S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, 2020), Catalyzing Networks for Social Change: A Funder’s Guide (GEO, 2011), Working Wikily (SSIR, 2010), and What If? The Art of Scenario Thinking for Nonprofits (GBN, 2004). Currently I serve on the advisory panel for the Emergent Learning Community of Practice.
I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College. After teaching and studying in Japan and India, I did a master’s degree in religious studies with a focus on Asian traditions at University of London’s SOAS. Later in my career, I completed a master’s in public administration at the Harvard Kennedy School.
I live in San Francisco with my husband, two sons, and our dog, Junebug.