Come see about me.*
Hello!
*if you don’t know the reference, just look it up and enjoy the earworm
I grew up in the Philadelphia metro—the perfect setting to develop a love for great food and music, notable accents, and colorful characters. My school’s music program match-made me with the cello in second grade; it was love at first note. Thanks to our public school district, that hobby turned into a youth spent performing and touring as a soloist and with chamber groups, symphonies, even off-Broadway orchestra pits.
The rest of the time, I was devouring stacks of books, exploring flea markets and nature with family, or “project managing” a menagerie that included a dog, half a dozen rabbits, the occasional mouse, a fledgling bluejay, and chickens. You’d be surprised at the common threads one can find among classical musicians, the people and critters of 4H, wine professionals, and biker parties in the Pine Barrens. I’ll tell you all about it sometime.
An ear for music is also an ear for language, and growing up, I was surrounded by amateur poets, endearing malapropists, and notorious talkers-to-strangers. The resulting passion for language and stories (plus a lifelong obsession with all things culinary) have informed most of my major life choices, And, while The University of Chicago won me over with its Neo-Gothic campus and academics, what kept me in Chicago was what the city at large offered: the food and pronounced accent, of course; the chance to fall in love with my neighborhoods and neighbors (even a nemesis-turned-husband); the lake, and so much more.
I’m still smitten with my adopted hometown, growing deeper roots by the year. Organizing block parties, tending to the unruly dogs/gardens/ghosts of my centennial bungalow*, Chicago Sky super fandom: these are just a few of my civic responsibilities.
Living in Chicago provides an excellent springboard for exploring the wider world; come back soon and I hope to have a dedicated travel page. (Photo at right is from my 40th birthday trip to Morocco. I would recommend a desert dune buggy ride at sunset to just about anyone.)
*This site’s color scheme was inspired by its rose- and green-hued stained glass windows
Connecting the Dots.
I got my first job the moment I turned 14, and have always had one ever since. I’ve worked in restaurants and retail, in and around academia, and in niche industries from wine to software to biotech. At the end of the day, my ability to understand how products translate–from concept all the way to the end user–is thanks to this broad work experience. The common threads of service, connection, and storytelling remain at the core of what I do.
Working within specialized, dynamic industries has equipped me to see the big picture and predict what’s around the bend. I’ve held titles like Director of Education, Portfolio Manager, Head of Marketing, and Regional Sales Director. At the end of the day, I am prouder that I work hard, play well with others, and bring my whole self to my work irrespective of my title or project.
If you’d like to work together, check out my LinkedIn page and reach out to set up a call.
Lastly—although I’m based in Chicago, I’m open to working with any team, anywhere, for the right project. And, if it’s useful to our scope, soy bilingüe en español.
Taking an active role in the community around me has enriched my world.
Check the talented friends, collaborators, and organizations I care about.
Deep Cuts
These factoids wouldn’t make my CV, but while we’re getting to know one another, here’s some stuff you’d maybe hear from me at a cocktail party.
Cellist for life.
I started playing at 6, and played in a competitive quartet from 14 through the end of high school. I performed locally and abroad with regional and professional orchestras while studying as a soloist, and even taught young players. My quartet won the Lincoln Center Young Artists Competition for youth chamber musicians in 1999, which led us to study under mentors at Juilliard (still have the t-shirt!) and perform the Shostakovich Quartet No. 1 in the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.
Fun fact: I don’t think they let 14-year-olds submit Shostakovich pieces in these auditions anymore.
I probably saw Mothman, and talked about it on WBEZ.
Fun fact: People still ask me for the video.
ZAP!
I’ve been struck by lightning. It was a secondary strike, to be truthful, but it hurt all the same, and made my hair … large. If you’ve ever licked a battery (not saying you should!) imagine that zap coursing through your whole body, then make it noisy and smelling of ozone. You’ll get the picture.
Fun fact: I actually had a relative named Sparky.
Rocking the talk.
While I’m most actively a Spanish speaker (learned in the tiny streets of rural La Rioja), I’m also comfortable reading and making conversation in Italian, Portuguese, French, and Catalan. I will always take someone up on continuing to learn Mandarin if they’re offering lessons.
Fun fact: I was the only undergraduate to work with a team of professors to co-develop a curriculum for the study of Basque (aka Euskera) at University of Chicago. It’s now a permanent course.