At age 19, I was fascinated with power, politics, and how the game was played. I got turned onto the nuances of leadership and action through Chris Mathews’ book, Hardball. Within a year of reading the book, I took time away from Penn to work for Chris at the San Francisco Examiner, researching the unsung power of diplomacy, team building, and connection in politics. We called it Softball, the Art of Influence, which became the title of my college thesis.
I had a knack for synthesizing information, asking poignant questions, and understanding systems which got me into the field of scenario planning right out of college. I had the privilege of working with the giants in that field and I learned firsthand about managing uncertainty, decision-making in high-stakes environments, and first principles thinking. I worked on disruptive strategies, such as the Internet’s effect on newspapers, China’s influence on global security, and climate change’s ramifications on worldwide stability.
With an MBA from Wharton behind me and a lot of training in big-picture thinking, I wanted to demystify how organizations worked so I began operating at disruptive companies. I joined the team at Netscape right when they decided to make the browser free. I moved to Snapfish where we enabled early adopters to jump into digital photography. I loved the entrepreneurial pace – especially scaling up a sales team – but missed connecting the dots, so I took some time off to study Yoga and reflect on my next step.
On September 11, 2001, while in New York City for a yoga class with the famous teacher Patthabi Joyce, I watched the Twin Towers fall with my naked eyes. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be of service more directly. I wanted more purpose in my life. That led me to start a company inside Global Business Network and the Monitor Group called Monitor 360. We were a public/private partnership serving the NSA, CIA, and DOD inspiring new mindsets and building cultural transformation programs in the U.S. Government.
With special access to national security problems, I founded a purpose-driven company, Protagonist, that used Artificial Intelligence to detect, measure, and influence narratives. I developed a passion for the science behind stories and influence. And, I learned what it is to be a Founder CEO – hiring and firing leaders, building technology products, pivoting business models, raising funds. I feel honored to have led an incredible team and served some of the most powerful leaders in the world.
When I exited my start-up, Trium founder Andrew Blum asked me to join the team. At Trium, I bring together everything I’ve learned, from a 25-year meditation practice to briefing military generals on life-or-death situations. I help CEOs and their teams expand their visions by disrupting default thinking and naming the unseen.
I live a full life in the Bay Area, with two flourishing children, a tight family, and friendships that fill me up.
