Home: San Francisco Bay Area (Sonoma County). Birthplace: Small Town Ontario, Canada. Profession: Sales and operations leader; performance advisor. Significant other: My better half, Ed. Languages spoken: English and a modicum of Japanese.
Current project: A startup that will stop abuse. We can test children to identify if they’re experiencing trauma. Recent professional development: A fascinating Yale course, The Science of Well-Being, by Laurie Santos. Just like at work, knowing is not half the battle. Changing habits is the greater challenge. Latest accomplishment: Full recovery from a major ski accident this year. Meeting the physical and mental demands made me a better human. Latest contribution to others: Actively support Waldorf Education. I share their values of individual freedom, responsibility for community and connection to nature. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? Moving my family internationally to work in a new profession. Hobbies: Finding fun with my kids climbing, swimming, playing mahjong. Reading when possible, e.g., at Little League. Last book read: 2034, by Elliot Ackerman. What would a clash between the U.S. and China look like?
Personality profile: Thoughtful, courageous, funny. Enneagram 8, The Challenger. How do you define a perfect friendship? Leaning on each other while laughing. How do you define an ideal business relationship? A foundation of trust; clarity of alignment. What is your greatest joy? The great journey: being, belonging, becoming. Also, completing a workout. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Essential workers, especially nurses. And, of course, parents. What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? Skiing. British Columbia Interior, Tahoe, Nagano.
What was your first paying job? Newspaper carrier. They made you collect the money! What location holds a special place in your heart? Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, where my children were born. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? A poster from the Monterey Jazz Festival in Noto, Japan. The concert was epic and even more so was the astonishment of attending. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? My younger brother Matthew, who has Downs Syndrome. Witnessing and supporting him as a youth solidified my passion for creating spaces where all can belong and contribute. What is your go-to source of creative inspiration? Nature. I nourish creativity monthly with a group of friends: deep conversations, biography work, art.
What is your big idea?
Enabling people to make an informed vote with their dollars.
What change would you like to see in the world? Public education that teaches how to think, not what to think. What widely held belief do you reject? That you need deep experience in a vertical to lead it. What mega-trend most concerns you? Moral tribalism; dehumanizing those with a different view. What experience would you wish for this generation? Freedom for youth to make social mistakes and not be recorded.
Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? My great grandmother namesake Irene. What advice would you give your younger self? Live with ferocious curiosity, especially about yourself. What is something that didn’t work out? Joining the Navy. I didn’t know I get seasick! There are sailors who live with it their entire career. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? College.
Favorite quote: “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?" (Henry David Thoreau).
