What problems do you want to solve?
I want to solve the really big ones, the intractable ones that “invisibilize” communities of people, that throw populations into the margins and out of mind, and the ones that when you resolve them, they create a safer world for those who have historically been left out of the conversation, even when it is about them. I want to be a part of change that creates a better world, one that I want to build for my daughters, Kayden and Nova, that will support their dreams and never tell them they are too inadequate, too insufficient, too much, or too brave.
Trying to create this kind of world and actualize this vision is who I am, who I strive to be. It is my Why.
I never knew where to begin when people would say, “Tell me about yourself.” I did not know what aspects of me they should know about or what I should focus on. And after all these years, I realize that, at the end of the day, at the core of everything I do, I create peace of mind. It is my north star. My goal is to help be a guide towards an outcome that can sustain a vision and create a legacy.
I started the federation of Build Up Companies to create this kind of brave socio-economic change globally. As part of the Build Up Companies federation, Build Up Advisory Group®, our advisory firm, The Campbell Law Firm, our social-impact law firm, and Build Up, Inc., our fiscal sponsor, work only with clients and projects that pursue what I consider to be brave social change and are truly disruptive in order to remove communities from the margins.
Some of the most interesting change I have been a part of creating has been helping to spin off programs into independent nonprofit entities, turning around nonprofits and philanthropies with inconsistent impact that want to rebuild, and working with individuals, nonprofits, and philanthropies that want to change the world and need the foundational support to do it. Each of these programs, projects, and initiatives get to step into the world, so to speak, with their refined vision, mission, and strategic goals. They are poised to put their mark on the world, and I help design and build out what they need in order to do it sustainably. I love what I do.
I am a scientist by training, a lawyer by profession, and a problem solver by nature. I am of the margins, of the mainstream, an immigrant, a child of the South Bronx, a Barbadian, a mom, a lover of good music, good food, and good vibes, and the daughter of a teacher with dreams and a nurse who built through relationships. I have been told no when it mattered and yes when it counted. I know how it feels to be excluded, and I know how to be inclusive. I am, unapologetically, all of these things, which show up in everything I do.
These days, I think they call this unique combination, cultural competence. I simply call it competence. I could not imagine showing up any other way and I could not see how I could bring what I bring to problem solving in terms of creativity, possibility, and practicality without these attributes and experiences.
I have more than fifteen years of experience and expertise, but it is about more than being technically sound. I use that technical expertise to become a partner, a champion for extraordinary vision, and a game changer for innovative work.
If you want to learn more about some of the places I have been, the people I have met, and the things I have seen, you can read more about them here.