I’m a Los Angeles based creative who has (so far) lived in five cities and worked in two languages. I’ve been an entrepreneur, founder, CEO, designer, developer of sustainable architectural materials, creative director, board member, and podcast creator, host and producer.

My boundless curiosity about people’s stories of the cities they inhabit was the catalyst for my podcast, Five Places L.A., a living documentary of Los Angeles which I host and produce for the L.A. Forum for Architecture and Urban Design.

From the age of eight, I dreamt of becoming an architect. I went to architecture school, but swerved when in my second year at Columbia’s GSAPP, I was invited to collaborate on a tiny commission. When we couldn’t find the right material for a large pivoting door/sunshade, we dove into cross-disciplinary research, then prototyped and iterated to invent an innovative architectural material: a lightweight, translucent honeycomb panel. From 1999-2022, I was Panelite’s CEO and creative director, leading a resourceful, energetic team.

Panelite developed four product lines, earned six U.S. patents, and led the building materials market in applying honeycomb technology to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve occupant wellbeing. Our ClearShade insulating glass unit is recognized by Lawrence Berkeley National Labs as an energy-saving exterior glazing solution. Panelite materials have been applied in thousands of built projects for end clients including Amazon, Audi, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Frick Museum, Google, Illinois Institute of Technology, Parrish Art Museum, Raleigh Union Station, St. Louis Science Center, Target, UC San Diego, CSU Fresno, and University of Rhode Island.

These were exciting, challenging years that taught me about entrepreneurship, creative output, innovation, and communication. I had the opportunity to work with brilliant clients, collaborators, and colleagues. I now provide freelance consulting on business strategy, business development, and marketing/communications to clients in various industries. I also always enjoy speaking on entrepreneurship—and learning from others—at industry events and in schools.

My volunteer and board roles with the AIA|LA (on the steering committee for Powerful) and the L.A. Forum for Architecture and Urban Design (where I am VP of the Information committee) have been focused on architecture, urban issues, and equity in design, while expanding my experience in communications, event planning, and working within and across teams on multiple deadlines.

I’m an avid reader with a love for languages, (despite?) having been raised by two French teachers who discussed etymology and syntax at dinner. It was more fun than it sounds! I’m always looking to learn new things, most recently: skateboarding, Notion (as an organizational tool and database), growing an edible garden, and, like many of us, issues around climate change and AI.

EDUCATION

University of California Los Angeles Anderson School of Management (Los Angeles, CA)

Executive Program in Management

Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (New York, NY)

Master of Architecture

Honor Award for Excellence in Design; William H. Kinne Fellowship Award

École Supérieure de Design Industriel (Paris, France)

Certificat de Design Industriel (product design program)

University of California at Berkeley, College of Environmental Design (Berkeley, CA)

Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with Highest Honors, Minor in French Literature