Philanthropy
Some people give money to better the lives of their neighbors. I have never had that luxury. Instead, I give my time and my talents by walking, holding dinner parties and curating experiences that cultivate a greater sense of empathy. A philanthropist that I know was dealt a serious blow when he was asked to leave a project he funded. Processing the loss of millions of dollars and three years of his life, he told me "if even just one person's life was affected by this initiative, then we've lost nothing".
RwandaWalk
It's hard to image anything that has affected me more as a person than my time in Rwanda. The stories that were shared with us as we walked across the country guide me daily. I consider myself privileged to pass on these experiences to those around me and hope that they will impact you in the same way.
Fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief
Every year for Bike Month in San Luis Obispo, I transformed our studio into a gallery to raise money for WBR. Photographers donated their works and profits to buy life saving bicycles for those in need around the world.
Maize for Maasai
Photographer Morris Weintraub and I had a crazy idea to sell his photographs to raise money to teach a Maasai Village how to grown their own food...in the desert...when they are known for their husbandry. It was an amazing thought and we raised a lot of money. And in the end, we realized we were wrong.
Friendsgiving
What started as a small dinner party the Thursday before Thanksgiving has morphed into a 100+ gathering of new and old friends. Each year I chose a local nonprofit to raise funds for that sponsors either a Thanksgiving meal for a family or Christmas presents.
Afloat
The war in Syria was the final straw for me in the global refugee crisis. I have been following the many wars in Africa and the Middle East long enough that I couldn't sit idly any longer. When preparing to go work in a camp in Greece, a mom friend and I dreamt up this wild idea to repurpose life vests into baby carriers. So we made a few.