"With a keen eye…. comes a furrowed brow…. and chap lips."
-me…just now, after reading it's always good to start these pages with a quote…
I'm getting weirder with age I think. I used to have a very solid and confident outlook on how people and the world work. But then in 2014 I left Brooklyn for Beirut, and everything changed…but literally…everything.
I went to Lebanon to get "field work experience" (still not sure what I meant by that), in my chosen field of genocide and mass atrocity prevention. Then, as it does, life happened. I ended up getting pulled into a crew of nomadic documentary filmmakers called What Took You So Long?, who for the next 9 years would become my family. Three months after moving there, I left Beirut for my first film job in Mexico, the next one was in Panama, the next one was in Somalia, then Tanzania, and things just kinda stayed like that… for 9 years. I have travelled to (i think) over 100 countries, have lived on four continents, am fluent in Spanish and Arabic, and have had more life experience than I thought possible, back when I knew everything.
But alas, as the winds and sands of time march on…something something something…I got tired of moving countries, finding new gyms and cell phone plans. So I came back to the States for a new adventure, UX Design.
(adjusts tie…)
Speaking of professional things, a bit about that. But first here's a photo of me snoring on shoot for a doc about illegal arms trade in Nigeria…
…ok we're back, here's what I can help you with:
Product Design
I have just completed Brain Station's UX Design Bootcamp (with very high marks…do those still matter?)
I product managed the winning team for our Industry Project Hackathon.
Before this bootcamp, I project managed an interactive website and global campaign called Behind the Mask, which brought stories of healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic in Brazil, Tunisia, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe.
Project Management
I have project managed over 10 multi-country campaigns with teams of 5-15 people covering PR, Visual Design, Content Production, Campaign Strategy, and Social Media. I led a campaign for UNDP that got 500m impressions on our hashtag, and another with UNICEF Yemen that nearly doubled our reach targets with minimal paid media. This means I am comfortable leading large, multi disciplinary teams, and always find a way to exceed expectations.
Company Growth
I am currently the Director of Growth and Partnerships at What Took You So Long?. In my role (which I started with big plans and high hopes….in February of 2020…) I oversaw the creation and implementation of various new products, internal teams, and company policies that put our company on the right path. This led to more than doubling our revenue and our team size in just a few years (and through a global pandemic). This means I am experienced in building things from the ground up and know how to create and implement a vision across an entire company.
Content Creation
I have led documentary projects in over 50 countries, with teams of 2-5 people, in conflict, post conflict, and development settings. This means I am quite at home in chaotic environments, with tight deadlines, and varying personalities/egos to work with.
Here's what I like to do when I am not working (throws clip-on tie in the trash…)
Company retreat in the Sinai Desert, Egypt
Starlapse I took from a snowboard park in the middle of the Swiss Alps
A video I shot with @SebastianLindstrom for TedxMogadishu 2017
A hiking trip I took with my mom and partner to Ushuaia in South America (southern most city in the world)
