Why a Collective?
We are multi-disciplinary experts in design, social impact, sustainability, and technology who look at problems from multiple angles. We deeply collaborate with clients and impacted communities to help solve hard problems in innovative ways.
About Us
About Us
Our Team
Our team has worked in more than 60 countries. We work collaboratively with you to co-create a common understanding to solve some of the "wicked" problems facing the world.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Pact
Board of Directors
(2010-2020)
Atlas Corps
Board of Directors
(2023-present)
University of Washington
Adjunct Faculty, Jackson School of Public Policy
I’ve had a non-linear career, and that’s a good thing. After more than 30 years, I find myself constantly challenged, curious, and engaged. I started working in PR and marketing, first for agencies in Chicago, then for Microsoft, where I was an early member of the Xbox team, handling international PR.
I spent time growing up in Kenya and discovered that I wanted to reconnect my career with that part of my history. I eventually landed in Microsoft Education, where I ran a global program to help teachers use technology better in the classroom. We built partnerships with governments, foundations, donors, and multilateral organizations. I learned that collaboration was key to unlocking unified creativity.
Since leaving Microsoft, I’ve worked with a variety of clients – including Unilever, PepsiCo, Cargill, Microsoft, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the IKEA Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation – helping them build multistakeholder collaborations to drive social impact and sustainability.
Working in more than 50 countries, I’ve seen how frequently technology fails underrepresented communities. With the Global Impact Collective, I hope to change that, and therefore address some of the biggest challenges facing people and the planet.
I live in Seattle with my wife and three dogs.
"Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care."
—THEODORE ROOSEVELT
CEO & CO-FOUNDER
VP, PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
"If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it."
—ALBERT EINSTEIN
Traveling to Costa Rica to study sustainable development during undergrad became the North Star for my career. I learned that to protect the planet, economic, ecological, and social forces all needed to prosper. I began working in nonprofit space but quickly realized that I needed tools to harness the scale of the private sector.
At the University of Michigan Business School, I worked in the slums of Nairobi, the rainforests of Peru, the auto industry of Detroit, all of which shaped my global perspective on the complexity of the problems and the elegance of creative solutions.
After getting my MBA, I landed my first dream job at DuPont, where I saw how setting smart targets had far reaching impacts in carbon and greenbuilding strategy. I amplified that experience at PwC by helping companies across numerous sectors. I pulled all of learning together at World Wildlife Fund leading global partnerships with The Coca-Cola Company, Walmart, Starbucks, and Nike, helping the largest brands address hotspots throughout their supply chain. I have seen first-hand that the best solutions can only be achieved when governments, nonprofits, foundations and companies come together.
I live in Portland, OR with my family and spend as much time as possible on the tennis court, in the forest or on the coast.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Lummi Island Heritage Land Trust
Board
Foundation for International Understanding Through Students
Host
Salish Center for Sustainable Fishing
Volunteer
John Stanford International School
Volunteer
I love diving into ambiguity to create solutions combining human-centered design, impact and creative tech. From urban planning, I shifted into technology as a way to change the world. I’ve defined and delivered projects ranging from mapping gene expression to avatar telepresence and data visualization. Early on, I discovered the power of a human-centered design process, shaping my approach to program and product management.
At Tableau and Salesforce, as a senior director of product management, I led cross-functional teams in delivering next-generation analytical products to help people discover and share insights, working with small nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies. At Microsoft, I worked on innovative projects that brought to life examples of future technology, collaborating closely with internal and external teams on the Envisioning Center, prototypes and products. I have also led interdisciplinary teams at startups to develop products and improve internal processes and worked as an engineer and interaction designer.
I hold degrees from Rice and the University of Washington and have completed graduate coursework at MIT. You can often find me outdoors with my family, bicycling, hiking, SUPing, or cross-country skiing.
“The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed.”
—WILLIAM GIBSON
PRINCIPAL STRATEGIST
PROGRAM MANAGER
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
—MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
For over 20 years, I’ve been drawn to mission-driven roles that work to advance human rights and dignity, protect the environment, and make a positive impact on an international scale. I’m passionate about innovative, cross-sectoral partnerships that bring different voices to the table and take bold action to address global challenges.
My social impact expertise has roots in global development policy, trade, and business with experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. My journey began as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan and Ukraine, working in the countries’ burgeoning NGO sectors. I continued my path in global development, first as a project manager in the USAID consulting realm, and later as a Presidential Management Fellow with USAID’s Europe and Eurasia bureau and the State Department’s Office of Global Partnerships.
I’ve also held roles at Weber Shandwick, a global PR agency supporting the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health team; assisted small- and medium-sized exporters at the Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington (EFACW); and helped ensure that Microsoft products were locally relevant and culturally appropriate with its Global Readiness team.
Today, I offer research, analysis, program management, project design, and operational support to the Global Impact Collective.
DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
“Don’t fidget. Get moving.”
—ROBERT CAPA
I began my foray into a career in social impact communications as an Anthropology major studying media and mass movements at the University of Chicago. I packed my bags and moved to Washington, DC to work in government affairs, monitoring global news in 24-hour shifts and helping clients respond to a constantly changing news environment. I packed my bags once more to join the Peace Corps in Senegal, where I worked with a USAID water and sanitation project to build latrines in my community in addition to several other projects.
I later returned to Washington, DC to continue my work in social impact communications with clients such as the USAID U.S. Global Development Lab and Securing Water for Food, making sure stories of innovation in international development were being told around the world. I went on to work with federal clients at numerous agencies on major communications and change management strategies.
In 2021, I got married and moved to Seattle with my husband and Swiss mountain pup for a new adventure in the great American Pacific Northwest. A glutton for punishment, I had a daughter and finished a Master’s in Business Administration at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign. When I returned to the workforce, I decided to re-center my work on the environment because there is no more important work today. That is how I found myself at the Global Impact Collective.
COO & CO-FOUNDER
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
—MAYA ANGELOU
Like James I’ve had a nonlinear career. After graduating with a degree in physiology and working as a biochemistry researcher, my career took an interesting turn when I took what I thought would be a short-term position at Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc. as I prepared for graduate school.
The short-term position turned into a sixteen-year career where I learned that there was a lot more to technology projects than just technology. I initiated program management and user centered design and built a robust program management and design department. I led the development of the Allen Brain Atlas and partnered to launch the Allen Institute for Brain Science.
I was promoted to Sr. Director of Technology Development managing everything from program management to software engineering. During this time, I also lead the Artificial Intelligence team and launched the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. I also strategically aligned technology with global impact initiatives across climate change, conservation, and ocean health, leading teams that launched Earth Ranger, Sky Light, and Smart Catch, among others.
Since leaving Vulcan I’ve been able to continue working on globally significant issues such as economic development with the Kauffman Foundation, female financial empowerment with FINCA Haiti, combating plastic pollution with the Lonely Whale Foundation and many more.
Maybe someday I’ll get that graduate degree.
DIRECTOR, STRATEGY AND USER EXPERIENCE
My passion for human-centered design was sparked early in my career, when working in community development in rural Zambia. While navigating cultural complexities and language barriers, I learned that to truly understand the wants and needs of another individual or community, you must lead with empathy. This experience shaped the direction of my career and motivated me to always serve as the voice of the customer/end-user.
As someone who finds excitement in ambiguity, I soon pivoted into the world of impact-focused tech startups, where I spent the next several years honing my design thinking skills to help create culturally relevant products and services, which ranged from digital healthcare systems in Niger to EdTech solutions in the US. After a short stint of independent consulting, I went back to school and received my MBA and MS in Design Innovation from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Over the course of my career, I’ve led projects in 20+ countries, held roles across business strategy, product, UX research, and customer success, and supported clients including Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, governments, and multilateral organizations. Through these experiences I’ve learned the importance of collaborating with diverse teams, taking a systems thinking approach, and using analogous inspiration to design more sustainable solutions to complex problems.
My partner and I moved to Seattle in 2024 and are excited to continue exploring the beautiful PNW through our love of the outdoors.
“The greatest danger to our future is apathy.”
- JANE GOODALL
Our Network
Our curated a global network of experts have deep experience in
a variety of industry sectors, capabilities, and disciplines.
Software and Services
Hardware
Food and Beverage
Textiles
Healthcare
Retail
Education
Public Sector
Non-profit/NGO
Industries
Communications and PR
Thought leadership
UX/UI design
Visual and information architecture
Industrial design
Graphic design
Brand, messaging, and storytelling
Ethnographic research
Capabilities
Disciplines
Circular economy
Food waste
Global health
Land rights
Sustainable agriculture
Ocean conservation
Wildlife conservation
Biodiversity
By prioritizing human experience and design-thinking principles, we guide individuals and organizations to consider broader systems to reframe solutions. Our global experience, combined with local wisdom, can bridge cultural divides and inspire design thinkers.
People Driven
Working closely with local groups, we use the principles of design thinking to create innovative and sustainable solutions to complex social and environmental challenges. Our goal is to empower individuals and organizations to develop effective, impactful solutions of their own.
Locally Engaged
Our team includes internationally recognized design, technology, and sustainability leaders. The strength of our combined network enables us to tap into multifaceted expertise from around the world.
Globally Informed
We approach every challenge with cultural sensitivity and human centricity. We don’t believe any single person or organization has the answers. Only after unlocking true, authentic collaboration, can we apply appropriate solutions to global challenges facing the world.