The inquiries that animate, drive, and frustrate my work are ever evolving.
Here’s a sampling of current and past explorations.
CURRENT
EXPLORATIONS
These are some of the questions I am currently exploring, through research, writing, organizing, and advising:
What does it look like to design, organize around, and steward revolutionary transitions? Reform is insufficient, but revolution might need to happen in steps and leaps—what can this look like?
How do we transform the operating logics of “powerful” institutions, from a politics of empathy to a politics of solidarity?
What does it mean to truly decolonize our minds, relationships, and practices for advancing equity and true justice?
How do we repair injustices that have caused so much pain, and level the playing field for those suffering from generations of harm?
How do we build meaningful global solidarity around our collective fights for liberation?
For some context on how I arrived at these, and how I’m thinking about these questions, see here.
PRACTICES
Currently, I’m focused on weaving and translating between disparate worlds—primarily culture, activism, and policy—and facilitating co-creation. But I bring skills from several other disciplines (which comes in handy as I’m translating).
I’m a leader in: research (ethnographic, design, political economy), design (services, programs, partnerships, gatherings), data synthesis (including rapid and real-time), framework development, organizational / movement strategy, co-creation, facilitation.
I’m skilled in: advocacy, community organizing, program management, change management, storytelling and writing, coaching and mentorship, mediation, narrative strategy, trauma-informed practices, decolonial methodologies.
I’m fluent in: quantitative research, strategic foresight, visual design, product design, software engineering, .
I’m a student of: somatic and embodied practices, neuroqueer approaches.
COUNTRY EXPERIENCE
I’ve had the incredible privilege of working in many countries and cultures. I don’t take these experiences for granted, and I remain deeply grateful to everyone who has welcomed me when I came knocking. Experiences from the following continue to inform my perspective and inquiry:
Afghanistan, Armenia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, United States, Zimbabwe
HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST WORK
Here is a selection of efforts I’ve been fortunate enough to contribute to. The work featured is only somewhat chronological and far from exhaustive, but represents initiatives that have been meaningful to me: they were with people I admire, created change I’m proud of, and/or meaningfully informed my perspective. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but everything is connected and range is my superpower.
PEOPLE POWERED
Led global effort to better support and organize champions of participatory budgeting, resulting in the co-creation of a new “union” for participatory democracy, with 41 founding members from diverse countries including Angola, China, Hungary, Russia, Somalia, Sweden, and USA.
CIVIL SOCIETY INNOVATION
Architected and facilitated the co-creation process for a $45M President Obama-initiated, Global South-led effort to support activists and human rights defenders around the world. Resulted in six regional hubs, with a focus on supporting those in closed and closing civic spaces.
BARAZA MEDIA LAB
Directed foundational research and co-creation process for a new media lab to defend and strengthen public-interest media in Kenya. The resulting effort, Baraza, now leads the way for media innovation in Africa, with exciting initiatives for networking, collaboration, and experimentation.
WIKIMEDIA MOVEMENT 2030
Directed research and strategy work across six countries for the global open knowledge leader on various efforts, from better serving Global South audiences to supporting new editors. Work culminated in the development of its 2030 movement strategy which centers knowledge equity as a core value.
THE MOVEMENT COOPERATIVE
Supported a cooperative of leading US progressive organizations and its 501c4 innovation lab to develop a new theory of change and strategy around community power-building, with a focus on post-2020 progressive organizing.
JUSTICE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Oversaw research and design of multiple campaigns to defend the rights of marginalized communities in NYC’s criminal justice system, on issues of immigrant rights, bail reform, human trafficking, and warrant clearing, working with community, non-profit, and government partners.
MEDIA SOLIDARITY COALITION
Led foundational research and co-creation work to support the launch of a network of journalists and independent media organizations in Nigeria to stand in solidarity against attacks on the press and to launch joint efforts in corruption reporting. Reboot continues to help coordinate the coalition.
DESIGN WITH
Led a masterclass and hosted a mini podcast series on the ins and outs of designing transformative collaborations for social change. Masterclass was attended by 500+ participants around the world, and Reboot’s Design With course continues to be taken by social sector leaders.
NYC OPEN DATA ROADMAP
Led a co-creation process to develop NYC’s new 10-year open data strategy and roadmap. This result was equally celebrated by both government officials (“an important milestone”) and open government activists (“we need more of this type of democracy”), and is now being implemented.
OPEN GOV CO-CREATION
Supported coalitions of activists, civil society, and governments across several countries (Armenia, Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, USA) to co-create and implement initiatives to advance government transparency, civic participation, and public accountability.
MOBILE ELECTIONS SYSTEM
Led a 10-organization partnership to design, develop, and implement the world’s first mobile voter registration and elections management platform in post-revolution Libya. It was deployed for Libya’s second election in over four decades at a time when state fragility and civil conflict posed great electoral risks.
AGENTES DE INNOVACION
Advised a presidential initiative in Mexico to strengthen civic engagement around issues of public security, economic development, public health, secondary education, and public finance reform. Learnings informed Implementing Innovation, a guide for open government programs.
INNOVATION ETHNOGRAPHY
Led institutional ethnography of a US federal agency working on global issues to understand the opportunities and challenges it faces in advancing innovation, decentralizing power, and improving accountability to the communities it served. Work informed agency strategy and realignment processes.
MEDIA & COMMS ETHNO
Led an ethnographic study of the information, communications, and media landscape in tribal regions of Pakistan, which shaped the design of approaches (beyond traditional media development norms) to better serve local populations. Trained senior media development practitioners in design methods.
MYVOICE FOR HEALTH
Oversaw foundational research, design, and implementation of an award-winning platform and program to use citizen feedback to improve public health policies and services in Nigeria. Efforts were heralded as a leading example of social accountability programming in global development.
FISCAL ETHNOGRAPHY
Co-led design and implementation of a methodology that blends public economics and applied ethnography to assess corruption through a decolonized lens. The work and impact on development partnerships and financing became a celebrated example of innovative, context-sensitive development.
REVOLUTIONS TO INSTITUTIONS
Advocated for self-determination of post-revolution Arab Spring countries (Egypt, Tunisia, Libya) based on field research and work with communities under-represented in mainstream media. Criticized neocolonial approaches to support from the international community, leading to reforms.
MOBILE AID RELIEF
Managed research around and design of new service models to improve humanitarian aid delivery and disaster relief in Pakistan. Efforts focused on updating a mobile banking platform and strengthening programs for delivery agents to improve user experience and reduce corruption.
HITOTOKI SHANGHAI
Launched and served as the founding editor of an online literary project that collected stories of singular experiences tied to locations in cities worldwide. Hitotoki is a Japanese noun, from hito or “one” and toki or “time”. The project served as a way to memorialize singular, indelible, brief stretches of time.
PANGEA DAY
Curated, organized, and co-hosted a film festival to advance connection and solidarity between communities around the world. Featured shorts, experimental cinema, and full-length features from local and international filmmakers that examined the bonds we shared despite our differences.
MISC AMAZING GATHERINGS
Produced and hosted many incredible gatherings, from culture salons to design competitions to policy debates. I’ve always loved getting people together to explore, dream, and scheme, and have worn all the hats—curator, producer, facilitator, MC—to help make the magical moments possible.