About Me
I'm a freelance writer and communications consultant based in New Haven, Connecticut.
I have a talent for helping people communicate their “big ideas” – clearly and concisely.
My career began at the NAACP, where I wrote speeches and thought leadership for senior leaders of the oldest civil rights organization in the US. For several years after that, I led the communications team at Village Capital and was responsible for managing our brand and strategic communications strategy, including media relations, message development, digital strategy and research reports.
In 2021 I co-authored a book, Letting Go: How Philanthropists and Impact Investors Can Do More Good by Giving Up Control. I’ve also consulted for a number of progressive non-profits, advising on strategic communications for campaigns around voting rights and criminal justice reform.
I have an MBA from Georgetown UniversityI’m a graduate of the University of Rochester, where I served as Editor-in-Chief of the school’s student newspaper.
Let’s chat!
My Work
Books
I wrote a book in 2021, and previously served as lead editor and project manager on two best-selling books:
Letting Go: How Philanthropists and Impact Investors Can Do More Good by Giving Up Control (read excerpts here and here)
Reports
I have written, edited or supported on more than 50 reports, white papers and research projects in my career. Here is a sampling:
Advocacy
Toward Trust: Grassroots Recommendations for Police Reform in Baltimore (Center for American Progress)
True South: Unleashing Democracy in the Black Belt 50 Years After Freedom Summer (Center for American Progress)
Misplaced Priorities: Over Incarcerate, Under Educate (NAACP)
Impact Investing
Innovations in Justice Tech (Village Capital)
The State of Global Financial Health Innovation (Village Capital)
Catalyzing Civic Tech in India (Village Capital, Omidyar Network)
Articles and Interviews
Here’s a quick sample of articles that I’ve written under my own names, and interviews that I’ve done about my book.
Can the Gates Foundation Cede Power to Those It Seeks to Help? (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Doing More by Doing Less: A Call to Rethink Philanthropy (Nonprofit Quarterly)
Philanthropy and the Zen of Participation (Nonprofit Quarterly)
Monopolies Are Killing America (Bright Magazine)
Six Ways to Fix Baltimore’s Police Problem (Think Progress)
Interviews
Letting Go: A New Book Explores the Promise of Participatory Grantmaking (Inside Philanthropy)
Letting Go: A New Model of Philanthropy and Impact Investing (UN Capital Development Fund)
Participatory Funding Models Are Radical Manifestations of Empathy (Forbes)