It’s almost certainly selection bias, but it always strikes me how often, on How I Built This or similar shows, the guest’s story begins with building websites. It is rarely the headline, just a brief stop on the way to launching the next RXBar or Burt’s Bees.
I also started out making websites (though never felt the same pull toward egg whites or beeswax).
It began as a way to pay the bills, but quickly became more. A creative outlet, a puzzle, and a way to build things that mattered. Over time, I realized websites can teach you just about everything: storytelling, strategy, design, psychology, marketing, leadership, failure, and feedback.
You break things. You fix them. You learn.
That mindset led to the founding of Protos, a creative studio supporting mission-driven teams. What began as web design grew into full communications support: developing messages, building brand systems, shaping content across channels, and helping organizations understand their audiences and tell their stories with clarity. Through that work, I found myself immersed in fields I hadn’t formally studied: conservation, land stewardship, re-Indigenization, childhood literacy, workforce development, and social equity.
I left college as a sophomore, but through design, writing, and communication, I’ve worked side by side with experts in these areas to help them reach their communities, support fundraising efforts, and build trust with stakeholders.
Over the past decade, I’ve worn many hats: designer, strategist, creator, facilitator, overworked accountant, and advisor. As an agency owner, I guided projects that combined message development, stakeholder alignment, donor and community storytelling, and campaign strategy, making sure design supported larger communications goals. From coordinating cross-team initiatives to shaping websites, emails, social content, and brand materials, my focus has always been on connecting organizations with the people they serve.
Across all of these roles, the throughline has been clear communication in service of meaningful work. I believe organizations should be honest and adaptable, and that design, when paired with strategy, empathy, and strong messaging, can move people and drive real change.
Now, I’m ready to bring that experience in-house, to deepen my work in communications and advancement, support a team, and contribute to a mission that matters.
