Welcome & Hello!  While the primary utility of this site is to further my professional interests, I've organized it so you can get to know me a bit beyond the standard resume stuff.  As you can understand from this bio, I don't draw much of a line between my personal and my professional passions.  I enjoy working with people who think that's great.  

Between major projects I do Advisory work while hunting for my next interesting chapter. My work for clients ranges from Capital Structure to Market Strategy and Product Development. For more info please see the ADVISOR page.  I am also a Painter. To see my portfolio please go to my art website page - LightEffect Studio.  I am also a competitive cyclist.  I discovered my “right fit” sport late in life and now hold several major Age Group records. It sounds immodest but the gender gap in athletics is huge – and it is worse for older women athletes.  I chip away at that by staying visible.

I have done my best work when bringing order to chaotic circumstances or when growing something from almost nothing, with limited resources. I enjoy helping people build out their ideas, both in start-up and established environments. As a leader, I build meritocratic, positive, fun, rigorous teams empowered to stretch, take risks and own the outcome. I have broad experience and love operations at the shop floor level as much as brand-building and strategy. Cracking open solutions to gnarly problems is high on my list of fun things to do.

My work, both paid and volunteer, in the natural and organic food sector, has helped a large number of healthy-eating entrepreneurs to grow and thrive. I am particularly interested in nutrition, sustainability, social justice and dematerialization.

I have had many work chapters but my most formative and valuable job was my first one, when I left college early to help my parents [my heroes] survive a Chapter 11 reorganization. They pioneered the curbside post-consumer recycling industry, innovating processes and technology which spawned large-scale systems we take for granted today. Their vision, values, work ethic, creativity, generosity, courage and resourcefulness continue to inspire me daily. 

Years after earning an MBA (Yale ’82) I set aside business to pursue art, my first love, and spent five years studying the magic of sunlight on natural forms and in the atmosphere. I still venture out with my field easel when I can.

An unintended turn of events led to a return to entrepreneurship in 1994, where originally with partners, then on my own, I built Dancing Deer into one of the most respected natural food brands and a leader in triple bottom line practice. My years at Dancing Deer were the unique, wacky and, looking back, incomprehensible time when I somehow also raised two children who came out better than fine despite the challenges.  

Proud brag:  In 2009, I rode my bicycle 1500 miles in 15 days, solo, from Atlanta to Boston from one homeless shelter to another. Each evening, while decorating Gingerbread houses with families living in shelter, I learned about, then publicized the face of homelessness while advocating for practical solutions. I stayed in the shelters or  when they were full, in the RV that followed me around.  I had support.  Homeless Families don’t - or at a critical moment, didn’t.  Dancing Deer donated 35% of its Sweet Home Gift line revenues to fund educational scholarships for at-risk mothers as a pathway out of poverty.

A recipient of honorary Doctorates from Bentley College McCallum Graduate School, Wheaton College and Pine Manor College for my roles as mother, entrepreneur, activist and artist, I serve on several Boards and contribute my time and energy to many progressive initiatives. Creating positive impact is a life passion.

Work is fun. My non-work fun is to get out in nature, dance, race bicycles, make and engage with art, ideas & music, be productive, be creative and engaged with family and friends.  I take leaps of faith (click here for an entertaining video of one). My children, Eleanna and Dimitri, are my greatest joy and proudest moment.

And in case this bio seems braggish...I assure you I have failed often and early. I have benefited, I hope, in both skill and wisdom. I have had more than a fair share of bollixed, upside-down, bewildered, failed, foolish, idiotic, immodest & unimpressive moments.  So I bring all that to the table whether solving a business challenge or climbing a mountain.  I am a thoughtful, self-reflective learner and seeker of better solutions and higher purpose. 

IMPACT-BRAND BUILDING AT DANCING DEER - Footnote

Honors & Awards Note: During my time at Dancing Deer (1995 – 2010) we were highly engaged in the community, which involvement is reflected in the following formal awards given to me.  There were countless informal moments of engagement and satisfaction that we were making an impact. This was the more powerful stuff and it was always about us and the bigger picture, the mission, not me - perhaps to a fault.

• Wheaton College Honorary PhD

• Bentley McCallum School Honorary Phd

• Pine Manor College Honorary PhD

• 2010 One Family Founders Award

• 2007 Commonwealth Institute Silverman Award

• 2007 New England Women’s Leadership

• 2006 Rosoff Award

• 2005 Francis Hesselbein Award

Our team won the following accolades during our time together at Dancing Deer:  Not to diminish the importance of industry recognition but the most meaningful accomplishments were: the many terrific people who came through Dancing Deer (and other ventures as well), who went on to wonderful lives, the impact we had on the community and the continual recognition, to this day, of what a terrific product, company and impact-brand we created (before that was a thing).

• 2010 2008 2007 2003 2000 NASFT Product Award Finalist

• 2008 2003 2002 2001 ICIC Top 100

• 1999 1998 NASFT Product Award Winner

• 2007 America’s Best Professional Food Competition

• 2007 WorldBlu Most Democratic Workplaces

• 2006 Babson/TCI Top 100 Woman-Led Business (TCI is The Commonwealth Institute)

• 2006 BBJ Corporate Philanthropy Innovator of the Year

• 2006 WBENC Top Women-Owned Business

• 2005 Fortune Best Bosses

• 2004 2001 Chamber Award for Excellence

• 2003 Metropolitan Home Design 100

• 2002 FleetBoston Award for Innovation

• 2000 SBANE Award for Innovation

• 2000 National Paperbox Excellence

• 1999 Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist

• 1999 AIGA Brand Design Award

• 1996 Best of Boston