Adventure has been in my blood from birth. Progeny of homesteaders and an Irish immigrant mother, I grew up in the Wild West state of Montana, absorbing its pioneering spirit while taking every opportunity to travel beyond its borders. After high school, those travels took me to Harvard, where I expanded my horizons and connections, and then took off for more exploring in Egypt (American University in Cairo) and Indonesia, where I taught High School English and served as college counselor and community service organizer at the Jakarta International School. My growing fascination with the links between education and global prosperity led to an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Over the course of my subsequent 30-year career I have counseled leaders in the education, corporate and social sectors who are seeking to shake up the status quo in pursuit of a more equitable, prosperous and sustainable world. I have found my calling in serving as a trusty ‘sidecar counsel’ to these leaders on the front line of creating social change.

My focus in recent years has been on women in leadership, as I see both an aching need for female leadership in today’s overly-masculinized world and an abundance of incredibly gifted women who, with appropriate support, can shake up the status quo and help create a more harmonious and thriving society.

I live a rather nomadic lifestyle, splitting my time between The Netherlands, my ‘home’ for the past several years, and points beyond, as I visit people and places I love and continue the search for that perfect ‘nest with a vista.’ My coaching adventures with leaders take me to places far and wide – sometimes in person, but mostly through my laptop dashboard, which serves as my sidecar windshield. To keep my daring spirit alive, I challenge myself to stretch beyond my comfort zone on a regular basis. Recent examples include learning to jet-ski, experimenting with whiskey cocktails, and swimming in the frigid North Sea. 

Confession: I have never ridden in an actual sidecar, but hope to someday.