Current Causes & Projects

One of my students, Rajni, at her families slum dwelling
during the festival Diwali.

The goal of my life is to make a long term impact on other's well-being. Whether that is simply laughing and making others' laugh (joy and humour are such important pieces of our lives) or taking my grateful position as a global citizen and transferring the skills and knowledge I have to help causes that are dear to my heart.

If you've read any of my writings, you'll see that I love many various things: the woods, travel, gender equality, social enterprise, family, poetry, and development work.

So how do all these passions and love combine in my life?

Work
When I say work, I mean what I get paid to do. I am the Director of Marketing at FineLine Solutions. The people there, they are powering the world to do well, by doing good. I have worked my whole life to work for a company that is instigating social change. I am still learning, but I love my job and what it teaches me about philanthropy and business. The people there? They are innovative and flexible, entrepreneurial and motivated. They are game changers.

On the side, I sometimes consult or give presentations on branding, marketing strategy and online communications. I try to select companies that have some kind of CSR aspect, as I can only really design strategy for a product, service, or company that I'm passionate about. Want a great example of how an ordinary company can be extraordinary? Learn about how one of the companies I work with, Modular Storage Solutions, is giving shelter to storage items here - and how with each unit they're providing shelter to several children worldwide.

Charity / Volunteer Work

Claudia & her family, one of the two women
participating in the Food Security Project.

To focus my energies, I choose organizations that are close to me and my heart: I.W.E.N. Canada, TEDx Kelowna, and Otra Fe. I.W.E.N. focuses on assisting women and children obtain education and freedom in Nepal, with a local focus on marginalized women in the Okanagan, TEDx Kelowna is expanding the minds and igniting change, and Otra Fe is a Food Security project (with various other projects for the community) in El Salvador, that I visited in the summer of 2012. All of these organizations speak to my heart and spirit and make me strive to be a better person and make a difference.

Education and Ongoing Learning
I think it's important to keep learning, always. I'm currently enrolled in Creative Writing classes through the Okanagan College. I just completed my Certificate of International Development through UBC. (Finally some formal training in this huge passion of mine!) I hold a Bachelor of Management Degree and a Business (Marketing and E-commerce) Diploma. In an effort to learn a second language that is used where our Food Security project is, I started taking Spanish classes in 2012. I took a couple University Spanish courses, I studied for two weeks with a Spanish teacher in Guatemala, and I joined yet another class here in Kelowna. Mi encanta español, but I don't get enough of a chance to practice it! I spent 2.5 years with a company in the western Canadian agriculture industry and I could not love that time more. I also spent some time learning from a smart, smart farmer on an organic farm, to learn all about food and sustainability here in the Okanagan. I also took a series of classes re: having a raw, vegan lifestyle. I do not classify myself as a purist in anything. But man, there is so much to learn!

If you'd like to connect, find me on LinkedIn.