Hello! I’m Monica, and I suffer from a bad case of wanderlust. It permeates my entire life, not just the traveling bit. I’ve wandered through professions that have taken me from being a teacher in Kansas to program design in Kenya, East Africa. Returning to the US, I was charged by empowering women crafters in third world countries. I started a small business called the Global Nomad in the funky arts town of Paducah, Kentucky.
Soon after I formed a nonprofit that assisted communities and children devastated by the AIDS pandemic in northwestern Kenya. Before I knew it, I was working in government revitalizing neighborhoods and then added some creative placemaking consulting around the US.
The reflective nature of midlife drew me to design school. Here I realized all this wanderlust comes from a love of observing people and wanting to understand their behavior. This triggers the puzzler and strategist in me who craves looking at curious challenges and playing with novel solutions.
Combining human-centered design with strategy and systems is my happiest, nerdiest mental place. It’s also why I’m excited to share and teach others how to do the same. My mission is to empower and encourage the change-makers and the crusaders like you who were meant to change the world for the better!
Onward Fellow Crusader!