About

A love of the arts and history led me to my first job as a museum educator at the Harvard Art Museums, then the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and the former Contemporary Museum in Honolulu. Major construction and expansion projects were underway at each institution, working to better integrate the museums with their audience communities — from this I developed a passion for architecture and mission-driven building projects.

My ability to balance creative vision with the practical considerations of construction and finance were honed through an MBA and time in NY and London managing global expansion projects for the auction house Phillips de Pury. A desire to return home and to mission-driven work brought me back to Honolulu where I founded the non-profit arts and creative placemaking organization, Interisland Terminal and began to work on neihgborhood-scale housing projects. .  

I care deeply about Hawai‘i - its people, its history and its ecosystem. As an independent community development consultant, I focus on mission-driven real estate, capital structuring, and capacity-building with community and 'āina-based organization.  I've helped bring nearly 700 acres across 8 transactions into permanent community ownership, secured over $30M in capital for ecosystems, food systems and cultural organizations and facilitated the construction of multiple buildings from concept design to completion.

I served on the Board of the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority for seven years, and its affordable housing and financial asset management task forces. I'm supporting the growth of our local food system as a Board Member of Farm Link Hawaii and also the Liljestrand Foundation and preservation of the Liljestrand House as an advisory board member. I’m a “working” board member of Better Block Hawaii. I’m an enthusiastic volunteer and advocate for the ‘aina-based organization Kāko‘o ‘Ōiwi, which is working to restore the wetlands of He‘eia.

I have a BA from Brown University, an MEd from Harvard University, and an MBA from Columbia University.