Gather in the Woods

In 2019, I launched a gathering for individuals passionate about social justice and spirituality. Once a month, we meet up in the woods at a secret location with a group of friends; from the disillusioned to the committed change-agents within their faith communities. The first half of the evening we spend going on 40 min ‘Deep Listening’ partner walks, where one indiivand speaks for 20 mins and the other is in complete silence – and then halfway, they switch roles. Once everyone returns, for the second half of the evening we gather around a fire to unpack those conversations.

the co.space

In 2013, I launched the co.space, a 20-person intentional community for young changemakers in State College, PA. We purchased a run-down fraternity home and renovated it into a creative hub for social entrepreneurs and creatives.

The home is made up of driven students, experienced young professionals and self-directed learners. Two house managers oversee the operations in the home. Throughout the year, we host 3 retreats for tenants and weekly dinners and activities with community mentors.

My role with the company is to ensure a dynamic culture and explore opportunities for future expansion.

Sullivan Foundation

As the Director of Student Engagement, I’ve been leading programming, retreats, and curriculum design for the Sullivan Foundation since 2011. Serving a network of more than 70 universities across the American Southeast, we focus on developing students interested in service, social entrepreneurship and changemaking.

I oversee strategy, partnership development, monitoring and evaluation, program design, marketing and website design. But primarily, my efforts focus on strengthening a community of emerging leaders who are seeking out changemaking solutions to help transform their communities and campus

Teach for America Graduate Fellows Program

I’ve been working with the Mississippi office of Teach for America and Delta State University to design and run their Graduate Fellows Program. The program is designed to train TFA alumni how to launch and run social ventures in the communities they served. The fellows receive a full-ride scholarship to obtain a masters degree of their choosing, in addition to tailored coaching and financial support to launch their project.

Throughout the year, I provide executive coaching to the fellowship coordinator and assist with various aspects – from coordinating mentors to running the Immersion Retreat to capturing key metrics throughout the year.

Potluck Brainstorm

In 2018, my wife and I decided to start hosting a monthly Potluck Brainstorm. Our intention was to create a simple vehicle for people to convene and chat about ideas that would make our region a more vibrant and innovative place.

We’ve found that potlucks are an incredibly simple excuse with few barriers to entry. As a result, 100’s of community members have passed through the house and had the chance to meet with people they typically wouldn’t bump shoulders with and talk about meaningful ideas.

TEDxPSU Speaker + Emcee

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege to both speak and emcee TEDxPSU, an incredible event organized entirely by Penn State students. As an emcee, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to thread connections and meaning between the speakers brought together – and shake things up on stage by dressing in everything from a scuba suit to a bathrobe.

Changemaker in Residence

Working alongside my business partner, we developed a thorough plan for recruiting culture-creating young professionals to our hometown, State College, PA. Developing the plan involved building out monitoring and evaluation plans, year-long programming, websites, and promotional videos.

Although the project was ultimately not fully-funded, we were able to generate interest from more than 100 people from over 30 countries who were interested in moving to State College for the program.