I have spent over 25 years working at the intersection of nature, community, arts, and advocacy. My focus throughout, has been on creating change to support equitable, culturally rooted, and just pathways for connecting with the outdoors, and living sustainably on this earth.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Brown University, and a Master’s in Environmental Science from Yale’s School of the Environment. I am the founder and former Executive Director of Salted Roots, formerly operating under the name Brown Girl Surf. I conceived, developed, and launched Brown Girl Surf’s community programs, which over 9 years have grown into the Salted Roots grassroots community movement that has significantly shifted surf culture in the state of California and successfully advocated for critical reforms in public access to state beaches. Prior to that I developed and managed several innovative youth programs in Oakland in partnership with United Roots, Urban Peace Movement, Urban ReLeaf, and Growing a Global Heart, and also worked as a naturalist in the Marin Headlands, and an outdoor recreation guide for East Bay Regional Parks. As a teaching artist, I have led youth percussion classes with Boomshake, and have guided youth hip hop artists to create collaborative performances and workshops throughout Oakland. I have worked in national parks, in local community gardens, and in grade school classrooms as a full time teacher, a science specialist, and an urban forester.

Earlier in my career, I worked extensively in Thailand, documenting the stories of communities whose livelihoods have been impacted by environmental degradation. This work resulted in an internationally broadcasted short documentary, The Recruit, and a book, Just Enough, available through the University of Washington Press.

My work has been featured in the SF Chronicle, NBC Bay Area, PBS Northern California, Al Jazeera English, and on NPR’s Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan.