10 THINGS ABOUT ME

⚔️ I was born in Michigan where my dad was a French teacher, but grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. My father is Moroccan and my mother is German–born in a displacement camp in Berlin after World War II. My grandparents were Holocaust survivors. I was fortunate to grow up with a lot of languages, aromas, and cultural identities.

⚔️ I wanted to be Barbara Walters when I was a teenager, so I attended American University for their Journalism program. I took a design class (for a liberal arts requirement), and ever since, I've been on an inspired quest to uncover how visual and verbal language connect our world.

⚔️ I am the creator of Marriott's #LoveTravels campaign, an industry first of standing loud and proud with the #LGBTQ audience. This campaign was one of many campaigns and content that helped transform Marriott from a hotel company to a travel company.

⚔️ From 2017 - 2019 I worked at IBM and helped them launch their automation business with Dream It Done, a storyline, campaign, and activation brought to life at IBM's yearly conference, THINK. This brought in over $700mm in pipleline.

⚔️ Once, I moved to Paris for a year to paint and freelance for the global ad agency I was working for. It was the experience of a lifetime and met friends for life. I still paint today and have had shows in the US and France.

⚔️ I ran the 2009 New York City Marathon in a Wonder Woman costume.

⚔️ I helped Doctors Without Borders rewrite food aid policy with a storyline called Starved For Attention. This worked earned an Emmy nomination.

⚔️ I have a black belt in Kung Fu. I started Kung Fu because while I'm blessed with a lot of energy, I wanted to understand how to channel it in a healthy way–have agency over my mind and body.

⚔️ Basketball is like religion for me. Not watching the game, but playing. I played in high school and still play. In 2022, I crossed off playing at The Cage on West 4th Street in New York City. Basketball is a mirror of life. You can't fake anything when playing the game. If you're feeling off or not relaxed, the game suffers.

⚔️ From 2009 - 2017, I wrote two columns for The Huffington Post, one about culture and the other about Icons. I was able to travel the world, from jumping off cliffs in Greece to polo competitions in Argentina. Met the most incredible people from Donna Karan to Joe Frazier and the Jonas Brothers.