Crafting Words: SAT, ESL, GED, GMAT Verbal Whisperer

I led the co-creation of Unhurried Design with colleagues from esteemed organizations such as MIT, Oxford, and Google during the pandemic. Unhurried Design is a life-centered alternative to design thinking that prioritizes relationships and reflection, going the right pace at the right time, to yield resilient solutions with less material waste. I regularly design and hold workshops and seminars for technology executives as a lead facilitator at MIT xPRO on topics such as critical thinking, systems thinking, emerging technologies (AI/ML/DL/AR/VR), radical innovation, organizational strategy, and leadership. As a trusted advisor, I have facilitated innovation projects and technical workshops for thousands of people across six continents at organizations such as Rotman, Axonius, National University of Singapore, FHLBank San Francisco, AdventHealth, and The Common App. I am currently conducting research on the role hurry plays in leadership and organizations, precepted by an associate fellow at Oxford Saïd. Publication is expected in 2025. I hold certificates in Advanced Design Thinking from IDEO U, Leading from the Emerging Future from u.lab (MITx), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida, Storytelling for Social Change from the University of Michigan, among others. I am a believer in practical application, not theory alone, and so am practicing ‘slow living’ while traveling between Europe and the States, hiking trails, running long distances, while caring for my tyrant of a puppy Coco.

Over my 10+ years of experience teaching and tutoring and working with people, I have sensed their need to create with values that are: Beautiful Beauty and business are not often positioned together, but research shows beauty and awe can decrease anxiety and increase hope; it is where we need to place our attention during times of despair. The more we design elegant solutions, sustainable systems, and create space to witness the people alongside us, the greater our sense of aliveness. Messy Humans tend to regard darkness and mistakes as things to be suppressed, avoided, or fixed. I have seen how when met differently messiness can accelerate learning and fuel human connection rather than hinder it. What if mess is not something we can ever get rid of, but an ongoing invitation into navigating conflict, complexity, and uncertainty with more skill? Light The words ‘sol’ and ‘soul’ can remind us the importance of seeking external and internal inspiration, neither remaining fixed in our past ways of thinking and behaving nor losing sight of who we are. Additionally, designing a lighter life, solution, or business invites us to simplify the complex and focus on doing one thing really well within realistic timeframes. Grounded A leader’s interior condition is more paramount in leading change than any other quality. The more we cultivate a non-anxious or grounded presence, the more we can be it for others. When leading change, we also need a systems awareness that everything is connected, as with a mycorrhizal network, where plants transfer water, nitrogen, and carbon in a hidden “woodwide web.”