Where did you grow up?
Detroit, MI
What is your degree in? Why did you choose that degree?
Bachelor of Fine Arts , Theatre Major (more to be revealed later…😉)
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us.
I once hugged Whoopi Goldberg. She smelled like cinnamon.
What is your history with Detroit?
I’m a PROUD Detroit native. Born and Raised! DPS Alum (Renaissiance High School c/o 2004)
What did you do before working at D3?
Non-Profit Arts Creative Development Consulting, Grant Writing, Fundraising, and Institutional Giving
What do you like about working at D3 so far?
The TEAM—everyone is incredibly smart, humanity-focused, and committed to ethical data usage. We aren’t just collecting data for the sake of it; we are intentional about securing, analyzing, and applying data in ways that uphold best practices and ensure fairness. It’s refreshing to be in an environment where intentionality and integrity guide the work.
In my role as Community Partnerships Coordinator, I love that my focus is on making our work and tools more accessible to community leaders and organizations who may not yet know about D3 or fully understand the power of data collection and analysis. Bridging that gap is something I find really meaningful.
How do you think the work you are doing benefits the city/region?
When I think about my community and the impact I want to have, I know I’m deeply informed by my emotions and lived experiences—I see what needs to change and how different approaches could create positive outcomes. However, at a macro level, emotions alone may not be enough to drive systemic change.
What makes D3’s work powerful is that we take those emotional insights and connect them with unbiased, empirical data. When data validates lived experiences—and vice versa—it transforms personal perspectives into measurable, replicable evidence.
This benefits our city and region because we’re equipping community leaders and organizations with the scientific backing to support their mission-driven work. Many leaders are called to this work because of passion and personal conviction, and we provide the numbers and insights that validate and amplify that calling. We’re helping them not only understand the impact of their work but also demonstrate it in ways that secure resources, influence policy, and drive meaningful change.
What are your favorite types of data?
Box & Whisker Plots—and not just because I have a pet cat!😺 I’ve always found them visually interesting and a great way to quickly spot patterns, outliers, and distributions in data. They tell a full story at a glance, which I love.
I’m also big on communication and human connection, so interviews and focus groups are my jam! There’s something powerful about hearing directly from people, understanding their perspectives, and then finding ways to translate those insights into actionable data.
Who or what inspired you to take the path to Detroit, data, or both?
I’m an artist, and I truly believe that artists are data nerds—we specialize in the study of emotions. But before I fully understood this, I actually convinced myself (and a whole bunch of other people) that I’d make an excellent scientist.
Not many people know this but, my undergraduate career actually started in the Food Science Department at Cornell University—one of the best programs in the world at the time. From 2004 to 2006, I studied Food Science Operations and Management, working in product labs alongside graduate students. At 18 to 20 years old, my biggest dream was landing an internship with a major seafood company to develop new products—specifically nacho flavored fish sticks.
That interview process and my coursework taught me two key things:
- Ethics often take a backseat in the food industry. In America, profit is almost always prioritized over people.
- I actually care about people.
Those revelations, paired with a few personal hardships, brought me back home to Detroit to figure out my feelings—in the Theatre Department at Wayne State University. Studying theatre not only helped me grow as an artist but also showed me how my innate skills—empathy, storytelling, and strategic thinking—were transferable across different sectors.
- My deep empathy helped me in community impact work with United Way.
- My ability to craft compelling narratives helped me succeed as a Corporate Relationships Director.
- I started my own nonprofit and had to sharpen my writing skills to secure funding and expand our impact.
- That experience led me to consult with other nonprofits, helping them clarify their objectives and use data-driven insights to secure funding.
At some point, I realized that data had played a role in informing every step of my journey. Inside me, the “little scientist that could” had always been there—just operating through the lens of community care.
Now, joining Data Driven Detroit gives me the opportunity to operate at my highest potential—bringing together my rich, cross-sector career history while staying true to my lifelong commitment: caring about people.