Speaking at your event.

If you’re looking for a speaker for an upcoming business event or conference, who doesn’t follow a straight line, you’re in the right place.

I didn’t grow up with a built-in network or a clear career path.

What I did have was curiosity, a willingness to try things, and a deep care for the city I call home: Milwaukee. Over time, that turned into a career built through ideas, community, and connection.

Today, I speak about innovation that starts with people, careers shaped by perseverance, and how investing in community unlocks unexpected growth for individuals and organizations.

My talks are casual, story-driven, relatable, and energizing, blending personal experience with practical takeaways teams can use immediately.

What do I talk about?

  • Building a Network From Scratch
    How I used community-building, side hustles, persistence, and even “job hopping” to create stronger professional connections and opportunity.

  • Innovation Beyond Technology
    Why (and how) people, culture, and connectedness matter most.

  • Careers Without a Straight Line
    What growing up in poverty taught me about adaptability.

  • Place-Based Pride & Purpose
    How caring for my city (and its people) has taken me to unexpected places.

I love talking with…

  • Organizations and teams looking to spark stronger connections and fresh thinking at an internal or off-site event.

  • Conference audiences who value unconventional approaches to innovation, entrepreneurship, and community/culture building.

Recent innovation keynote moderator.

I recently moderated the keynote panel at Slalom’s Milwaukee Innovation Day, an event hosting the region’s technical c-suite. My unique storytelling background helped make what could have been a very tech-heavy discussion more relatable and one of the event’s most memorable moments. Attendees left inspired by the reminder that while technology evolves quickly, people and culture are what create lasting impact.

Let’s chat about it.

If you’re looking for someone who brings energy, honesty, and real-world perspective, and who understands how ideas turn into communities, I’d love to connect.