Making the world a better place today and (especially) for the future – that’s my mission.

Early on, I decided that the best way to do so was to understand people and the impact of social situations, and gain the skills to change the systems that limit people’s ability to grow. The goal: to unleash your potential for success.

I earned my Ph.D. in personality and social psychology, with a special focus on organizational psychology, child development and the relationship of law and psychology. During this time, I earned my J.D., with a focus on public policy and litigation. Believing in the importance of practical experience, I simultaneously worked as a consultant with the NYC Fire and Police Departments and Head Start’s National Headquarters, and worked full-time as head of Research & Evaluation for Planned Parenthood. Armed with the academic insights and skills, I accomplished my goal: working on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant for Health and Environment for (now) Senator Barbara Mikulski. My greatest accomplishment was drafting and helping pass a novel amendment to the omnibus Medicare and Medicaid Act, which creates rules allowing states to continue using innovative systems that provide better care more cost-effectively after their experiment-waiver period ended.

One important lesson that I learned is that leadership-by-example is the most effective way to change policy systems. So I left Capitol Hill to work as a consultant, and eventually take over an almost bankrupt innovative health care provider. Within 18 months the company was profitable and expanding.

The excitement of building a business sparked my entrepreneurial drive – and led to co-founding an innovative computer graphics company. For 15 years, we serviced over 5000 of the most demanding companies (e.g., IPOs, Fortune 500s firms, investment bankers, IR firms, VCs, and advertising agencies) who wanted winning presentations. Since most waited for the last minute, we built the first 24/7 operation. We built an amazing culture, able to go beyond clients’ expectations for service and hand-off jobs across shifts. As CEO, I focused on sales, marketing and finances. The company grew and eventually we sold it to a roll-up. Five years afterwards, some ex-employees called for a reunion – and half the number of people who were with us at the end came!

Since then, I’ve been adapting my expertise and interests to build other businesses, become a “trusted advisor” and coach to senior executives, and inspire and empower people as a public speaker (see other website sections).

Finally, throughout this journey, I’ve consistently been giving young people the opportunity to learn from my experiences. I started an intern program to allow students to work on interesting projects, learn computer, and communication skills, and understand how businesses operate. Over 500 interns have participated. I’ve also been teaching several courses on a part-time basis at several universities. Most recently, I’m at CUNY’s Baruch College, teaching courses in Business Strategy, Leadership Skills, and Entrepreneurial Communications: Selling and Negotiating. With my blog, I expect to continue sharing, inspiring and giving back.