Currently I am based in Los Angeles, but hoping to move to Lisbon. I work in the community space and am very passionate about making communities safe, welcoming, diverse, and accessible. In my spare time I volunteer at an exotic animal sanctuary that takes in former movie animals as well as animals from the illegal pet trade and fur farms and gives them a better life. I love being able to educate visitors about wildlife conservation and the animals we care for. If you're ever in need of a good animal fact, I've got you. Like many, I love to travel and experience new cultures. You'll rarely find me without a film camera or two in hand. My dream is to create a space where people can come together and share ideas and create art and find a bit of peace.
HOW DO YOU EMBRACE DIVERSITY AND/OR UNCONVENTIONALITY?
Embracing diversity and unconventionality is so important to me, whether it's through the books I read, the content I consume, or the people in the communities I am part of. I am always in search of ways to broaden my knowledge of other cultures and perspectives. One of my favorite ways to do this is through food, I love to cook food from other cultures and I believe food provides connection and a sense of community. As a neurodivergent woman, unconventionality is part of my daily life. Embracing that aspect of my life has led me down paths in my career, and life in general, that I wouldn't have been able to experience in the same way. It's made me very passionate about accessibility in technology and in the world as a whole. When spaces, both in real life and online, are designed to be accessible, everyone benefits.
HOW DO YOU EXPRESS YOURSELF CREATIVELY?
Photography has been my greatest creative outlet since I was quite young, and now my focus is primarily on film photography. However, more recently I have been exploring creative writing and have started work on my first novel.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY? WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE AN EXPERT IN AND COULD GIVE ADVICE TO THE COMMUNITY ON?
I have quite a vast knowledge of different animals and have learned even more during my time as a volunteer at an animal sanctuary. I would also love to talk to people about accessibility both in technology and out in the world, I am by no means an expert, but I am very passionate about the topic. Aside from personal experience in needing spaces to be accessible, I have many people in my life who use assistive technology, which has really been the driving force behind my passion for accessibility in the world.
SHARE A VERY VALUABLE INSIGHT YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE WORLD: