CURRICULUM VITAE
Money Positive Cooperative
2015-Present
CEO, founder, and financial planner of a registered investment advisory firm. Inspired by the planning system in “All Your Worth” by then professor Elizabeth Warren I started a financial planning company designed to serve regular people. Working people who need help getting organized and breaking the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. We reorganized the company as a cooperative in 2019. Graduated from the Start.Coop Accelerator in 2020. We continue to grow, help rebuild middle America one person and one family at a time.
Ecology Action of Texas
2019-Present
Director and volunteer with Circle Acres, a project by Ecology Action of Texas. We are stewards of a 10 acre preserve in the Eastside of Austin in the Montopolis neighborhood. A former dump and quarry, is now one of the most biodiverse urban habitats in the city. The effort to restore the land and reconnect it with wildlife and indigenous people is an ongoing effort.
Nerd Nite Austin
2009-2018
For nearly a decade I was a primary organizer, or “Boss,” of the Austin chapter of the international speaker series Nerd Nite. Speakers ranged from basement hobbyists to NASA scientists. All sharing their passion and knowledge. In 2018 our team of voluneers took over the operations of the show and it still running to this day.
Molecular Biologist
2002-2015
For over a decade I was an academic and industry laboratory biologist. In that time I got to study cell differentiation in cyanobacteria, ion channels in nerve cells, perform next generation DNA sequencing, manufacture million dollars worth of molecular laboratory products, and oversee FDA compliance for a startup.
Austin Cooperative Business Association
2020-2021
Served a one year term on the ACBA (Austin Cooperative Business Association) board of directors, helping guide the organization during the Covid-19 outbreak. We launched online courses, helped secure city funding for cooperatives, and directly worked with and mentored existing and new cooperatives.
Austin Sea Veggies
2015-2019
Founded and operated the first inland seaweed farm in the United States. We grew a type of seaweed called Ogo nori (Gracilaria sp.) in raceways full of seawater in a greenhouse at the aquaculture farm Agua Dulce. We sold our fresh sea veggies at farmer’s markets, grocery stores, and high end restaurants. It was my first time starting a business, managing business finances, and mentoring