OUR TEAM

I was born in a war that lasted for nearly 20 years in a free country that fell to communism. And so my teenage mother left me to fate and faith at the doorstep of an orphanage in a city that no longer bears its name. I was raised alongside a German brother by American patriots of a different color in Hawaii. My father was a Navy Commander and mother, a descendent of George Washington. My origin story is the lens through which I embrace the world.

Writing and storytelling have always been a life-long passion. Expelled from an Oahu highschool, I graduated from an alternative school where my award-winning writing earned a scholarship with National Press Club, and state and national awards that led to opportunities where I met change agents including Oprah, Jim Henson, George Lucas, Bob Woodward and the U.S. President. Their stories inspired my resolve to make a difference. I received awards for my essays from the U.S. Maritime Industry and Veterans of Foreign Wars. I studied creative writing and poetry at University of Redlands in California and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and American Studies from University of Hawaii Manoa.

I grew up professionally in public relations and advertising agencies amongst a wide circle of creatives and ideas. For years, I traveled to major media markets from LA to Chicago to New York to advocate for clients to the press. I also worked as a civilian for the U.S. Department of Defense in Italy, where I lived in a small Sicilian town on one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Yet it was my work for local companies, homegrown nonprofits and imperative social movements that I found my calling.

As a teacher, trainer, listener and bond builder, I believe that everyone has a story that must be told. Most of all, I believe that skillful community engagement can create emotional bonds between brands and communities. I believe that our work at Transcendence Pacific makes me a better person. We help organizations imagine a future where its leadership only did what they do best and outsourced the rest to experts. Your resources are precious. Now is the time to transition your organization from survive to thrive.