Among other projects, I’ve been instrumental in the game-changing 2022 passing of a state-wide urban and rural data center sales and use tax exemption. This drove immediate leasing activity resulting in 100% occupancy for Centeris Data Centers, which provides AI and mission critical digital infrastructure for global and regional companies. In recognition of the hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment, increased tax revenues and high wage job creation, Centeris tenant Voltage Park was awarded Washington State Economic Development Association’s (WEDA) 2023 Business Recruitment of the Year, followed by the 2024 Pierce County Economic Development Board Golden Shovel Award for its significant contribution to the economic well-being of Tacoma-Pierce County.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, I co-founded the non-profit Restart Partners, a public-private collaboration with leading government, health and academic organizations working to save lives and livelihoods through science, data and technology in order to protect the most vulnerable. Restart Partners has been recognized by the State of Washington, Facebook, OSHA, American Society for Public Administration, and others by its successful efforts to increase public trust and enable all sectors of the economy to remain open and resilient during the pandemic.
More recently I joined the board of an investment fund that utilizes patented AI-powered bot technology for good in Africa, further engaging my AI experience, economic development and social impact expertise, and knowledge of the Continent. Currently we are working with global business leaders and philanthropists to fully realize the first phase of funding and developing subsequent plans beyond Africa.
Throughout my adult life, technology, social impact, and equity, are woven into all I do — in my professional work, philanthropy and through my involvement in the arts. My husband Josef and I are vigorous arts advocates and have been collecting and working with contemporary artists of the African diaspora and Latinx for almost three decades with particular focus on social justice and gender. We actively work and travel with artists, curators and arts organizations throughout the world, and our art collection loans out dozens of works annually to museums across the globe with the aim of addressing the underrepresented through exhibitions and long-term museum loans.
In recent years I have furthered my board governance and social impact effectiveness by completing several executive leadership programs. I am a graduate of the exceptional OnBoarding Women, a nine-month comprehensive board training program, for which I was nominated and selected to attend. In 2019, I completed the Accelerating Social Transformation program at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington to sharpen my social impact and innovation skills. In the fall of 2020, I completed Harvard Chan School of Public Health’s program on Benefit-Cost Analysis to further infuse scientific discipline into my work.
As a successful business executive, philanthropist and entrepreneur in traditionally male dominated industries I believe strongly it is critical for women to own their worth and become financially independent. Driving principles of my long career are integrity, collaboration, persistence, creativity, excellence, and most of all kindness. As an impact-driven leader, I feel it is incumbent on me to leverage my success, abilities, and privilege to help all members in society overcome barriers and amplify their voices to drive broader change and create a better tomorrow.
