The stuff that comes from the making of stuff: that is The Stuff.

―

Over the years I have been lucky to work with some great collaborators on some amazing projects.

STL Sandbox is a series of community and capacity building workshops (originally designed for St. Louis, but now open nationally) designed to connect people where they are to the work of population-level change regardless of their role. Workshops focus on how data and information; storytelling and narrative; and a deep understanding of people, process, and power can help people orient themselves for action.

Screen Shot 2020-01-20 at 5.11.22 PM.png

Based on methodology developed and originally implemented by the City University of New York's Institute for State and Local Governance, the Equity Indicators Project is a regional collaboration between the City of St. Louis, Forward Through Ferguson, and United Way that I was part of during my time at City Hall. The project is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and 100 Resilient Cities. A response to the Ferguson Commission's call to action for a racial equity benchmarking process, the project will quantify the state of racial equity in St. Louis and measure progress over time.

Screen Shot 2020-01-20 at 5.35.06 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-01-20 at 5.35.27 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-01-20 at 5.36.12 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-01-20 at 5.35.55 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-01-20 at 5.36.31 PM.png

Forward Through Ferguson is the nonprofit was established after the sunset of the Commission to be a catalyst for lasting positive change in the St. Louis region as outlined in the Ferguson Commission Report. Embracing the Commission’s mandate, FTF centers impacted communities and mobilizes accountable bodies to advance racially equitable systems and policies that ensure all people in the St. Louis region can thrive. I served as the founding “Lead Catalyst” for FTF, and got to build the plane while we flew it with some of the key Commission staff.

Screen Shot 2020-01-20 at 5.43.48 PM.png

On November 18, 2014, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon appointed the Ferguson Commission – a volunteer group of 16 diverse community leaders – to make policy recommendations that would address the underlying root causes that led to the unrest in the wake of Michael Brown’s death. As Communications Director for the Commission I worked with an amazing group of staff and commissioners.

Living Like Kings: The Unexpected Collision of Chess and Hip Hop Culture explored the surprising ways in which the ancient game of chess intersects with the powerful, creative expression in hip hop culture. I served as Executive Producer for the immersive video installation that centered the exhibit — a 27-minute two-channel piece created and directed by St. Louis artist Benjamin Kaplan. The exhibit was on view from October 9, 2014 through April 26, 2015. An overview of the exhibit by HEC-TV can be viewed here.

St. Louis for the Love was an effort to aggregate some of the forward-looking and awesome stuff happening in St. Louis, strengthen the connective tissue that links people who care about improving the region, and be an engine of innovation, collaboration, and forward progress.

Through the intersection of photography, storytelling and reporting, This is St. Louis aimed to connect the human dots of the St. Louis region, illustrating its depth, strength and potential. Inspired by Humans of New York, This is St. Louis showed the diversity and spirit of the St. Louis region through street-photography portraits. This is St. Louis was a partnership between the St. Louis Beacon (which merged with St. Louis Public Radio in 2013), Jarred Gastreich Photography and St. Louis for the Love.

Screen Shot 2020-01-21 at 8.04.43 PM.png

Storycubes Sukkah was a collaborative winning entry into Washington University’s “Sukkah City” design competition in the Fall of 2011. I tell the story of the project, and share its impact on me in a TEDx Talk, here.