My Story
The Making of A Pathfinder
I have always embodied the life of a pathfinder, a journey ignited by experiences centered around inquiry, learning and actualization. My journey has been neither conventional or linear or predetermined by the taxonomic maps of reality. Instead, I have chosen to play at the edges of change and transformation by challenging common assumptions, cultivating unique capabilities and developing self-authorship.
A San Francisco Kid
I am most passionate about unleashing the power of the human potential in order for individuals to become the most talented version of themselves. My sensibilities likely derived from my own personal experiences growing up in San Francisco’s most colorful neighborhood – the Fillmore
The Fillmore was known hub for creative talent and political expression; it was a predominantly black community that housed musicians, gurus, doctors, hippies, intellectuals, poets, gangsters and activist, all co-existing like the gorgeous ecosystem in the Serengeti.
And i was a kid with a pass to mischievously roam through the perplexities of these cultural domains with impunity.
Education and Its Discontents
My early life was heavily influenced by my interactions with systems of education. I was part of what can be described as the ‘Bused Generation,’ a government-sanctioned social experiment that desegregated public schools in response to the landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education. Consequently, I was forced to attend public schools outside my neighborhood, where I was subjected to the animus of teachers who imposed social labels, physical violence and behavioral infractions upon me. It was terrible.
In lieu of these vicious circumstances, I opted out of the public education trap for private schooling, which subsequently became a game changer, as well as a life saver. I proceeded to attend a Catholic grammar school, where I honed academic skills before gaining acceptance into an affluent, all-boys, Jesuit prep school in the City. There, I sat alongside the sons of the political leaders, police chiefs, military generals, and industry executives.
Shaping First Principles
My early childhood experiences had a profound impact on shaping my first principles in life. It brought awareness to how the limitless possibilities of human potential are significantly influenced by a quality education, social capital, and self-agency. It also punctuated how an excessive amount of untapped talent from underserved communities are marginalized, stigmatized and unrecognized because of a rigged and fictitious measurement system of “average” that rank and sort individuals toward and from their capabilities.
Cultivating My Talents
Leading change to transform the lives of individuals and communities became a focal point of my career journey, taking me from public service to global business to higher education. I held a myriad of employed position, including juvenile probation officer, fraud investigator, college dean, management consultant, social entrepreneur, museum director, senior research associate, and corporate HR manager.
Through my participation in various industry sectors, I developed a range of expert knowledge and leadership capabilities. I racked up recognition awards from chambers of commerce, state legislators, foreign ministries and served on mayoral appointed commissions and boards. I even had the honor of testifying at a Congressional hearing on technology and jobs.
A Moment of Reinvention
I was confronted with a disorienting dilemma that changed the trajectory of my career.
In 2009, the US economy crashed and quickly spiraled into what would become known as the “Great Recession.” As an emergency response, California’s governor summoned local leaders, including myself, to development a plan of action for new work opportunities with the business sector. At the time, I worked as a director and special assistant to the college chancellor, where I responsible for professional programs that trained people in high skilled, high demand jobs for the region’s tech economy.
Consequently, we failed to provide effective interventions for the moment. Our inability to provide leadership during a significant crisis caused great pain and consternation for me. I felt somewhat disillusioned by the self-importance that my colleagues and I once embodied prior to the recession.
Upon deep reflection, I embarked on a mission to reinvent myself. I trained as a futurist with the world’s leading strategic foresight organization; I enrolled in the top Ivy League university to learn about leadership; I joined a prominent think tank to conduct research and I traveled around the country interviewing workers, community and business leaders.
Big Shifts
My sensemaking process led me to recognize the “Great Recession” as a big shift and a major restructuring of our economy. We had entered The Forth Industrial Revolution, a new era enabled by exponential technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, augmented reality, internet of things and automation. These technologies were disrupting every industry across sectors at unprecedented speed, dramatically impacting the way we live, work, and educate ourselves.
Becoming A Thought Leader
The trajectory of my career path drastically changed with my newly held insight. I sought to amplify my voice by challenging the status quo, introducing transformative practices and making my mission to shift mindset, cultivate talent and transform leadership.
Today, I am a globally recognized thought leader, futurist, educator and of course, a pathfinder. I help leaders learn deeply about complex global challenges and big shifts impacting people, regions and communities; I facilitate strategic conversations with government, companies and universities on the future of work and I run a global education and innovation company that provides program experiences for professional growth, leadership and talent transformation.
