Professional
I'm a product manager with an unusual path. I started in a blue-collar career before going back to school to make a move into social services, after which I pivoted to go to work in tech, where I’ve spent the last 13 years, mostly at startups and small, lean companies. My focus there has been platform and integrations work, which I love because it puts me in the middle of nearly every team in an organization. It's messy and high stakes, with plenty of unknowns, but when it goes right the impact is huge for all those teams. It also keeps me moving between the details and the big picture, so I roll up my sleeves where I'm needed and delegate to the right people where I'm not. The last few years have brought me more into people management and leadership, and I've found I thrive there too. The thread through all of it is the same: I like working alongside people on the hard problems others shy away from, and I take ownership of things, so they have the freedom to take risks and bring their best.
Outdoor Athlete
I climb rock, ski the backcountry, and mountaineer, and I've built a lot of my life around being able to do all three. Climbing is where I test myself physically and mentally, and the partner on the other end of the rope makes it a social test too. Skiing gets me into big terrain with a group, and it's what I've traveled the most for. Mountaineering started for me on Mount Baker, where I later spent a season guiding. They're very different days out, and each one asks something different of me.