I had to step back for a bit in terms of volunteerism when my kids were young and my professional life was very busy, but as they got older and I began to have more autonomy with my career, I knew it made sense to re-engage through JWGF.

Why JWGF?

I was drawn to the grant-making process, where we personally witness the tangible outcomes of our contributions and the change firsthand. I love being among like-minded women who collectively strive to bring positivity to the world. Even if we disagree sometimes on how that is to be done, we share a common goal – a commitment to supporting women and girls.

Favorite Grant

It’s very hard to choose because each organization does wonderful and amazing things in different neighborhoods, in different parts of the world and for different recipients. One that stands out is Days for Girls, an organization that helps provide access to menstrual supplies so girls can continue in school and women can continue their livelihoods, and through health education strive to eliminate the stigma of periods and better achieve gender equity. Because when you put women in charge of their own health, they make great decisions.

If You Could Create Your Own Charity, What Would it Be?

I would want to start a charity called Dreams You Can Dream because I’ve learned that if you don’t see what you can be, you don’t even know what’s possible. When you’re living in abject poverty and your mom or your grandma is living paycheck to paycheck, they do not have the mental bandwidth to guide their kids because they are so busy in day-to-day survival mode. Fortunately, there are already three great local nonprofits (Adelante Latina, Sisters Circle and GEM) doing this important work.

When You’re Not Working or Volunteering…

I love to travel. I love to ski. I read and I listen to a lot of podcasts. I am also a big foodie and love to try new recipes to cook at home.

Favorite Podcasts

I like Hidden Brain. And Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History. And Death, Sex and money. I listen to a lot of different things because I want to hear different people’s opinions on things, not just staying in a silo of people who think like me.

If you had your own podcast, who would you love to interview first?

I wish I could bring back my grandmas because they just had so much wisdom and I wasn’t prepared. My one grandma died when I was 14, and my other grandma passed when I was around 25. I just would wish I could have asked them more about their lives growing up.

What App Can’t You Live Without?

Other than my email? I do use the CALM app for meditation. If I’m traveling for work or something, I rely on my Kindle or my podcast app. And, of course, my Peloton app – you can do any kind of workout – biking, rowing, walking, running. They have everything.

Words You Live By

I think the words I actually live by are from a quote from Edith Wharton which goes – “There are two ways of spreading light, to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”