About Me

Social change communications planning in opportunity finance requires a nuanced approach that integrates impact, compliance, cultural competence, and stakeholder engagement with strategic communications expertise.

As an award-winning finance journalist and adaptive strategic communications consultant, I bring over 25 years of experience in designing high-impact narrative strategies that drive engagement, influence stakeholders, and align mission-driven organizations with their long-term goals.

I offer narrative strategy solutions to social good sector organizations that prioritize democratizing capital to low- and moderate income clients.

I hail from an American lineage that dates back to the 18th century, defined by fortitude during times of oppression and a steadfast commitment to progress. I grew up in a Boston family that championed resistance against systemic barriers—including activism in the Community Reinvestment Act and CDFI movements in the early 1970s—immersing me in narratives of perseverance and empowerment.

This upbringing instilled in me a profound understanding of the challenges faced by marginalized communities and the importance of advocating for equity in both access and outcomes. During this time, I also developed my interest in opportunity finance as a tool for community growth.

My involvement in narrative change was further shaped by watching my father, who was active in the civil rights movement and a Black art professor, create art that challenged prevailing societal narratives about Black Americans, exposed racial oppression, and promoted social justice.

Instead of being recognized as a truth-teller using protest art to confront injustice, his work was often dismissed as angry and labeled dangerous—an attempt to discredit his message and maintain America’s racial status quo. Efforts to discredit him were not unique. For centuries, Black voices that challenge entrenched power structures have been distorted, silenced, or reframed to justify exclusion.

Witnessing how his work was distorted and suppressed, I understood that erasing or redefining Black narratives was not just about art. It was a deliberate effort to control how we are seen, heard, and remembered in every area of human endeavor. This suppression wasn’t limited to cultural spaces.

For generations, the same forces that sought to silence my father’s voice have also worked to strip Black families, including mine, of their financial agency—erasing both cultural and economic narratives to justify exclusion. Structural obstacles have systematically stripped wealth from Black and other racialized families, reinforced by the repression of Black historical narratives.

Stories told about Black people—framing us as financially irresponsible, unserious about wealth, or undeserving of economic stability—have long been used to justify exclusion from economic opportunity. They’ve fueled the myth that Black wealth-building is rare rather than a long-established reality.

These narratives do more than distort history; they actively shape financial policies and reinforce discriminatory systems that deepen the racial wealth gap. Institutions like CDFIs work to dismantle these barriers by expanding access to capital and economic opportunities.

Despite these systemic barriers, our family remained focused on multigenerational wealth development, resisting the false narratives designed to keep us economically disenfranchised.

I’ve also worked with my father since my teen years to preserve and amplify his narratives in his unique voice. That experience reinforced the power of uncovering and amplifying stories as tools for both legacy preservation and social transformation.

It has deepened my commitment to strategic storytelling that ensures historically overlooked voices are not just heard, but specifically positioned to drive meaningful change in finance and economic opportunity.

It informs my approach to adaptive strategic communications. I now help organizations in inclusive finance shape narratives that strengthen stakeholder relationships, elevate brand credibility, empower constituents, and reinforce their leadership in the sector.

I develop adaptive communications strategies grounded in a deep understanding of the opportunity finance sector. I apply these strategies to help organizations strengthen their messaging, engage key stakeholders, and drive long-term impact:

• Partner with senior communications leaders to create data-driven, culturally competent narratives that elevate their mission, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and contribute to long-term impact. By aligning messaging with core values and objectives, I help organizations establish themselves as leaders in systemic change.
• Collaborate with organizations to design messaging strategies that engage stakeholders, reinforce mission alignment, and drive measurable impact. My methods transform social good communications from static messaging into dynamic, engagement-focused narratives rooted in the latest research-backed strategies in social impact communications.
• Shape data-backed, culturally competent, and audience-focused messaging to position organizations as trusted leaders in the financial inclusion sector.
• Achieve impact with compelling messaging that resonates with policymakers, private funders, and grant makers policymakers, private funders, and grant makers by drawing on my strengths as a doctoral researcher, expert interviewer, and narrative strategist.
• Advise executive teams on advancing their insights as authoritative perspectives within the industry, strengthening institutional visibility while advancing broader missions to democratize capital, expand economic empowerment, and drive social justice initiatives.

With a deep understanding of social impact narratives and a proven ability to shape messaging that moves both institutions and individual stakeholders, I provide the strategic insight organizations need to drive meaningful, lasting narrative change.

Building on my deep understanding of how narratives shape economic opportunity, I have applied this expertise to corporate communications in the finance sector. Besides my achievements as an award-winning journalist writing for preeminent media brands, I have provided strategic content solutions to exceptional private sector financial institutions with ties to the opportunity finance sector.

I’ve also collaborated with mission-driven finance organizations like BlueHub Capital SUN and FreeCap Financial. I’ve completed engagements with economic and social empowerment organizations like the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, the Junior League of Atlanta, and the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta.

Nonprofit organizations that expand financial literacy and economic empowerment for broad consumer audiences have benefited from my solutions, too.

For more insights into these collaborations, see the “Strategic Impact Communications” case stories on my Collaborations page.

My rigorous academic foundation is your strategic advantage. My doctoral research at the University of Southern California examines how historical narratives have shaped modern racial discrimination in the U.S. finance sector. 

I explore the banking and wealth industry’s history and its effect on underserved communities, while also analyzing the challenges financial institutions face in advancing financial equity. This research informs my ability to help financial institutions craft communications that align with financial equity goals and navigate industry challenges.

I also hold a master’s degree in corporate communications from Georgetown University, where I focused on narrative change in the finance sector. This training sharpened my ability to develop high-impact communications strategies for the finance industry. 

I began my studies at Wellesley College, where I majored in political science and economics, focusing on the political economy of the banking sector and its adverse effects on racialized communities.

This fusion of academic research and hands-on industry experience enables me to translate complex financial narratives into clear, effective strategies.

With a rich blend of lived experience, education, and industry expertise, I offer strategic communications consulting tailored to the mission-driven finance sector, helping my clients connect authentically with their core stakeholders. My deep understanding of the systemic challenges faced by marginalized communities informs my approach to planning resonant narratives that drive social change.

Contact me today for a complimentary 30-minute introductory conversation to explore how my strategic guidance can support your organization’s communications goals.