Education & People Development

I want people to understand, exercise their judgment, and become more capable of moving forward.

Teaching shaped how I work

My experience as an educator shapes how I develop people alongside my work in leadership, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, civic service and innovation. It taught me to pay attention to how someone understands an idea, where they are getting lost, and what kind of explanation or opportunity might help.

That approach has stayed with me beyond the classroom. When someone is struggling, I consider whether they have enough context, the right tools, a clear system and room to practice. Supporting someone’s development requires listening before directing and recognizing that people do not all learn in the same way.

Confidence grows through capability

I care about confidence, but I do not believe it becomes durable through encouragement alone. It grows when someone learns, makes a decision, tries something, receives useful feedback and discovers that they can recover when the first attempt does not go as planned.

That is part of what I try to create when I work with people: meaningful responsibility, clear expectations, honest feedback and enough room to develop their own capacity. A person should become less dependent on my direction as they gain experience.

The influence that remains

A former student once reached out to ask if I would write a letter of recommendation for a scholarship through her church. I remembered her as an exceptional student and was delighted to support her. What stayed with me was what she shared about the influence I had on her life: how I had helped cultivate her growth, shaped how she saw herself and inspired the kind of person she hoped to become.

I had not fully realized how much of that influence had stayed with her. The exchange reminded me that people learn from what we say, what we expect, how we encourage and challenge them, and the example we set.

A real opportunity to develop

People also need access to knowledge, resources, relationships and responsibility. Encouragement has limits when someone is never given a chance to participate, lead, contribute or be seen. Guidance matters most when there is a real opportunity to put it into practice.

My interest in learning and human agency continues through iPurpose and the talks, workshops and guest lectures I am developing. The setting and tools can change while the responsibility remains familiar: help people become more capable of directing their own work and choices.