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At my core, I’m a pragmatic idealist—focused on turning possibility into lasting change. That sensibility took shape early, at the intersection of immigrant family life and the systems I learned to navigate up close.

My parents grew up amid wartime conflict in South Korea and immigrated to the United States in the hope of a better future. With early help from informal Korean immigrant networks, they built a small business serving predominantly Black and Latino customers. Through the store, I saw that the support sustaining my family was not unique to Korean immigrants; I recognized the same patterns within Black and Latino communities—rooted in shared lived experience, reciprocity, and dignity rather than charity. These informal systems often proved effective where formal ones fell short, shaping my early understanding of how institutional gaps persist.

At home, I was a loud, rambunctious child. At school, arriving without a grasp of English unsettled that confidence. I became reserved in the classroom and learned by observing —absorbing unspoken norms. As my fluency grew, that habit of attention sharpened into perspective, and eventually, voice. Over time, I served as an intermediary between my family and the institutions around us—translating not only words, but systems, expectations, and unspoken rules.

Like many people with similar backgrounds, I entered the nonprofit sector hoping to make the path easier for those who came after us. Most people like me do this through direct service, working in programs closest to the needs they know firsthand. My own path was less deliberate. Because of my reserve, I was often allowed into development and philanthropy spaces, even as I felt like an impostor within them.

Once there, I took every training opportunity available, seeking mastery of the field and a clearer understanding of how decisions were made. Over time, I came to realize that what distinguished me most as a development professional was not technical expertise alone, but lived experience—how I read rooms, noticed gaps, and understood whose perspectives were missing when resources and priorities were set.

Those closest to the work—most trusted by their communities and most invested in outcomes—often had the least say in shaping decisions. That awareness pulled my focus upstream. While direct service meets immediate needs, I became increasingly concerned with how decisions about resources and priorities were made. Programs respond to urgency; philanthropy helps shape the conditions that determine whether those needs persist.

Along the way, I found leaders who asked harder questions—about accountability, power, and whose knowledge counts. Working alongside them helped me see what was possible when those questions were taken seriously and decisions were shaped in partnership with the lived experience of those most affected.

That’s why I’ve stayed in this work. I believe philanthropy can help build a more just and connected world—especially when it creates conditions where charity becomes unnecessary.

Sea Change Management is my consulting practice supporting nonprofits and philanthropists through pivotal periods of growth, transition, and ambitious transformation. I work through strategic consulting, facilitation, and public speaking and teaching engagements that help leaders think more clearly about the change they are trying to create—and how it is shaped by power, resources, and decision-making.

My work draws on more than a decade of senior leadership experience across organizations operating at the local, statewide, and national levels in social services, environmental access and conservation, arts and culture, and civil rights. I partner closely with executive leaders and boards to strengthen governance, clarify strategy, and develop fundraising approaches rooted in equity, accountability, and lasting impact.

Equity-Centered Philanthropy & Power-Aware Giving

I advise philanthropists and major donors in structuring gifts that align resources with locally rooted leadership and long-range outcomes. My approach is informed by equity-centered philanthropy frameworks that emphasize lived experience, trust, and shared decision-making.

I support funders in identifying aligned nonprofit partners, designing multi-year investments, and setting expectations that advance durable, community-guided results—ensuring funding empowers the people closest to the work.

Storytelling, Strategy & Training

I help leaders shape compelling narratives through cases for support, strategic plans, campaign frameworks, and learning experiences that bring new audiences into the mission and deepen donor commitment.

This work is grounded in both experience and training. I hold a Master of Communication, Communities & Networks (MCCN) from the University of Washington, which informs how I help organizations foster clarity, connection, and community-driven change. As a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a Project Management Professional (PMP), I bring both fundraising expertise and operational discipline to every engagement.

Civic & Governance Leadership

My work is shaped by deep experience in civic governance. I have served on nonprofit and community boards for over a decade and currently serve on the board of the League of Women Voters Austin Area, as Board President of Open Austin, and as a Commissioner for the City of Austin focused on accessibility, inclusion, and equitable civic participation.

Organizational Change Management & Equity Practice

As a change management practitioner, I help organizations strengthen not only funding strategies, but also the leadership systems, culture, and values alignment required for lasting transformation. This perspective carries through my consulting and facilitation work, supporting reflection, learning, and practical application.

Teaching & Public Speaking Philosophy

My teaching and public speaking approach is grounded in real-world case studies, community knowledge, and disciplined reflection on impact. Rather than relying on abstract frameworks alone, I draw on lived examples from philanthropy and nonprofit practice—inviting participants to examine how decisions are made, whose voices shape outcomes, and what results those choices actually produce. 

I design engagements to surface community perspectives as sources of insight, not anecdote, and to help audiences develop the tools to evaluate whether good intentions are translating into meaningful, lasting change.