What is your favorite food and why? 
Tacos. Without question, tacos. Living in Tucson, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy that sits 40 minutes from the border with Mexico, I’ve seen tacos done in every creative way possible, from traditional to fusion, and I love them every time. There’s so much going on in a taco and so many variations; it never gets old. Come visit! I’ll take you to some awesome places.  

What’s the best advice you ever received?
The best advice I ever got was from an old Aikido instructor who passed away about a decade ago. During a seminar, he told us, “The first thing we do in life is take a breath. The last thing we do is exhale. And most people never think about all the breaths in between.” So, I make it a point to appreciate every breath – we are only granted a finite number of them.  

Do you have any hobbies? If so, what? 
I love to swim for exercise and meditation. And I play the guitar and sing – sometimes with groups of people, sometimes just for myself and the desert trees down the hillside behind my back yard. Singing by myself fills the spaces when there’s emptiness. As a long-time song leader, I love to gather groups of people to make music; there’s nothing that unifies a group as much as some solid time spent howling together.  

How did you get involved in intellectual property? 
I had never really thought about IP until I got this job heading up marketing and communications at Tech Launch Arizona in 2013. That was my first introduction to the field, and I’ve been fascinated by it ever since. 

What’s something that has surprised you from your career path? 
I think what surprised me most has been how I’ve gotten to apply my skills in new and unexpected ways. As a career communicator, I was always surrounded by other marketing and branding pros, but when I moved into tech transfer, I realized how rare it was to have someone with my skillset on the team, and all of a sudden, I had something new to contribute that was needed and appreciated amongst this new community I found myself a part of. That has been extremely gratifying – to get to give to and help grow the field with the tools I had in my back pocket. 

What’s something you’re working on right now that really excites you? 
This year, we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary as Tech Launch Arizona at the University of Arizona. To commemorate the milestone we’ve been working on a series of videos where we’ve spoken with people who have had a hand in growing our enterprise during the past decade, from our office leadership to university executive leadership to inventors to entrepreneurs to ecosystem champions. It’s been a privilege to spend dedicated time face-to-face to capture their thoughts and reflections, and I’m really psyched to share those videos in the coming weeks and months. We knew we’ve accomplished so much during this time, but these interviews have validated it in a wonderful way.  

What is a challenge those on the marketing and communications side of tech transfer are currently facing? 
In talking with colleagues both at our university and at other institutions, it seems that we all face the same challenge: simply competing for people’s attention. While we have so many channels open to us as tools we can use – email, social media, events, you name it – our audiences are simply overrun with information. Strategizing our communications to rise above the constant background noise is a fascinating nut to crack, so we’re always on the lookout for new and creative ways to connect and engage.  

What do you like most about working with inventors and other tech transfer professionals?
I think my favorite thing about working in the field is the collaboration. What we do as a group is such a huge undertaking, there’s a real understanding that it takes a strong, connected, integrated team to get the job done. I love hearing from inventors who tell us how much they appreciate what we do for them. And collaboration isn’t only about the work we share within our organization. I also love the collaboration and sharing that happens with all my AUTM colleagues. We’re a highly connected group and are constantly helping one another and sharing our ideas and best practices.  

What does AUTM membership have to offer that you can’t get from other organizations? 
AUTM gives me connections to learn from people whose expertise directly impacts my every-day success, and also opens opportunities for me to do the same for others. I’ve never been part of a professional organization that so effectively engaged me in sharing my skills and experience. Also, there’s no match for the community and camaraderie that AUTM has brought to my career. It’s been fantastic.  

What’s your favorite memory from a past AUTM event? 
I don’t have a specific memory (there are so many), but my best experiences have been while teaching with the Essentials team. The diversity of experience, the expertise and the laughter (egads, the laughter!) that I’ve gotten to share with this team throughout the years of teaching with this motley crew have been unforgettable.