I have over 14 years of experience (over half working independently) in digital. Previously, I won a Webby at the Google Creative Lab for connecting families of active-duty Military service members using remote experimental learning, gaming, and voice technology. I’m also a Adobe Women in Technology finalist, and NYU Tisch School of Arts merit awarded scholar.

Had the honor of doing biz with startups and companies like Google, the Army, IBM Watson, the Oscars, WIRED, Range Rover, American Express, Hermès, Gucci, etc.

I’ve spoken to students at NYU Tisch, the Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, the School of Visual Arts, CULTUREHUB, and co-hosted NYU’s Adjacent: the online journal for emerging media.

I taught a mindfulness-focused creative career development course at NYU Tisch, and compiled it into an digital course which you can check out here.

I hold a Masters Degree in Interactive Telecommunications (ITP) from New York University focusing on artificial intelligence in the digital creator economy, a Bachelors degree in Communication from Boston University focusing on digital design with a minor in art history, and am a certified life coach in business, entrepreneurship, and creativity.

✈️ Flying as a hobby to be a private pilot for fun — only 4% of pilots are women.

🧚 My name was my mother’s nickname and means “pixie” in Transylvanian. My family fled to the states on political asylum to escape a totalitarian communist regime, and I’m the 1st in my family born in the US.

🦜 My foray into the design world started because of my love of parrots as a kid. They signified freedom to me. In 1st grade, my school entered me into NJ’s stamp design competition, and I drew a stamp with 3 tropical birds flying over a rainbow that said: “Birds are beautiful, I love birds”. To everyone’s surprise, the design won.

🐱 Cat rescue + rehabilitation, I’ve saved 6 homeless and feral kitties, and got them all human-trained and re-homed.

👩‍💻 I can type really fast (113 words per minute) with 99% accuracy, and used to work as a transcriptionist in college. One time, I even got an assignment to transcribe for the oval office. I guess I got good at typing because my Dad built our 1st computer from scratch, and got my sister and I the “Mario Teaches Typing” software game to practice on when we were kids — that’s what I played for fun.

🎹 Blues piano and improvising my own music ☺ I’ve been playing since I was 4 years old! I hold huge respect for artists like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Ray Charles. To check out of my favorite YouTube playlists, click here.

🎨 Making art in ML + AI before it was cool, and making large-scale abstract paintings when I get a chance.

⚔️ I’ve battled lots in life, and still truckin’ thanks to Jesus!

I started DLW in 2015 as my creative coaching practice, which has now grown into a full-fledged e-course and mindfulness toolkit.

After over 14 years biz building for others (with over half of those consulting independently via my own studio and coaching practice), I attended NYU ITP to grow the brand using artificial intelligence. My startup was 1 of only 20 companies accepted into NYU's Entrepreneurship Summer Bootcamp Accelerator and two rounds of Female Founders Circle during their most competitive years yet, with a stint in Y Combinator’s Startup School.

Webby Award Winner for Google Creative Lab’s “My Storytime”

Adobe Women in Technology Finalist

Guest Lecturer at Parsons School of Design

Speaker at CULTUREHUB

Tisch School of Arts Grant at New York University - ITP

Speaker at Love Wavelength - Featured in Working Not Working

Interviewed by RISE for Women in Innovation

MUX Awards - Agency of the Year (Fantasy)

AdAge Gold Award for Branded Mobile Application

Digiday Best in Show Retail Award

Digiday Best Mobile Brand/Commerce Experience

Mobile WebAward: Best Fashion/Beauty Mobile Application

Interactive Telecommunications Program Camp Sponsorship at NYU

Creative Excellence Award - N. America Creative Leadership Summit

Art published in Limited Edition Vol. 1 book at the Brooklyn Art Library

Website, writing and blog featured on nuSchool

Permanent collection at the Art House Co-op in Brooklyn

Interview in Sweden's biggest newspaper, DN

Exhibition: “Art Love Japan” at the In Rivers Gallery in Brooklyn

Y&R/Wunderman Interactive Award

AOL Competition Winner - 2nd place in US

Davlin Philanthropic Fund Design Award

AdLab 'Best Branding' Award

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) - Portfolio Winner

I’m thinking to start some kind of movement for something not spoken much about -- teaching basics in artificial-intelligence cybersecurity online directly to vulnerable populations like women, children, and the elderly.

My concern is in deep-fakes and using AI for malicious and evil means. For which I’m actively fighting against with my words, voice, work, time, and belief that love will prevail.

Under the guise of machine learning (ML), which is a more appropriate term, I’m for it assuming you’re using ethically sourced data for the following reasons:

1. Use it to work smarter, not harder

2. Push boundaries in creativity

3. As an ideation tool

(Though, yes … this obviously could turn into a huge copyright legal issue for artists and creatives, and where privacy becomes more prevalent.)

But … will it replace human creativity? Human work? What will become of the digital economy? I’ll dive into this and more in my newsletter if you haven’t already signed up.