You know me as the CEO of Level Forward, but did you know that my first big job was holding a rope line for then Governor Bill Clinton? I was also in charge of his saxophone and had the chance to go running with him in the hills of Michigan. I even got to write a few speech lines. Those were thrilling moments; I was fresh out of graduate school and committed to finding a meaningful job. Two truths and a lie: volunteered my time as a young member of the world-famous Community Board 7; introduced Howard Stern at a press conference; got caught sleeping under my desk at one of my first jobs.

In my more adult years, I’ve been an entrepreneur-in-residence at Creative Artists Agency, CEO of DailyCandy, Inc., SVP at The Nielsen Company and InterActive Corp. I have also served on the Boards of Youth + Tech + Health, the Story Pirates, the WNBPA, and the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival, and thankful they let me attend POP, Ransom-Everglades, WashU STL, and UPenn. My best production remains: two kids, one marriage, so many wonderful pets and as much time in the water as responsibility permits.

How I Level Forward: Manage fear, advocate for others, practice forgiveness, try to always spread light, laughter, and do the right thing.

(the fib: slept under my desk but didn’t get caught @LarryW!)