Money is interaction, a wordless language. So what do people mean by it? This question isn’t philosophical but physical at PayPal - recognized globally as that blue button you hit to complete a transaction. But what kind? Even small exchanges can represent much bigger goals: backing causes, sending birthday gifts, supporting small businesses, starting your own business.
Started as an alternative to traditional banking, PayPal is now used worldwide to achieve big goals with small exchanges. But on its website, PayPal looked and sounded like a bank, not a financial ally. So I joined the AKQA/PayPal task force as lead content strategist, analyzing user data and SEO trends to identify what people really mean by their transactions - and how they talk about money.
Together we mapped the PayPal site to people’s intentions, using familiar terms to put people at ease with the touchy subject of money. Now the PayPal site reflects what money means: it makes our choices real and our voices heard across the global economy.
Minds don't change all that often. That much I learned from rigorous graduate study of politics. But minds can be totally blown by new experiences. I learned that the fun way, from travel. So when Lonely Planet asked me if I'd like to write their very first travel guidebook to Marrakesh, of course I said yes. Here was a chance to show visitors around the Middle East, to glimpse life beyond politics.
Turns out that behind the scenes, mind-blowing travel takes rigorous research and writing - in July, in the desert. There were sandstorms. My laptop flamed out with a grinding roar. But we got that guide published, and 60 other top-selling guides besides.
I've also piloted seven successful series launches for BBC Worldwide/Lonely Planet, and created apps and web content that won Webbys and Lowell Thomas travel writing awards. But the best is when I meet a traveler freshly returned from Marrakesh with shining eyes, alive to new possibilities.
Content clients include: Autodesk Design Academy, BBC Worldwide, BlueShield, Hulu, Lonely Planet, LeapFrog, Leika, MerrillCorp, National Education Association, NBC/Universal, PBS FRONTLINE/World, PayPal, Stanford Health Care, UAE Ministry of Education, Uber ATG, Ubisoft.
I come from a family of dedicated teachers that never had enough room in the garage for a car - it was crammed with classroom supplies. Every teacher knows the scene: finding the right materials to teach Shakespeare or geometry to a range of learners is a constant challenge. By working with forward-thinking clients like Autodesk, I make it my business to keep teachers supplied with inspiring educational materials.
Autodesk Design Academy brings STEAM learning to life with hands-on design projects - from Shakespeare-inspired video games to refugee shelters that fold like origami. But with hundreds of projects to choose from across skill sets, the right materials weren’t always easy to find or follow. My job was to make projects accessible and fun, with step-by-step modules that could scale quickly across learning levels.
Good thing we planned for growth. Since relaunch, Autodesk Design Academy membership has grown from 2492 to 30,010 teachers and peer educators, producing thousands of original student designs.
Then came Covid-19, and the abrupt closure of schools worldwide. How would teachers and parents keep up with new distance learning demands, and a sudden influx of technical questions? The Academy rose to the challenge, forming the Ambassador Hub to provide project support and encouragement from start to finish. And all without taking up any garage space.