I am a mother, yoga student, teacher and yoga studio owner, university instructor, informal researcher and sometimes writer. My formal research in economic geography focused on worker co-operatives and other community economies. I began exploring yoga in 1994 and completed my first teacher training in 2008.

As a graduate student at the University of Denver, I read The End of Capitalism (as we knew it), which, inspired me to move to Western MA to work with Julie Graham in 2005 after 2 years in the Peace Corps (Guatemala). I conducted doctoral research with the Valley Alliance of Worker Co-operatives and earned a PhD in 2011. I went into academia with a strong desire to learn and teach for the rest of my life. However, academia was not the place for me to learn and teach from the heart. Thanks to a vibrant community of collaborators, I gained a deep knowledge of co-operatives and fell in love with the research process. After earning the Ph.D., I worked full time as a Visiting Assistant Professor as well as an Adjunct (my current gig) teaching a variety of geography courses and now Global Studies.. Snce the birth of my son, my focus shifted away from the academy and recently toward the yoga studio. I still love the research process but time and money can be tight. 

I grew up mostly in the post industrial city of Rochester NY. I have also lived in Fl, NYC, ILL, AK, AZ, VA, CO as well as Guatemala and Mexico but Cherry Valley, MA is the sweet spot I call home. This is where I met my partner, had my baby and started my business.

My experience of the Global Pandemic has inspired me to write again here after a 5-year hiatus from this blog.

Click here for my (outdated) Academic CV or Resume.