Strengthening the Caring Bond

This is my favorite photo of my father and me; I still have the sweater he’s wearing. And this is how I always think of him - willing to look you in the eye, a gentle smile that suggests his incredible humor, and a willingness to listen, learn and guide.

I founded Caregiven so that no other daughter would feel as I did when caring for my Dad. As the company's CEO, I strive to change all caregivers' lives so they can better support their loved ones. I do this by sharing our company vision, bringing together an extraordinary team who use their experiences in care and loss to their life's work, and securing the resources and partners needed to deliver Caregiven to those who most need it, when they need it most.

When my father was diagnosed, I chose to read his favorite book as a way of knowing him a little better.  The book, How Green Was My Valley, inspired me to think about loss - of a loved one, of a life stage, of a place and time - not with regret for what’s gone, but with comfort at what I had.

 “Men like my father cannot die.  

They are with me still, real in memory as they were in flesh, loving and beloved forever.” 

- Richard Llewellyn, How Green Was My Valley

Connection

My core value is bringing individuals together based on similarities and a shared experience so that we can understand and celebrate our differences.

I have an amazing family, including my son, Dillon, and daughter, Alison (named in honor of my Dad), and I am blessed with incredible friendships that span the globe, having lived in three countries on three continents.

This is one of few photos with both my mom and me. We were at Camp 18 on our way to the Oregon coast, just out having a good time as a family.

My mom loved the beach, and she loved having fun. Growing up in California, she often took us to one of the various Bay Area beaches where my sister and I would immediately jump in the waves, so I love that this photo was taken on a trip to the beach. We’d fly kites sometimes, and my mom loved throwing a Frisbee, especially if we had a dog with us. I’d stay in the water too long and fall asleep on the way home.

As the Co-founder & CTO, I’m fortunate to work with talented and generous people to build the technology that would have made caring for my mom so much easier. I enjoy blending my love of software and technology with the various experiences and ideas our team brings.

In the past, building an international organization to provide foundational microservices and UI components for a large SaaS company has been a huge highlight of my career. I enjoyed finding ways to support the 60 engineering teams at my company with common services that made us more efficient, kept our products consistent, and improved security.

My mom loved Oprah Winfrey and quoted her often. 

Integrity, Optimism, and Inappropriate Humor

When my mom had cancer, we came up with three core values together: integrity, optimism, and inappropriate humor. I now find it hard to separate them—though it was definitely the inappropriate humor that got us through.

I enjoy learning more than just about anything, so I’m a bit of a serial hobbyist. Lately, I’ve tried my hand at watercolors and cross-stitch. My husband and I built a raised bed garden last year, as well as a catio so our indoor cats can be safely outside. My constant loves are reading and traveling.

Being outside and maintaining a loving, lighthearted spirit was always important to my Mom. As children, we spent many fall days catching the falling leaves of century-old oak trees in our front yard. This photo reminds me of my formative days with my Mom and my opportunity to provide love and lightheartedness for her in the fall of her life. Other loved ones have passed on, but honoring my Mom is a driving force for my mission to make Caregiven and the solutions it provides available to caregivers all over the world.

Before joining the Caregiven team, I utilized customer-centered digital solutions to help a prominent 1B insurer in the US double in size in the past five years.

Determination

I have seen ordinary people do extraordinary things thanks to personal resolve. Whether responding in a moment or dedicating oneself to a long-term mission, determination can change the world.

Outside of work I am a photography lover, recovering marathoner, and still manage to catch a leaf or two every Fall.