About

Together we can make money, finance, and business decisions meaningful and inclusive.

TL;DR: Human-centered, money-demystifying wizard seeks other change-makers to rewrite dominant economic narratives with.

Reach out if you seek same, or explore my services more here.

I work with leaders at organizations to solve the social side of financial issues: transparency, intersectionality, decisions  and impact.

Specializing in:

  • Workshop design and facilitation for engaging, outcome-focused sessions
  • Guiding financial conversations that require decision-making and collaboration   
  • Leading groups in participatory problem solving and learning-based processes (and having fun!)

I bring design-driven processes, an experienced DEI lens and business experience to my work with companies, startups, agencies, grassroots and nonprofit organizations, creative social change projects, and cooperatives.

Drawing from 15 years working with groups and earned wisdom from my experience as an LGBTQ woman working in tech, I cannot help but be authentic. As a strategist, technologist, and systems designer, I cannot help but cut to the heart of the problem and focus us from there.

Recently I’ve partnered with organizations to:

  • Lead staff discussions about money and values-aligned future planning
  • Research and design financial materials for distribution to small-business stakeholders
  • Create workshops teaching business skills and budgeting to cohort members
  • Craft socioeconomic Diversity/Inclusion conversations and action plans for cross-class groups
  • Guide cooperatives to make class-aware intersectional financial plans together
Schedule a 20 minute chat to explore working together

“We are truly grateful for the expertise that you outlined, clearly and enthusiastically. You gave the attendees the sense that they could change their attitudes towards spending and their ability to save. This kind of encouragement is invaluable.”
– Brooklyn Public Library


“You’ve managed to make a complex subject accessible to all … your contribution is important and priceless.” –Lesbians Who Tech MTL

Public Talks & Workshops at:

SXSW // Allied Media Conference // Brooklyn Public Library // Everyday Feminism //

… and many private events for organizations and community groups 🙂

As seen in:

Side Hustle School // The Grassroots Institute of Fundraising Journal // GO Mag // Skillshare featured teacher //

… and many more excellent blogs and podcasts!

Awards from:
NYC Open Data for mypb.community, a participatory open data project
Lambda Literary Award, for a community anthology

Certifications & Education:

  • Certified by the College of Financial Planning as an Accredited Asset Management Specialist
  • I’m proud that my business entity, RFFM LLC is a Certified MBE via the good people at the NGLCC.
  • MA and certificate in Interactive Technology and Pedagogy from the CUNY Graduate Center
  • Honours BA from the University of Toronto.
  • Certified ScrumMaster (we get meaningful things moving!)
  • Trained as a Design Thinking facilitator

Methods

In order to be effective, I leverage empathy and listening, design thinking, speculative methods, transformative coaching, nonviolent communication, agile and lean prototyping – proven frameworks and methods that lead to meaningful outcomes.

Work with Cities

I’ve worked with the City of Dubai (NDA project), New York City (MODA & City Council), Chicago (Wards), Greensboro (City Council), and Oakland (City Council).

In NYC, my team’s myPb project won two awards from the NYC Open Data Team for using data to tell civic stories.

From the Montreal OIDP conference, June 2017.

Research and Academia

I’ve partnered with researchers from Stanford and U Chicago, and presented widely from SXSW (2018), Smart Cities (2017), OIDP (2017), to Yale (2015), MIT (2008), Duke (2010), UT Austin (2009), NYU (2016), Hampshire (2015-17) and the New School (2015, 2017).

Startups and Business

I’ve started several independent and collaborative businesses, been part of a worker-owned cooperative, and co-directed an arts organization for years. I currently work for ConsenSys, a venture studio, as a Senior Strategist on their design team as well as run the sister project to this work, Ride Free Fearless Money.

I’m a design strategist, UX researcher, experience designer, facilitator and entrepreneur working on innovations in Social Impact, Blockchain, Participatory Economics, Civic Tech, Data & Analytics, Progressive Technology, and Experimental Theatre (yup!). 

While I sometimes wish there was a catch-all for my work, as a human-centered builder and collaborator I connect the dots between people and systems in order to find high-value interventions, experiences, and improvements. And that connection often revolves around economics, budgets, financial systems, and making money concepts accessible enough to act on.

Mostly, I ask a LOT of questions (and stick around to help find the answers). Longtime maker, questioner, and builder here!

I lead a quarterly series of panels on this topic in 2017. Key takeaway: ethics, equity, people and technology CAN mix, but it takes intentionality since our defaults are not set for this.

Contact me to discuss working together at your organization: hd []at] ridefreefearlessmoney []dot] com

Schedule a 20 minute chat