The greatest learning in my career happens when I am with my colleagues at conferences, chatting between sessions in hallway corridors and connecting online about the value of anthropology in our respective industries. After volunteering with the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology and learning from colleagues at the Society for Applied Anthropology, the Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists, and Ethnobreakfast, I decided it was time to build an equivalent community in Canada for anthropologists working outside an academic setting. This idea was brought to life over lunch with Caura Wood in 2024. We captured the essence of our idea [...]

In 2019, I did not think twice to begin working with a non-profit group, #NotInMyCity, leading anti-human trafficking movement in Alberta, Canada. I felt my 20+ years’ experience heading organizational culture and change initiatives had prepared me to engage in this complex and wicked problem. Although I had never participated directly in the non-profit sector, a colleague employed with #NotInMyCity felt my project and change management skills would benefit their program.  I did not know that the Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists (WAPA) would grant me the 2023 Praxis award on the basis of my contribution, which I accepted  in March [...]