My journey began in the historic Pullman neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois before moving to Memphis, Tennessee as a kid. Immediately, I was fascinated with the differences in the two built environments and the people that filled them. My routine weekends spent at the Museum of Science and Industry sparked an interest in engineering that would propel me thorugh college at Vanderbilt University where I majored in Mechanical Engineering and was an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
I would go on to work as an engineer for Nissan (NNA-S, NNA-HQ) where I helped launch the first mass-produced electric vehicle in the US, the Nissan LEAF, and traveled to various sites throughout the USA and Mexico interfacing with R&D and manufacturing leads for improvements to new and existing models. After seven robust years, I'd learned a lot about how to make a car and succeed in the automotive industry....but something was missing.
Assessing that the traditional automotive pipeline wasn't doing enough to address the urgent challenges faced by cities and people looking for better solutions, I decided to pursue a Masters in Transportation Systems & Design at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. Living in LA has led me to further my cause via local transportation advocacy group Streets for All and community engagement where welcomed.
My work seeks to engage the interplay between mobility theory, applied transportation solutions, equity, and sustainability. Today's solutions must check many boxes, and shifting from an auto-dominated culture will be difficult. I enjoy leveraging design to create cool market solutions as well as facilitate important ground-level discussions about transportation and mobility.
At home I enjoy spending time with my wife and two girls watching PBS Kids, playing my viola, and cooking to avoid having to do the dishes
A little bit of me and my inspiration...
