STAT BOX
Loves geeky new technologies and gadgets
Ran Boston Marathon as a sighted guide for a blind runner
Married
Enjoys golf, tennis, and skiing
Board president of the Friends of Hebrew SeniorLife
Founder of MG Communications, a strategic marketing and communications firm focused on high-tech companies
Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOUR MOTHER NEVER GAVE YOU?
A: My mother always gave me A LOT of advice. As a successful businesswoman in her day, she taught me that I could have it all, and she still serves as an incredible role model for me today. The advice she never gave me is that parenting is a full-time job. So I am slowly learning how to manage two full-time jobs – parenting and running a communications firm. These jobs are equally rewarding and inspiring to me, but until this time in my life, I never truly understood how valuable personal time is!
Q: SOUNDS HECTIC! TELL US ABOUT ONE OF YOUR MOST EXCITING, RECENT PROJECTS.
A: Our firm launched a conference group and user community last year centered on software-defined networking. I know it sounds geeky, but this open networking technology is set to change the way large enterprises function. The community we built is called the Open Networking User Group (ONUG), and we put on two conferences a year targeted at senior-level IT folks. The ONUG board includes people from some of the largest banks in the country, such as Citigroup, UBS, Bank of America, Fidelity, Credit Suisse, and JPMorgan Chase. It is so rewarding to build something from the ground up and see such incredible traction from the market.
Q: SO WHEN YOU FEEL THE ITCH TO ESCAPE YOUR USUAL PACE OF LIFE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO?
A: My happy places are on the golf course and on the ski slopes. Playing golf and skiing are just the best way for me to check out from the rat race of life and relax. Now I wish I could golf for a living, although I would have a tough time making ends meet…!
Q: LASTLY, WHO BROUGHT YOU INTO SHEGIVES, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT HER?
A: Kirstan Barnett brought me into the SheGives family. She is not only one of my favorite golf pals, but she is an inspiring woman who has a zest for life like no one I have ever met. She is always trying new things, and I love that about her. She teaches me to be more spontaneous in life – since we all know life is just too short not to go out and conquer the world TODAY!
SheGives connects committed, inquisitive, engaged donors with a slate of diligenced nonprofits in the Greater Boston area. We provide members with relevant data about the nonprofits in our portfolio and an opportunity to meet directly with our nonprofits’ Executive Directors and senior staff in small settings that promote in-depth q&a’s and, ultimately, informed giving. Giving is personally driven, but because we give side-by-side our collective impact is greater. See a list of the vetted nonprofits selected for our slate here.
WhoIsShe is a regular column featuring an appreciative but sometimes irreverent conversation with a SheGives Member.
