Meet the team of awesome humans you’re connecting with to when you book a tour, or email us with a question. We’re here to look after the community, and help everyone make the most of their Indy Hall experience.
Want to learn a little bit about who we are, and why we’re a part of Indy Hall?
Read on – we’re just as excited to learn who you are too, so don’t be shy about saying hi if you see us around.
Director of Operations
I fell in love with community based learning through my involvement in urban agriculture. I’ve worked as an educator, manager, and farmer in small urban farms around Philly. I spent my time with youth and their communities trying to reduce food insecurity, build on our knowledge of nutrition, and communicate the importance of hyper local food systems. As it turns out, growing food is a wonderful vehicle to create opportunities for youth leadership and practice participatory learning; two things I would have really benefited from when I was younger.
I had ever been so passionate about a job before working on the farms with my youth. I had also never really been apart of an intentional community before, so I was shocked and inspired by everything we were able to achieve through intentional collaboration.
Transitioning to Indy Hall has been invigorating because everyone seems to share that inspiration: “Isn’t it amazing what we can accomplish together?”
I absolutely love teaching people how to teach, it’s a beautiful way to celebrate knowledge and build confidence.
It is amazing how leading a class or exercise can change your perception of what you already know. I have found that people have more pride in their knowledge when they conceptualize, design, and execute a plan to communicate it. It’s wonderful to watch how people transform through that process.
I really really really want to go free-diving with blue whales.
I’ve always been a good swimmer but I want to be able to hang out in the ocean with some giant ancient monsters. (Preferably for days at a time)
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
When I was ten I wanted to be a mermaid, a spy, a marine biologist, a teacher, and a rock star. (2/5… not too shabby…)
Reflect, Respect, Accept.
Meaning: think about it, let it have its value (whether that’s good, bad, or ugly) and then take it for what it is, nothing more nothing less.
Thats been a mantra since I was a kid. It helps me often, especially when I am overreacting or stuck feeling anxious. Reflection helps me identify what I’m feeling and what is going on. I practice respect to acknowledge my needs and limits. Finally, acceptance is the big inhale and saying “okay this is happening, so what now?”
Director of Community
I graduated from Temple University in 2009 with a B.A. in broadcasting and not a clue in the world what to do with that. I spent a handful of years in ambling around northeast Texas, writing for a video game website called ScrewAttack.com and selling wine in a high-end steak house. I didn’t like the work, but I sure loved the people I was spending my days with.
When I came back home to Philly, I was splitting my time between teaching people how to log-in to iTunes at the Apple Store on 17th & Walnut, and writing social media copy for Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners. That’s around the time I was introduced to Alex Hillman, a friend of a friend who managed to be an entrepreneurial-type-guy and a total iconoclast in the small business scene. He was running a “coworking space” called Indy Hall, and he needed a hand. So I said, “what the hell is a coworking space?”
And here I am.
“If you love something, let it go.”
When I say “let it go”, I don’t mean Frozen. And I don’t mean abandon it or strip it out of your life. Bear with me, here:
I love comic books, and the comic book community has taught me a lot about being passionate, generous, and curious. Comic book fans are known for ruthlessly defending the stories they love against those who don’t understand or deserve them. But that’s hogwash, and it’s no way to live.
If you love something, give it away so other people can enjoy it, too. The greatest way to love something is to invite others to love it with you.
I’ve always wanted to be the host of a late night talk show. I think a great deal of my role at Indy Hall is to effectively introduce people to other interesting people. That’s kind of what a talk show host does, right? They provide a warm invitation to be part of an experience together, but ultimately they’re only there to introduce you to other fascinating people. I love that.
It’s not so much a skill, but I only have one kidney! On October 11, 2016, my very close friend Octavius and I underwent a transplant surgery to give him my lefty. We’re even closer now, as you might imagine.
I can talk about being an organ donor for a long time (and I love to), but I’ll skip ahead to my favorite part, which is all the stuff I got out of the donation:
Ask me about it, any time. And ask me to show you pictures of Zuri. She’s perfect.
No better Sunday morning than sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and a stack of comics from Wednesday. It’s bliss.
Founding Member
In 2006, I quit my job at an agency doing web development to freelance, and it was great. I had freedom to choose what I worked on, and when. I had the flexibility to arrange my work around my life (instead of the other way around). And I got to choose work that was interesting, fulfilling, and productive.
The only problem was that I missed having coworkers.
That’s why I started Indy Hall as a community of people who want to be each others’ coworkers even if we don’t work for the same company!
Karaoke isn’t about being a good singer, it’s about reading the room and trying to connect with the people in it.
Most bad karaoke isn’t bad singing – it’s what I like to call “selfish karaoke,” almost always a song that nobody except the singer wants to hear.
If you can pick a song that people will sing along to, you can’t fail at karaoke.
Also, this is a metaphor for business, and life.
To have dinner and drinks with Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters.
I’m not into worshipping celebrities and rock stars, but Dave Grohl is the kind of person I’d want to be if I was famous.
He’s notoriously kind and thoughtful, while also being a total rock and roll badass. He (along with his band) clearly love their fans.
For some reason – and this is probably delusional – I feel like a giant dinner and drinks with Dave would be like hanging out with an old friend.
Bulleit Rye on the rocks.
When I was really young I wanted to be a paleontologist. Then in 1993, I saw Jurassic Park and realized how dangerous it could be.
Then I wanted to be a professional magician. I actually performed magic professionally for several years in middle and high school…until I saw David Copperfield perform live and finally realized “hm, magicians can be kind of creepy.”
Thankfully I found technology and business. Good thing neither of them can can be dangerous or creepy.
