I hail from a long line of esteemed physicians, and since my youth, I always knew I wanted to follow in their steps. You could tell health was in my DNA through my perfectionist tendencies, my attention to detail, and desire to help people. I grew up enchanted by the process of taking biology classes at the university, studying for the MCAT, and attending my white coat ceremony. During an intended gap year between undergraduate  and medical school, I applied to be a MA in Design in Health Candidate at  the University of Texas at Austin, wanting to learn more about change from within. I never considered myself a designer or creative; however, I knew that some of my largest moments of growth arose when I displaced myself from my comfort zone.  

Used to hearing about traditional healthcare around the dinner table, I was originally skeptical of the integration of design in healthcare. Quickly, I learned that design wasn’t isolated for aesthetic value— design comes across in the intentionality and process. The real beauty of a design shines through in the experience that it prompts. The perfectionism seeker in me gravitates towards design because the iterative nature encourages continuous abandonment in the search for the best answer. Design is about failing fast, and learning from those failures to peel back the distractions and reveal insights that shape strategy to improve people’s lives.

These learnings lead to innovation resulting in major successes, discoveries and breakthroughs; however, the most important innovation occurs in small increments. Innovation is derived from the valuable insights that enable individuals to leverage this knowledge. On a daily basis, I work with companies to produce actionable insights and drive strategic initiatives to achieve their desired future state.