Meet the Expert:

When I entered college I decided to pursue my passions—oil painting and creative writing. I figured I had my whole life to worry about an actual career. But as graduation day approached, the notion of being a working artist seemed less and less practical. A family friend in the marketing business took me under her wing and opened my eyes to the many great aspects of the field. I'm willing to argue that the conceptual education I pursued in college was as valuable as any business degree I could have gotten.

My roots—I grew up in southern California where an appreciation of and respect for our environment was instilled in me at an early age. Now I just feel lucky to be involved in the sustainability movement as part of my day job.

Moving across the country with nothing but two suitcases and the desire to live somewhere with public transportation. Today, I have a close network of friends, an amazing job and a place to put my passions for the environment to good use.

The creative, collaborative environment and the emphasis on client partnerships. IMRE empowers its employees to pave their own path, which is what has allowed me to pursue and grow our Sustainability practice over the last three years.

Research—gathering as much practical knowledge about a client or challenge before ideating allows me to consider every channel, every angle and every obstacle. Creating parameters like this allows me to apply my creativity and conceptual thinking in a pragmatic way and challenges me to be even more creative than I would be otherwise.

A great brand is one that is courageous enough to take immediate risks to ensure a sustainable future. Its leaders understand the value of change.

I wish I could sing. Just believe me when I say you don't want to be in the car with me when one of my favorite songs comes on. It's not pretty...

Would the island be big enough for my family and friends? If, yes, then the next thing on my list would be my Google Reader, especially The Huffington Post, Design Sponge and Grist feeds, and Chicago Public Radio's This American Life.

I don't know if there is a food that helps me think more creatively, but I do eat a lot of sweet potatoes. So if I were going to attribute a food to my success, sweet potatoes it would be.

I've never watched much TV. I don't even have cable. Every time I turn it on I feel guilty I'm not doing something more productive. I was born a bookworm and am proud of it.

I live for going to the farmers market every Sunday morning, read cookbooks like they're celebrity gossip tabloids, and I'm a road trip junkie. I've traveled to all but 6 states—and my paintings are all landscapes inspired by my adventures around the country.