About
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Hi there, I’m Louise . . .
I was born and raised (mostly) in Maine and recently relocated to Colorado after investing eight years in New York City from 2012-2020 to develop my career. I’m a development practitioner, creative strategist and storyteller who is passionate about sustainability, climate change mitigation, conservation, food systems, global health, and disability rights. I love using my design-thinking and strategic communications skills for environmental and social good.
Most recently, I was working as an independent contractor with the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) on the Equator Initiative, as the Senior Producer for the Equator Prize Spotlight Films project, where I harnessed the power of storytelling to inspire hope for nature-based climate solutions and the rights of indigenous peoples from across the globe. I earned my Master’s of Public Administration in Development Practice (MPA-DP) from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in May 2019, with a dual specialization in management and technology, media, advocacy and communications. While at SIPA, I worked as a consultant for Mercy Corps, Hot Bread Kitchen, MotionEco, the Center for Sustainable Development and Millennium Promise Alliance. I also served as a Teaching Assistant for a GIS course at the Earth Institute, and held leadership roles with the Consulting Club and the SIPA Pan-Arica Network. Right before beginning my graduate studies at Columbia | SIPA, I joined the One Pulse cycling team and rode around the entire circumference of Malawi to raise money for Partners in Health and World Bicycle Relief—one of my best adventures to date. I also worked for two years prior at Outward Bound USA, one of the country's leading experience-based outdoor learning & leadership programs, as the National Development Coordinator and Data Analyst. While at Outward Bound, I worked on a team of four to fundraise $3.6M annually and managed the donor databases. Prior to Outward Bound, I directed my participatory photography project, Picturing Wanteete, in Uganda. I dedicated the first eight years of my career to mentoring youth in various settings, ranging from wilderness trip leading to directing an after-school program.
In addition to my MPA-DP from Columbia | SIPA (2019), I also hold a Bachelors of Arts in Geography and Studio Art (2011) from the University of Vermont, and I’ve also studied at the International Center of Photography and the Esalen Institute.
In my spare time, I stay outside and in nature as much as possible. The mountains humble me and teach me great lessons about courage and resilience. I especially enjoy mountaineering, front/backcountry skiing, backpacking, cycling and running. Among my biggest mountaineering accomplishments over the past year are a successful summit of the Grand Teton in Wyoming and Mount Rainier in Washington USA. When I’m not hard at work, playing in the backcountry or grooving on the dance floor, you can generally find me cooking up a storm in my kitchen.
