Ashley's Story
I grew up in Milwaukee, raised by a single mother. I learned early that getting where you want to go often means building something no one has built for you yet. That's not a complaint — it's a compass. It's shaped every decision I've made since.
I studied Human Geography at UW-Madison because I was obsessed with how systems shape people. That obsession took me to Copenhagen for a Master's in Global Health Policy, to fieldwork in El Salvador and Poland, and eventually to the WHO — where I advocated for an overhaul of the UN intern program. I was in my twenties, and I was already asking: who does this system actually work for?
Then came tech. Fifteen years of it — ten in leadership. I built CS teams from scratch, scaled them globally, navigated PE-backed acquisitions, VC chaos, and helped take a company public. I've been the first, the only, and eventually the one others come to when they don't know what to do next.
I helped found the Backlight Inclusion Council and Unity's Black and Women's ERGs — not because it was in my job description, but because I knew what it felt like to walk into a room and realize it wasn't designed with you in mind.
I'm also a parent, a certified Zumba instructor, and a dancer finding my way back to the floor. I believe movement is how we process the things that don't have words yet. I believe joy is a form of discipline. And I believe you don't have to choose between who you are and what you're building.
I know what it's like to perform at a high level and still feel like something isn't right. I know what clarity feels like on the other side of a hard decision. That's what I bring to every conversation.
