Who am I?
Five facets, in the order I found them. Scroll — or jump.
Finding the real me
Most of my life has been a journey to work out who I am — and there are facets I have yet to discover.
An American citizen of British origin who has worked and travelled very broadly around the world, with many unusual experiences and a deep-seated sense of fun, enthusiasm and curiosity. Terry Pratchett put it best: you always get into the film ten minutes late, and nobody will tell you the plot.
Adventurer
Dum vivimus vivamus — while we live, let us LIVE.
A line from Heinlein's Glory Road that has shaped my life. Qualified skydiver and scuba diver; married in a hot air balloon; rappelled down waterfalls in Costa Rica; backpacked across South America; canoed a tributary of the Amazon; jumped the world's highest commercial bungee; rode 100 miles in a day for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And became a parent.
Business technologist
A passion for leadership and empowerment, plus an almost intuitive understanding of technology.
From a teenage start at a PC manufacturer through financial services, manufacturing, professional services, software development, business incubation and IoT — JPMorgan Chase, Solomon Partners, KPMG, Blackstone. Twice left the corporate world to found startups, and secured a patent. The mix is what gives me a usable perspective on technology against real business problems.
Musician
A synth demo in 7th grade and that was that — keyboards first, then guitar, bass and drums.
I joined bands, gigged regularly, and learned more about music and collaboration from fellow band members than from any lesson. There is something about the connection between players — understanding each other, anticipating, improvising on the fly — that is deeply personal. These days I write songs in a studio in the basement.
Citizen
Named after the Nameless Knight of Arthurian legend — values I have carried from an early age.
The same commitment that helped me recruit and retain diverse leadership teams sends me looking for ways to help with both funding and time: Team In Training, helping young men from the Eagle Academy record their own song, building a house with Habitat for Humanity, packaging food with Rise Against Hunger. I am keenly aware how fortunate I have been.