Nancy’s professional journey has a common theme: a deep love for designing experiences where learners feel a sense of purpose, community, and awe. She has brought this love to all of the multi-sector educational endeavors she has been a part of in the past 20+ years. Nancy has led the development of programs across informal and formal learning institutions that include the Smithsonian Institution, USAID, Big Picture Learning, and Southern New Hampshire University. Whether as a senior team leader, program administrator, or workshop facilitator, Nancy finds joy in solving wicked problems, turning challenges into opportunities, and creating community. 

Most recently, Nancy played a critical role in building a community-based hybrid college program for students in Los Angeles. As a founding team member, she started the first campus in Downtown LA and designed a holistic, competency-based student experience. She currently sits on the board of New Village Girls Academy, a Big Picture School in Los Angeles that encourages students to explore their own interests through authentic projects and community-based experiences. 

Formerly, Nancy taught middle school Language Arts and Journalism in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles and worked with the East Bay Consortium, a California Student Opportunity & Access Program (Cal-SOAP) program, where she developed systems and tools to build a mentorship program for students in East Oakland. 

Nancy completed her graduate studies in Education at the University of California, Los Angeles. She earned her BA in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley.

How can experience design support transformed schools? 

Shifting to an experience design mindset opens up a world of possibilities and opportunities for schools, educators, and students. When we focus on designing experiences, we’re building a muscle that relies on looking at a learner (or the person you’re designing for) holistically; we zoom in on her/his/their needs. This creates authentic, intentional space to put the learner at the center and backwards map from her/his/their needs. 

For the educator, the shift to an experience design mindset may lead to a greater sense of agency and empowerment; it did this for me. Ideally, there is also a gradual incorporation and invitation for the learner to co-design and be part of the process. For the student, the shift to an experience design-based practice may lead to a deeper relationship with school and learning. More joy and more smiles may fill the school walls. 

Why does the Future of Learning matter and how do you catalyze it? 

When I think about the Future of Learning, my heart starts to beat faster and my palms get a little sweaty; I have a visceral reaction to the potential of what this could look like and, most importantly, the impact that it can have on lives throughout the planet. On a macro level, I think the Future of Learning has implications on if/how we will address some of the most wicked challenges that we face today. These may include climate change to social inequities to global pandemics. On a micro level, I believe the Future of Learning can unlock multigenerational change for individuals, especially those who have lacked access to educational opportunities. This is where the concept intersects with the personal for me. For the past 20 years, it has been part of my professional endeavors to catalyze the Future of Learning. It is a messy, complex, and joyful process that, I think, centers on the vital role of relationships. Whether it is at a workshop level or an institutional level, I always find a human being or group of humans at the heart of the lever. Understanding and shifting hearts and minds takes time, but the status quo is unacceptable.