From military service to nonprofit leadership and creative entrepreneurship, this alum’s career journey is anything but linear. In this interview, they reflect on navigating identity beyond 'the uniform', using marketing as a force for social good, and building mission-driven work that spans both national impact and children’s storytelling.
What are your current areas of focus, professionally or otherwise?
I’m currently the Director of Marketing & Communications at The COMMIT Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting United States service members, veterans, and military spouses transitioning into meaningful civilian careers. I lead brand strategy, storytelling, and digital growth, while building systems that connect military members to purpose-driven opportunities.
Alongside this role, I’m the Founder of Little Wingmen Press, LLC and author of the Zooming Zoey & Wingman Willie™ children’s book series — a mission-driven brand empowering military kids to see themselves as heroes in their family’s journey. With my debut book launching this month (April 2026), what began as a creative project has evolved into a growing business with plans to scale in late 2026.
Tell us about your career journey?
I began my career as an Air Force Officer, where I learned the foundations of leadership and mission execution under extreme pressure. After separating from service in 2023, I experienced what many veterans do — an identity reset. Without the structure of the military, I had to forge a new path.
That reflection led me to apply to The London School of Economics to pursue a master’s in marketing — a space where I felt my love for creativity and storytelling could flourish. While at LSE, I became increasingly aware that if I were to build a fulfilling career in marketing, it had to have a broader social impact. I felt a responsibility to use that influence ethically, strengthening communities rather than simply driving consumption.
This realization ultimately led me back to seeking a role at The COMMIT Foundation, the same place I sought support from when I was a transitioning service member.
Additionally, it was during my time at LSE that the idea for Zooming Zoey & Wingman Willie™ took root. Inspired by the plays I attended, afternoon tea conversations, and countless hours in local bookstores, I reconnected with my love for creative writing. I started conducting industry research on the military publishing landscape and discovered a meaningful niche I felt uniquely positioned to fill.
What skills have you learnt along the way?
Across the military, graduate study, nonprofit leadership, and entrepreneurship, I’ve learned to:
These skills ultimately turn insight into action and action into impact.
What motivated your transition to a new role or industry?
Leaving the military forced me to confront a central question: what parts of that identity were truly me — and what parts had I suppressed? As I worked through those questions, I realized my creative spirit had simply been waiting for space to grow. Marketing became the bridge — a field where creativity is not only welcomed but required.
Has your career worked out the way you envisioned?
Not in a linear sense, and I’m grateful for that. I did not foresee building a children’s book company while leading marketing for a national nonprofit. But I always knew I wanted my work to feel purposeful. Rather than following a predetermined path, my career has evolved around a consistent theme: extending the mission beyond the uniform. Both The COMMIT Foundation and Zoey & Willie reflect that evolution.
What were the most valuable lessons you took away from studying at LSE?
There were three critical lessons I carry with me:
1. Marketing is not just creative. It must be grounded in research and measurable outcomes.
Strong ideas mean little without data, audience insight, and clear impact.
2. In group settings, inclusion drives excellence. The quietest person in the room often holds the most brilliant idea. When every voice has space, the entire team performs better.
3. Ask for help. Not just in academic settings, but in life. Growth accelerates when you’re willing to seek guidance and collaboration.
What’s the greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
The greatest challenge I’ve faced was leaving the military after ten years in uniform. Civilian life offers freedom, but it also carries ambiguity. That season required deep reflection, therapy, and resilience, and taught me how to see the forest through the trees and to redefine who I was beyond a title or rank.
Through that transition, I realized identity is not confined to a role or title. The values that shaped me in uniform could be expressed in new ways.
If you had one piece of advice you could give your younger self, what would it be?
Take the risk. Bet on yourself. Be authentic.
Careers don’t have to be linear to be meaningful. The turn that feels out of place today may be the very moment that sparks the idea that launches your next chapter.
Share with us your fondest memory of the Department of Management.
My fondest memory was taking the Consumer Neuroscience course and conducting experiments in the lab. It was incredible to see marketing research in action and how differently each team approached the same challenge. The course brought together data, psychology, and creativity and confirmed that marketing was where I belonged.
If you would like to be our Alum of the Month or if you would like to nominate a Department of Management alumni, please email dom.alumni@lse.ac.uk.