I've spent 15+ years teaching people how to move, and the past 5+ years teaching myself how to support the systems behind everyday life. This is where all of it lives — the fitness, the tech, and a handful of other things I can't help getting excited about.
I started dancing before I could really walk, began dance classes at the age of 2 and practiced and performed classical ballet through college. Words came next: I studied journalism at Emerson College, Binghamton University, and at the School for Journalism and Communications in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and was an editor at trade publications and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). That work pulled me toward computer science, a post-baccalaureate at NYU, and eventually Apple, where I spent six years as a systems analyst and engineering project manager with Internet Services and Pro Applications.
I stepped away to raise a family and ended up building something of my own. A 2009 Zumba class turned into Just Move Fitness and More: three studios, more than 50 classes a week, and a business I ran for over 13 years.
When COVID hit, our business went all in on virtual and I found I was happy playing a technical role. I also taught dance at BSD Dance Studio, taught wellness and physical education classes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and helped POMSQUAD rebuild their whole platform so they could launch their first on-demand training and an online studio. None of it was planned. I just kept acting on what people needed and how I could contribute value.
In 2025, I embarked on a journey back to full-time work in the tech industry. I actively participated in Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) and the Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation (MCWT). I also graduated from the Per Scholas IT Support Program with the Core Values Award. Additionally, I seized every opportunity to learn about thriving in this era of rapid change and disruption in the field.
My passion for helping people have fun with movement began when I became a Zumba instructor in 2009, and it just grew exponentially from there, leading to opening Just Move Fitness and More, where we had over 50+ classes a week and a community that supported discovering what moves you. I also taught dance to babies through adults at BSD Dance Studio for 10 years and wellness and physical education classes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. I created fitness experiences to help the community, because movement that gives back is even better.
When COVID hit, I was co-running a fitness studio with my business partner Veronica Egan. We had a very in-person model: more than 40 classes a week in three studios plus a pool, and a real sense of community. So the challenge wasn't just how do we keep teaching classes. It was how do we keep people connected, supported, and getting value when the whole model got flipped overnight.
I naturally stepped into the systems side of that. I worked with instructors on recorded content, researched how to run better live Zoom classes, built out communication for both instructors and members, and helped us move to a platform that could actually support virtual memberships and secure class access. We were making decisions with incomplete information the whole time, but we kept moving and adjusting.
What I'm proud of is that we didn't just survive the pivot, we built something new. We created an on-demand library of over 250 videos, free and available at justmovefit.com today, added virtual and hybrid offerings, and landed a contract producing virtual fitness experiences for a national event firm. Cutting the overhead of a physical space actually made it one of the most profitable stretches in the business, and it kept our community going for five more years.
Available for hire for community fitness experiences, fitness business consultation, and movement storytime training. Reach out to start the conversation!
After completing a post-baccalaureate in Computer Science at NYU, I spent six years at Apple coordinating cross-functional releases for Final Cut Studio and working on iTools infrastructure. When I stepped away to run my own business, I ended up being my own IT department for 13 years without ever calling it that. Now I'm back in tech formally, with an ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity credential, CompTIA A+, hands-on IT support training through Per Scholas, a Graduate Certificate in Applied Generative AI from Johns Hopkins, and a Certified Scrum Master credential. Same instinct as always: figure out what's actually broken, then fix it in a way that leaves people feeling more comfortable with technology, not more confused by it.
During my IoT cybersecurity externship, I built a water monitoring pipeline over MQTT, taking a stream of raw sensor data and turning it into something people could actually check without needing to understand the protocol behind it. That's the same instinct behind everything else on this page: the fewer things a person has to think about to get their answer, the better the technology is doing its job.
Open to IT Support and Cybersecurity roles in the Kalamazoo area. I'm also available to consult with entrepreneurs and small businesses on website security and practical AI workflow improvements, and to help small businesses sort out everyday tech issues. Reach out to start a conversation!
In addition to fitness and tech, I have so many other interests and passions. Food, Film, Photography, Fundraisers, Family. I love all of these things (and maybe I like alliteration too).
Both cooking and eating! Started the side hustle Lil' New Yorker Pizza in 2008 to help people make NYC pizzeria-style pizza at home (especially when you live far away from NYC!).
P.S. I am always game to try a new restaurant or recipe. And, let me know if you want some of the Food Dance sourdough started to keep the Kalamazoo institution alive!
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If you want somebody to go to a movie with you, I'm there. I love that Celebration Cinema has a monthly movie pass — 3 movies a week (even IMAX) for under $25! This passion took root my freshman year at Emerson College, in Novel into Film and Aesthetics & Media Criticism, and it's when I first discovered art house theaters (The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge) and independent movies, like Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom.
Email to connect →
I have always loved what can be captured in a photo, especially action photography and photojournalism. My husband and I purchased our first digital camera in 2001, then our first used DSLR in 2009. We have spent the past 21 years capturing our kids growing up and we've also had the pleasure of doing family shoots, headshots, and senior pictures for friends and family. We create wonderful slideshows to showcase others' memories too!
Reach out for ideas →
I love a party, and a party where we do some good too is even better! I've helped organize fitness fundraisers and other community events for the past 20 years, bringing people together to raise money and awareness for inclusion, equity, social justice, and support.
See upcoming & past events →
Activities that promote family connection are my jam. For 10 years, I ran movement storytimes at Portage District Library, along with family events at Just Move Fitness and More. Reach out if you want to learn more about my Movement Storytime Curriculum and Idea Guide!
Yes, I'm interested! →