Barbara can't seem to fit into any particular box. Her multi-passionate spirit has lead her to become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), writer, activist, and social impact strategist.
With relentless optimism, drive and curiosity, Barbara is constantly playing and geeking out at the intersection of digital and social issues while "dreaming of things that never were and asking, why not?" Her insights pertaining to feminism, mental health, and entrepreneurship have been featured in radio and published on sites such as Teen Vogue, Bustle, Elite Daily, and Thought Catalog.
Barbara received her masters in social work with a concentration in advanced social policy from New York University. Her passions in the field include social innovation, women's issues, and trauma. Barbara has worked intensively with children and their families, in their homes and communities, for over a decade addressing a variety of issues from family dynamics to mental health and Autism.
In 2012, Barbara co-founded Project Bond in order to meet the unique needs of adoptive families, shed light on the impact of attachment and to spread awareness of how vulnerable and at-risk adoptees and children in foster care are. In August 2016, she partnered with the Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association - developing and facilitating an online workshop series for adoptive/foster families.
in 2017, Barbara was a volunteer marshal at the Women's March in DC as part of her ongoing activism for equality. Barbara also led a petition for her high school to change their sexual assault policies. With over 700 signatures and garnered media attention, the school later enhanced their school policies for the 2017-2018 school year.
Throughout her career, Barbara found herself expanding her knowledge and creativity at the intersection of her favorite interests - entrepreneurship, digital media and social innovation. She soon started applying what she learned during her journey with Project Bond to support and uplift women. Barbara's unrelenting drive and passionate voice has brought her opportunities writing for sites such as the Huffington Post and Thought Catalog as well as consulting with small businesses and start-ups on branding and copywriting. Barbara thrives on creating, innovating and brainstorming with others to help people (especially women) feel fulfilled, pursue their greatest potential and succeed.
Barbara currently works at the University Settlement Society of New York where she oversees a $1.33 million grant awarded by the Manhattan DA's office as part of their Criminal Justice Investment Initiative. Her work entails ground up program design, strategic planning, implementation, branding and outcome measurement of a start-up to strengthen families and community partners in the Lower East Side.
Barbara is daring greatly in NYC where she can be found adventuring, cycling her heart out or asking you tons of questions about what lights you up and what you're doing about it.