Our Values are Our Cornerstone

But when I made the decision to move our life from lower Manhattan to Connecticut so Amaya could attend Country School, it was not the happy memories I had of attending that inspired me to make the choice. It was the values and morals I believe I learned and began to live by at Country School that make the memory of my time unique. NCCS helped me begin to craft who I wanted to be as a citizen of the world and how I wanted to impact it. This was an incredible gift, and one I wanted Amaya to have a chance to experience as well.

What we now call Diversity, Equity and Inclusion were values that were always at the center of the NCCS experience. While we do not live in a very diverse part of the world statistically, I recall being struck by how much more aware of different cultures, traditions, and ethnicities my peers and I were than kids we met from other schools. And the celebration and protection of the DEI values were woven throughout the very framework of our education, whether academically or socially. I remember not just learning about the importance of diversity but illuminating it, passionately defending it and advocating for the celebration of different races, traditions, and orientations. Whether this was through assemblies celebrating Black History Month, or social studies projects studying Native American cultures, or rigorous Upper School debates about the role media has played in the portrayal and objectification of women, Country School ignited a passion in me through building awareness of the beauty of difference and the injustice of inequality. Thinking back today on those pivotal moments I realize now that Country School was not just helping me understand what inspired me and what I felt passionate about, but slowly helping me develop a belief system that has governed much of my life and choices.

Now, as a business leader and partner at a diversity-mandated venture fund, these beliefs have become the cornerstone of how I lead teams and which companies and founders I choose to invest in. Leading with an inclusivity mindset builds better business outcomes. There is a direct correlation between team members feeling safe and included, and leaders' ability to elicit honest opinions from a diverse slate of stakeholders to inform the most important conversations or debates. This is especially true with underrepresented groups within a company or group of consumers – caring about what people truly care about, connecting authentically with all constituents, helping to solve real problems builds a powerful connection, a winning culture, and a greater ability to impact our world for the better. 

I am grateful to NCCS for having helped me identify, early on, how passionately I felt about building a more inclusive and equitable world. And as I see the Lower Schoolers charge out of the building at the end of the day exuberant and grinning, I am overjoyed knowing generation after generation of kids is being exposed to these same lessons – giving each one a chance to build awareness, compassion and intent that truly impact the human experience.