I root for humans.
You, and I, and everyone else out there wants to be treated with dignity and kindness. To be seen, accepted, and loved as we are. And to be given a chance, no matter the mistakes we’ve made.
The philosopher Ram Dass offered us a beautiful perspective on the purpose of human existence: “We’re all just walking each other home.” This truth lives in my bones. So, I choose to show up and walk with people no matter who they are or where they are on their journey.
Walk with me.
Bio
I believe in humans and am deeply interested in what gets in our way. My work encompasses writing, speaking, teaching, mentoring, public service, and activism.
I am the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult, which gave rise to a popular TED Talk. My second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates my experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. My third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, has been called a “groundbreakingly frank” guide to adulthood.
I earned a B.A. from Stanford, a J.D. from Harvard Law, an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts, and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Puget Sound.
I live in Palo Alto, California, the heart of Silicon Valley, where I serve on the City Council and advocate for housing, equity, climate, and youth mental health. My lifelong partner Dan and I are parents to two twentysomethings, and we share a home with our grown son and my amazing octogenarian mother.