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.
I am a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, teacher, mentor and activist. My first book, How to Raise an Adult, inspired a widely viewed TED Talk. My PEN Oakland award-winning memoir, Real American, explores personal experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. A third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, is a “groundbreakingly frank” guide to navigating adulthood. The Not So Empty Nest: A How-To Guide for Parents and Adult Children Living Together is set to release in May 2027.
I hold 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 share a home with our eldest.
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