Reflecting on Change

2020 and the beginning of 2021 has presented so many challenges and fundamental threats to our understanding of democracy and society as a whole. Last March, as my children were sent home from school to shelter in place from a global pandemic, we watched in horror as black citizens paid the ultimate sacrifice because of systemic inequity and violence. While we listened from our little apartment in downtown KC to the world shut down around us, it was impossible to ignore the life threatening consequences of the dual realities we live in this country.

Nearly five years ago, I co-founded Cityfi with Gabe Klein and John Tolva to effect positive change in our cities. We believe that it is possible to accomplish true resiliency through policies, partnerships and strategies that respond to the Triple Bottom Line and effectively leverage technology. We do not subscribe to the zero-sum game of winners and losers but believe we can meet the needs of our most vulnerable while creating an innovative economy, mitigate climate change, and provide an exceptional quality of life for all. Since then, we have grown and evolved to accomplish this work in cities across the country and globe — and with the additional talent of our partner Story K. Bellows and our entire Cityfi team, I remain hopeful for the future.

2020 was an opportunity to focus on what is most important. A more equitable future. A more sustainable future. A happier future. I went from traveling weekly to staying here in Kansas City, juggling a business and household and even a devastating motorcycle crash that has disabled my husband for the foreseeable future. I reflected on my priorities as I championed Vision Zero policies across the region, engaged on the future of the design profession, and supported both local and national advocacy efforts on a variety of issues. While I worked with Cityfi clients on managing change, I too considered what change I might need in my own professional and personal life.

So, while I love Cityfi and all that we have built, I have made the bittersweet decision to move back to the public sector. I am thrilled that during a time when we are facing such challenges and need to rebuild — not just what we had before the pandemic but something fundamentally better — and that I will have the opportunity to do so in my adopted hometown. More on this to come.

Since we started, I have worked around the globe for cities in Poland and China from LA to Miami to Columbus, traveled to Tokyo for the first time and across the country (countless times), and met so many people that have truly inspired me with the hard work and commitment they’ve made to making the world a better place. As I look forward, I wanted to pause and reflect on a few of my favorite things from the past few years of Cityfi.

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