i’ve always been a woman of many passions.

I kept my early love of dance, design, and architecture close to my heart while pursuing my formal Doctor of Chiropractic degree, which served as the nucleus to a greater vision of looking at all of life through a holistic lens. I learned that alignment is intrinsic to the human body — the blueprint must be right for it to function. 

The foundational layers of my acquired expertise can be found along the timeline of my life — from working with an Australian sports clinic treating professional football players, to opening an integrative health center and later teaching anatomy at San Francisco’s largest yoga studio, to opening a chiropractic practice in Napa Valley as well as the upper valley's first yoga studio. That’s where I eventually met the brilliant and celebrated architect, Howard Backen.

In 2015, I was diagnosed with recurrent and incurable ovarian cancer. I was told that my particular type of cancer was chemo-resistant and there wasn’t a standard of care for it. Lifestyle changes would not have any impact, the doctors advised, and told me to get my affairs in order. I decided that this was just an opinion and, in a gesture of life affirmation, Howard and I got married.

Rising to the challenge as if I were competing for an Olympic gold medal, I created my own protocol and assembled a team of some of the best in both Eastern and Western medicine. I chose to utilize conventional medicine for diagnostics, but not for my actual treatment. In September of 2017, I turned a dramatic corner and slowly made my way back to health. 

This process of metamorphosis cracked open a new inspired life for me, and fresh opportunities to serve began to flow into my experience. I joined Howard’s architectural firm, Backen & Gillam, as Chief Strategy Officer and Life Style Design department head, adding a lifestyle department which includes regenerative practices for land, building and body. I also took over the creative direction of our restaurant, Archetype. Although I’ll never be considered cancer-free, today I’m living a life full of joy and creativity.

Taste is very subjective, but good design can inspire feelings of comfort, excitement, calm, or collaboration. I live happily immersed in a world of design, married to a prolific architect who inspires me with his endless well of creativity.  We stand next to each other in life and in work, but our processes are very different. For Howard, inspiration seems to bubble up from within him, while I’m inspired by movement, travel, and new stimulation. Together, we’re both driven by the threads of nature, people, cuisine, lifestyle, and curiosity.

I launched DOOR by aeb, as a complementary brand to the architecture firm, birthing a lifestyle brand that celebrates the exploration of the intersections of design, community, and cuisine — all through a holistic lens. Part of this creative process has been to develop a manifesto that incorporates my love of food, beauty, and community: that thoughtful design and the power of a shared meal can elevate the human spirit. Passionately committed to living a beautiful life, both in home and in body, I’m pleased to be able to share DOOR with you.

DOOR is for all.

Speaking Engagements

PAST SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Love your Brain retreat, Boonville CA

November 20, 2019