Born and raised in Germany, I earned a Ph.D. in Linguistics in Tübingen and worked in academia before moving to the United States. My five children are between 8 and 17. I am transgender (FTM) and identify as queer and transitioned in 2017. Social justice, longing for more equality, and our future affected by climate change are on my mind a lot.

I care deeply about Nonviolent Communication, awareness of NVC in the world, and regenerative, non-coercive social systems in general. I've been studying NVC since 2010 in a weekly study group that focused on core NVC concepts & practice, as well as the writings of Miki Kashtan. In my teaching, needs consciousness is always embedded within governance-focused classes and facilitation.

I live in a cohousing community with 70 neighbors in Massachusetts (United States) that practices NVC and restorative practices. In 2016, I co-founded Sociocracy For All, a global multi-lingual, multi-sector membership nonprofit organization based in the U.S. Its governance is distributed, with approximately 25 people in paid roles (mostly part-time) and 200 volunteer members in decision-making groups. Currently, I serve as the Executive Director.

I published two books on governance, "Many Voices One Song. Sharing Power with Sociocracy" (2018) and "Who Decides Who Decides. How to start a group so everyone can have a voice" (2021). Both books explicitly draw from NVC in its interface of inner transformation, communication, and decision-making. In my client work, my experience lies in different sectors like nonprofits, activism, business, communities, and schools. I support organizations in implementing distributed governance and decision making with accountability and feedback. I've worked in and with international for-purpose organizations that are structurally similar to CNVC. (term expires October 2024)