A LIFE OF ASKING WHY
A different beginning.
An enduring curiosity.
I grew up on a farm in Serbia and left home at sixteen to study in Belgrade, the capital. After years of war and economic instability, I moved to Canada in my early twenties with little English and a determination to go to university.
Two years of studying English and government scholarships opened the door. I became the first in my family to attend university, then kept returning: psychology, immigration and settlement, business, social finance, and impact measurement.
Studying psychology with a dictionary beside me and having to translate much of what I read taught me to always ask, “What does this word, idea or concept actually mean?” Going a layer deeper is how I engage with a complex issue, a policy, a problem, or another person.
For twenty years, I have brought that curiosity to public institutions and communities across Canada. I have helped governments make difficult decisions, built a consulting business, and explored how technology can help us do better work.