She is the founder of Operation Compass, a 501(c)3, established to continue the work she developed while enrolled in the MFA program in Design Research at UNT. Her internationally recognized Master’s thesis was titled, "Riding Shotgun in the Fight Against Human Trafficking." She has been invited to present her research at four international academic conferences, three national academic conferences, and nine public speaking and media events. Her research is focused on using design research methods as a way of developing and executing social innovations to impact change. She received her BFA in Visual Communications and Design from Purdue University in 2000 and her MFA in Design Research from the University of North Texas (UNT) in 2015.