Where It All Started
At age eight, Joe and a neighborhood friend launched The Crescent Drive Daily, a short-lived publication that was well-received by their parents. Ever since, the written word and their presentation have beguiled him.
In the Early Days
Seeking out a fresh perspective, Joe moved to Japan after college to teach English as a Second Language. That wanderlust stuck. Unready to move back home, he moved to Sydney, Australia to study for his master’s degree, before moving to Moshi, Tanzania to lead communications for a nongovernmental organization dedicated to the protection of homeless children.
What He Brings to the Table
For the last 15 years, Joe has led communications and advocacy for nonprofit organizations focused on education equity. He’s placed big stories in The New York Times, WIRED Magazine, Slate and NPR. An inveterate student, he relishes exploring how new media tools and cognitive science research can be used for good. He’s helped some of the country’s largest school districts tell their unique story through film, recruit great teachers through paid search advertising and build strong, values-aligned brand identities.
What Gets Him Up in the Morning
Joe takes the long view but knows the urgency this work deserves. He sees education as the nexus to a wide range of economic, environmental and social justice issues.
In His Spare Time
When not harnessing the power of storytelling to inspire social action, Joe enjoys concerts at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater with his wife and travel partner, Libby, riding mountain bikes with his son, Miles, and sitting in the grass with his dog, Luna. He’s an aspiring filmmaker. His short documentary, Carving Joy, premiered at the 2020 Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado.
Joe earned his bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Armstrong Atlantic State University and a master’s degree in International Relations from Macquarie University.