People often ask how my work in science connects with nutrition, clothing, sustainability, and the companies I have founded. For me, the connection is Human Resilience.

I think about resilience as our ability to adapt, recover, and continue growing. Our health, relationships, surroundings, and daily habits all play a part. That is why my work has taken me into different fields. Each offers another opportunity to explore how we live and what might help us live better.

As a scientist, I start with questions. What are we exposed to each day? How does our environment influence our well-being? What could we approach differently?

Those questions guide my research. They also influence what I choose to build.

Through ROOT, that work connects with nutrition and wellness. At Strata Biotech, the focus includes research, development, formulation, and manufacturing. Through DRC Ventures, I bring different ideas and businesses into a shared mission. With Merci Dupre Clothiers, my curiosity extends to clothing and the relationship between what we wear and our environment.

The connection becomes clearer when you look at the questions behind each company. We eat, work, travel, spend time outdoors, and make choices about the things we bring into our homes. Science has a place in all of those experiences.

That is also how I want to talk about innovation and patents.

Behind an invention is a process: observing something, asking a question, developing an approach, and continuing to study it. When I share a patent milestone, I want people to understand what led us there and why the work matters to our broader Human Resilience mission.

Protecting an invention is an important step. Understanding its performance and potential benefits requires research of its own. Both deserve clear communication.

My perspective comes from life outside the laboratory, too.

Being with my family, spending time on the farm, caring for animals, and traveling gives me room to observe and reflect. Those experiences remind me to keep everyday