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Would you be surprised if I told you that, since the inauguration, I’ve spent several hours every week hopping from call to call, desperately seeking reassurance from like-minded communities—like someone in recovery on the brink of relapse, looking for a meeting?

Probably Not.

One of the impactful meetings I attended was with the Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City (CEANYC). It is a space where I continue to learn and witness firsthand what it means to build economic systems that actively resist the extractive dynamics of traditional, mainstream business models.

The gathering was a call to action—a deep dive into what it truly means to operate as a cooperative business in today’s political and economic climate. And let’s be clear: the current climate ( makes me yearn for the aliens to invade) is chaotic, uncertain, and terrifying.

As a Haitian American, my family and I are copying important documents and receiving calls about parents pulling their kids out of school and quitting their jobs. Building help networks and letting folks know their rights. IT’S REAL OVER HERE.

The conversation was equal parts encouragement and reality check, a reminder of both the potential and the challenges of coming down the pipeline.

As I listened to cooperative owners and members share their stories, I was struck by their resilience and their almost ruthless ability to prioritize with love. It wasn’t just about saying no to distractions; it was about saying yes to what truly mattered, even when it was hard.

When everything feels urgent, how do you decide where to focus? I’ve been asking myself this question a lot lately. Between climate crises, political chaos, and the relentless demands of running a business, it’s easy to feel paralyzed.

But here’s what I’m learning: clarity comes from boundaries. By mapping my “spheres of influence”—what I can control, what I can shape, and where I can contribute to systemic change—I’ve found a way to move forward without burning out.

1. Control: What can I directly change in my daily life?

2. Influence: How can I shape my community or workplace?

3. Change: Where can I contribute to systemic shifts?

Control ( Where My Daily Choices Become My Compass) In the smallest moments—how I run meetings, respond to setbacks, or structure my tools—I’m planting flags of integrity.

For example, I’ve started replacing Big Tech tools with open-source alternatives ( check them out below) (control), joined a platform co-op to democratize my work (influence), and donated to movements reimagining ownership models (change). 

Influence (Building Networks That Make Me More Myself)

I’ve stopped chasing “strategic partnerships” and started cultivating relationships that feel like creative kinship.

Change ( Letting Constraints Reveal My Non-Negotiables: When resources tighten, I ask, What if scarcity is my most honest advisor?)

Though my work is primarily around business design and innovation, the lens through which I do that work (inclusion) has been villanized to the point of national tragedy. I have to be prepared to potentially wave through a season of scarcity and go to the other side. But what if I treat scarcity as an opportunity to radically prioritize what I and OPENHOUSE need right now?

It’s not perfect, nor has it removed my need to doom scroll but it’s helped me understand the areas where I need to rally.

This post helps you dive deeper into what this means for you.

What's bringing me joy is bringing back my pre-speaking rituals of dance parties! Like this one before delivering a keynote on 'What is Inclusive Innovation?' for some of the team at Bausch & Lomb—and this was the song making it happen.

A takeaway from that talk that I want to leave you with is the myth about “late adoption.” What if late adoption isn’t about resistant users but early warning systems for bad innovation?

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Why We Need to Stop Treating AI Like Thanos

Remember that chilling moment in "Avengers: Endgame" when Thanos declared, "I am inevitable"? It wasn't just his plan to wipe out half of all life that was terrifying—it was the certainty with which he said it. That unshakeable belief that his actions were unavoidable, no matter what Earth's mightiest heroes did to stop him.

Sound familiar? It should be because we're falling into the same trap with artificial intelligence.

The AI Inevitability Trap

There's a sneaky little mind trick called the "fallacy of technological inevitability" that's got us all twisted up when it comes to AI. We've become so caught up in debating whether AI will exist and how it'll change the world that we've started to believe we have no control over how it's used.

It's like we're all collectively throwing up our hands and saying, "Well, I guess the robots are taking over. Might as well get used to it!"

But here's the thing: Just because a technology exists doesn't mean we have to use it in ways that make us uncomfortable or go against our values.

Breaking Free from the AI Hype Cycle

The powers that be—tech giants, futurists, and even some well-meaning experts—have been pushing this narrative of AI inevitability. They tell us it's only a matter of time before AI is:

• - Checking our biometrics 👁️ 

• - Taking over human jobs 🧑‍🦰 

• - Running every aspect of our businesses 🤖 

And sure, some of that might happen. But that doesn't mean we have to passively accept every AI application that comes our way.

Your Personal AI Ethics Compass

While the big conversations about AI's impact on society are important, it's equally crucial to develop your own ethical compass when it comes to this technology.

Here's how to start:

Question everything: Just because an AI solution exists doesn't mean you have to use it. Ask yourself if it aligns with your values.

Educate yourself: Learn about AI's potential benefits and risks in different contexts (key word context) and support ethical AI initiatives. I am allocating a portion of my resources to ongoing AI education, not just for myself but also for my team and community. That means looking for companies and organizations prioritizing responsible AI development, particularly those led by underrepresented (most negatively impacted) groups in tech.

Set boundaries: Decide what you're comfortable with and stick to it, even if it means going against the trend.

I have made two tough decisions about the use of AI in my business:

🛑 No AI-generated BIPOC images for marketing.  We're already seeing AI reinforce harmful stereotypes (like associating youth in house arrest solely with Black kids) and companies using AI to fake diversity. I'm drawing the line as a small agency: no AI-recreated BIPOC images to sell or market products. Real representation matters.

🛑 Introducing 'AI Dark Hours': As a founder with ADHD, AI has revolutionized my approach to tackling the blank page problem. However, I cannot overlook the environmental consequences. Climate change will disproportionately affect marginalized communities, and as a Caribbean daughter, the threat of rising sea levels is deeply personal. To mitigate my carbon footprint, I am dedicating specific AI-free work hours.

Remember, we're not facing an all-powerful, universe-altering villain like Thanos. AI is a tool created by humans, and we have the power to shape how it's used.

 🌈 Links to Weird Up Your Day 🌈

Microsoft Bizarre Commercial Microsofts latest commercial promoting Gemini has more than missed the mark. It proposes that a father wants to use AI to help his daughter to write a heartfelt letter to her Olympic hero. Who wants that? Read

It’s getting weird..er. A wearable friend AI device is coming Allegedly, a founder spent 1.8 million dollars to purchase friend.com, which displays a wearable AI device for your neck called Friend. If you weren’t concerned before, their promotional video's slight horror film vibe should do it for you. Watch

There’s an AI beauty pageant, folks. Not Even AI is safe from the male gaze 😂  AI personalities that double as creators online have been entered into a pageant. Contestants will be judged on their beauty, tech, and clout for the chance to earn the Miss AI crown. Read More

We just added some new Work Stories to the site.

Centering Caregiver Voices

We recently partnered with a major Caregiving company to revolutionize support for the unseen heroes of healthcare. You can read about the research process and the project's highlights here. Our goal is to center the wisdom of caregivers, especially those pushed to the margins.

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For Pride Month, I’m reflecting on how profoundly the landscape of innovation, social progress, and organizing would look starkly different without LGBTQ+ mutual aid systems, queer theory, and activism. And what it means for me to be a leader of inclusive spaces—inspired by the joy that is so inherent in queer spaces.

Consider the ongoing discussions about algorithmic ethics and artificial intelligence. While some people understand how these systems reflect racial biases, fewer people appreciate the impact of creating algorithms based on a binary perspective. This affects everyone, often in ways that we don’t have the lived experience to understand.

While we watch viral videos of entitled travelers missing flights, In Traveling While Trans*, for decades, the challenges our trans friends face range from invasive pat-downs to outright discrimination, all at the hands of a flawed algorithm. Trans* design leaders, drawing from their own harmful experiences, helped spur an 18 million dollar upgrade of TSA screening algorithms that acknowledge non-binary and gender-nonconforming identities.

Leading to the improvement of the algorithm for those of us living with bigger bodies, body or facial differences, and disabilities, leading to a more dignified and efficient process for all travelers.

Black and Brown queerness, in particular, has had a transformative impact on how I show up as a leader and founder. 

Firstly, it pushed me to continuously seek solidarity with those who share in the struggle for recognition and equality and to radically think about mutual aid and what it means to incorporate it into business models.

Mutual aid is far from a mere buzzword. It is a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ activism, a crucial support system that historically fills gaps left by institutional neglect.

Secondly, learning more about embodied leadership from the LGBTQ+ folx has shown me how to stay connected to my body, a radical act of defiance in a world that often seeks to disconnect autonomy, body, and identity to survive.

This deep bodily connection enables leaders to more attentively listen to their own needs and those of their teams, fostering a culture of holistic well-being and productivity. By respecting the interplay between body and mind, we can make more intuitive and grounded decisions, create spaces that celebrate diversity, and exemplify a more aligned approach to professional and personal life.

QUEER THEORY Queering knowledge offers new ways to understand the world. Read

Here We Are A national campaign that shares the real stories of transgender people in a time when 71% of Americans claim that they’ve never met someone who is transgender. Watch

Visit this Stunning Digital Monument to Stonewall Discover the powerful legacy of the Stonewall riots through a breathtaking digital experience at Stonewall Forever. This interactive monument honors the historic event that sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement and continues to inspire activism and solidarity today. Explore archival footage, personal stories, and contributions from the community that bring the past to life and connect it to the ongoing fight for equality. Marvel

Exciting Announcement: Joining the DXD Council

If you missed the news, I’m excited to announce that I have recently joined the DXD Council as an advisor. This council brings together leaders dedicated to diversifying the design field through a multi-prong approach.

🌟 Thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent event on Decentering Capitalism in Your Business Journey! 🌟

Together, we explored how to transform our business models to prioritize equity, sustainability, and community well-being.

Highlights

• We delved into the concept of generative ownership and its potential to transform traditional business practices.

• We discussed mapping your spheres of control, influence, and change and identifying opportunities to align your operations with their values.

• 💰And why FREE isn’t the answer!! When we give away labor that is not ours to give, we perpetuate a cycle of exploitation, even if the very thing we are exploiting is our own labor!

🌍 Sphere of Change Exercise:

We’ve also provided a link to the Sphere of Change exercise, a powerful tool to help you map out what change looks like for you and turn your intent into action.

📩 Hit reply if you want to receive a copy of this exercise.

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As Earth Day approaches, sidestep the greenwashing frenzy for a moment and consider a deeper approach to Indigenous economics. This perspective broadens our understanding of capitalism and climate change, moving beyond the narrow view that reduces Indigenous communities to mere earth stewards. These communities have long mastered complex economic systems, including ancient trade routes, sophisticated land management, robust fishing rights, and resilient governance.

From Hawai’i's concept of Mana to the Blackfoot tribe's Breath of Life, the core of Indigenous economics revolves around relationship, reciprocity, and reflexivity.

So, what does this mean for your business today?

• Relationality teaches us that businesses are part of a larger ecosystem that flourishes on mutual dependence. It’s about crafting enterprises that thrive through partnerships and communal engagement, where success for one fosters potential for others.

• Reciprocity turns our linear consumption into a cyclical exchange of giving and receiving. Imagine business models where products initiate new cycles, empowering local supply chains and transforming waste into resources.

• Reflexivity requires ongoing dialogue with your creations, ensuring agility and adaptability in your business to meet shifting needs and conserve resources.

To help integrate these principles into your business model, I’ve created a quick reflection deck. Dive into these alternative economies of care with a few questions to get you going, which are available here.

Want to dive even deeper? Read this paper - Island and Indigenous systems of circularity: how Hawaiʻi can inform the development of universal circular economy policy goals.

LINKS

Climate Doomism is out; Climate Fiction is in I believe it's helpful to have depictions of the world we want" Tory Stephens. Ready for a radical reimagining of our future? Dive into the world of climate fiction with us here. It's like daydreaming, but you're saving the planet while doing it. Read

How can we embody productive optimism in climate change? Optimism seems to be a theme in climate coverage. But what does productive optimism look like? Read

A True Crime Podcast About Climate Change Climate content can sometimes be hard to engage with. Get your fix of intrigue with a side of environmental enlightenment. Listen

I was honored to serve as a judge in the 2GI Alumni Pitch Competition sponsored by the National Disability Institute, which featured a wide range of disabled founders building businesses to solve issues at the intersection of accessibility and innovation. ✨

From 3D-printed prosthetics to video-based job marketplaces, meet the founders.