The venue changes. The question doesn't.

Army veteran. Clinical psychology researcher. Founder of LGBTQ+ Asian drama platforms. Romance novelist. I've chased the same question through every chapter: what makes people connect—and stay connected?

The Beginning

I learned about connection in places where it matters most—deployed with the Army, where trust isn't abstract. It's survival. The bonds that form under pressure. The communities that hold each other together when everything else falls apart.

The Research

Then I studied it. Clinical psychology. Group dynamics. Trauma. Why some communities heal and others harm. 500+ citations later, I understood the science. But understanding wasn't enough.

The Building

So I started building. Psynergic Digital. DramaLlama. Platforms for communities that mainstream tech ignores. LGBTQ+ Asian drama fans scattered across sketchy pirate sites now have a home.

The Writing

And I write about it. Romance novels. Because stories are another way to explore the same questions—what makes people stay?

Credentials

MA Clinical Psychology

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

500+ Google Scholar Citations

Research in trauma, group dynamics, and community psychology

APA Student & Early Career Psychologist Award

American Psychological Association

U.S. Army Reserve Veteran

Sergeant, deployed OIF

Web Summit ALPHA, Station F

Selected for premier European startup programs

Arch Grants Finalist (2x)

St. Louis startup accelerator

Beyond the CV

Philosophy nerd—I genuinely enjoy reading ethics, wrestling with questions about meaning and mortality, and having conversations most people would find tedious.

Fall is the best season. This is non-negotiable.

I believe we have one life and not nearly enough time to do everything we want. That belief shapes most of my decisions.

Currently based in the U.S., often thinking about Thailand.