From Silicon Valley to Sustainability: Why I Traded Pixels for Cork
They say your kids are your greatest teachers, but I didn’t realize they’d also be my toughest career consultants.
A little while ago, I was in the middle of a classic "parent lecture." I was explaining to my kids—for probably the thousandth time—why they needed to put their phones away, be present, and stop letting a screen dictate their dopamine levels.
My oldest looked at me, completely deadpan, and said: "Mom/Dad, you're telling us not to use phones, but you spend all day at Google helping the world buy more of them."
Ouch. Checkmate.
That moment was the "lightning bolt" that forced me to look at the gap between what I valued and how I was spending my energy. After 25 years in the technology sector, I realized I wanted to build something that didn’t just occupy people’s attention, but actually nourished their lives.
The 2002 Turning Point
To understand why I landed on Yogable, you have to go back to 2002. At the time, I wasn't a "wellness influencer" or a fitness expert. I was someone struggling to keep my head above water, and quite literally, yoga saved my life.
It wasn't about the fancy poses or the expensive leggings. It was about "simple yoga"—the kind that brings you back to your breath when the world feels too loud. That practice became my anchor through two decades of a high-pressure tech career.
The Science of "Better"
While my heart was in yoga, my brain has always been obsessed with Material Science. During my time studying sustainability at Cornell, I became fascinated by how the physical objects we touch every day affect both our planet and our physiology.
I started looking at the standard yoga mat—usually a slab of PVC, TPE, or chemical-heavy synthetic rubber. It felt wrong that a practice meant to "cleanse" us was being done on materials that off-gas toxins and take centuries to decompose.
That’s when I rediscovered Cork.
From a material science perspective, cork is a miracle. It’s antimicrobial, biodegradable, and contains a natural waxy substance called suberin that actually becomes grippier when it gets wet. In short: the more you sweat, the better you perform. It was the perfect intersection of my Cornell research and my 2002 salvation.
Why Yogable?
I left the world of big tech because I wanted to wake up energized by something tangible. I wanted to offer our community products that are "Yogable"—functional, sustainable, and scientifically superior.
When you step onto a Yogable mat, you aren't just standing on a piece of gym equipment. You’re standing on the bark of a tree that was harvested without being cut down. You’re touching a material that breathes with you.
I’m no longer selling the "next big device." Instead, I’m offering a way to disconnect from the digital noise and reconnect with yourself.
I’m so glad you’re here for the journey. Let's practice.