I’m a coach, teacher, and storyteller.

Prior to becoming a life and career coach, I spent a few years working at a VC firm in Silicon Valley and almost seven years as a Green Beret in the Army Special Forces.

I studied economics and pre-med at Cornell, physics at Columbia, and business, computer science, and electrical engineering at Stanford.

Outside of school, I’ve spent a lot of time reading and thinking about the classics, anthropology, religion, philosophy, neuroscience, and evolutionary psychology.

I’ve been meditating for over ten years and currently practice in the Rinzai Zen tradition. The unifying theme behind most of my interests is the intersection of science and spirituality.

What I do

I help my clients — CEOs, founders, professionals, athletes — gain clarity, craft a vision for the future, and build the habits and skills they need to make that vision a reality. I also share exercises and thoughts about coaching on Substack. If you’re interested in working together, check out my main site.

Coach

My teaching focuses on sharing my personal life philosophy, which I call the Contemplative Primate. The philosophy comprises both a worldview — that the tension between our primal nature and the demands of modern world accounts for much of our dissatisfaction in life — and an integrated system of training designed to resolve that tension.

My long-term goal is to start a sort of modern monastery where a dedicated group of practitioners can pursue the deepest possible mental, physical, and spiritual training together.

Right now, I’m mostly sharing my ideas on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Next year, I’m planning to host an introductory, in-person experience to give anyone who is interested a taste of what living at the monastery will be like. Within three years, I hope to launch online and in-person gap year programs that build on the introductory experience.

Teach

My creative projects focus on sharing the Contemplative Primate philosophy in alternative formats without sacrificing rigor or depth.

I’m a big fan of hip-hop and once wrote a “cosmic rap epic” called Creation about my two favorite subjects — religion and physics. You can see the lyrics here. At some point, I might record it over a beat and post the audio.

Currently, I’m working on two projects:

  • A semi-autobiographical, fictionalized anime that explores how I developed the Contemplative Primate philosophy and a vision for the modern monastery that I want to start.

  • A sci-fi comic book about a superhero who gains his powers by meditating on the laws of physics. The series explores notions of progress, the limits of science and rationality, the inevitability of change, the role of technology in the world, and the role of spirituality in making sense of our existence.

Right now, I’m using AI to generate images of settings and characters and combining them into story boards. I’m currently looking for an illustrator to collaborate with, so if you know anyone who might be a good fit, please reach out!

Storytelling

Other content

Writing

  • I’ve done a few interviews with Cassius Felicella

  • I’ve also interviewed a few people as part of the Contemplative Leadership Program, which I started when I was at Stanford. I’m currently editing the recordings and will post them once they’re finished.

Podcasts

More about me

I grew up in Maryland and Washington, DC. After joining the Army, I bounced between Georgia, North Carolina, Washington, and New York before moving to California for graduate school.

A few years ago, I moved from Silicon Valley to Sacramento. I’ve quickly grown to love the laid back vibe and friendly people here. After years of not following sports, I’ve also become a pretty big fan of the Kings.

This year, I’m on a mission to start following my hometown teams again, namely the Orioles and Commanders. In honor of my wife’s Canadian heritage, I’ll also give a nod to the Maple Leafs. The Mighty Ducks trilogy inspired me as a kid, so I’m excited to rediscover hockey.

I love stories. My favorite modern myths are Star Wars, Dune, Batman, and Lord of the Rings. They’ve influenced me as much as anything else in my life. My love of story is also expressed in my favorite musical genres — folk and hip-hop.

I owe a lot to my family: Mom, Dad, sister and sister-in-law, three brothers (one no longer with us) and one brother-in-law, and my two perfect nieces.

I live with my wife, a medical resident at UC Davis, and our labradoodle Perry (short for Pericles). I am deeply grateful for how they keep me grounded, open me up to new ways of being, and put up with my constant blabbering.