rachel
I'm a 18 y/o driven to spend my life working towards my north ⭐of building solutions to complicated problems that disproportionately impact the world's poor.
2015-2017
I’m an obnoxiously excited, very ambitious 18 year old on a mission to solve big problems around the world. I am passionate about food insecurity and poverty, currently spending most of my time understanding the messy link between small holder farming and extreme poverty (82% of smallholder farmers live on <$1.90 a day!)
I like going deep into topics (previously this was a 2 year deep dive in the industry of gene editing X agriculture. I proposed an idea for a transgenic strand of maize to increase maize yields in Malawi by 5X), and having insightful conversations with people (on my podcast!).
I’m also a nature loving, adventure seeking fanatic. I run marathons + ultramarathons, and love long backcountry hiking trips, kayaking expeditions, skiing, snowshoeing and rock climbing!
Join my newsletter to receive my thoughts on life, meaning, philosophy and innovation. It comes out every few months ☀️
MY LIFE PHILOSOPHIES
the values I have
01
You can always do more than you think. You must be disciplined and persistent - if it was easy, everyone would do it.
My favorite dopamine rush is the rush I get from crossing the line at a 50km ultra, finishing a hard workout or spending weeks backcountry kayaking.
Through sport and adventure I've learned that discipline, perseverance and passion are the building blocks of a meaningful life.
This is a philosophy that I use in every aspect of my life. If I genuinely care about something, I apply everything to it.
02
Let yourself dream ambitiously. Become obsessed and passionate about the things you care about. Work towards big goals with courage and integrity.
I am so angered that 10% of the global population live on <$2.15 a day, 1 in 9 go to bed hungry, 10 million die from *preventable* deaths, 570 million lack access to affordable energy, 160M kids are stuck in child labor, trafficking & slavery. How is this the world we live in?!
People say that these problems are "unsolvable" and I'm "crazy" for thinking I can move the needle.
But I value having courage, integrity and a little audacity in what you do. I guess you could call me hyper-ambitious:) I don't want to die knowing I could have done more. I want to die trying to build an equitable future and high quality of life for all.
03
Smile. Be kind, generous and compassionate.
There is so much negativity in the world! Everyone can benefit from a little sunshine:) I try to be that sunshine! I value empathy, compassion, positivity and excitement. When I enter a room, I try to brighten it.
This isn't just a value I have, this is my personality. I have a genuine lust and admiration for life (what is there not to love about it?!) and get so much fulfilment from lifting those around me up and making a stranger's face twitch into a smile. People don't place me because of my name or face, they place me because of my energetic personality and bubbly persona.
I stop to watch the little beauties in life that so many people ignore.
04
Commit to a path of learning and curiosity. Be open minded to new ideas and perspectives, and excited about the fact that you are growing and have more to learn.
I don't want to live a life of stagnancy. I want to learn, improve and grow everyday.
I am curious, about how things work, why societies are structured the way they are, and love the process of learning (and relearning) new things - history, STEM, policy, I have so much to learn and this excites me.
FUN FACTS ☀️
-
My "perfect day" involves: sunrise yoga, trail running in the mountains for a few hours, swimming in a lake/river, eating some delicious food and journaling + writing outside in the sun, kayaking for the rest of the afternoon, cooking up some yummy food and star gazing. All of this will people I love, and lots of deep conversations & reflection throughout the day.
-
My strength lies in connecting with people, and communicating complex ideas in a way that resonates with people. I like to do this through public speaking and writing.
-
I like understanding how complicated things - technologies, problems - work holistically. I get very passionate about what I work on, and dive deep to fully understand the nuances and complexities. My love for deep dives and dot connecting began with quantum computing, then GMOs for food security and currently the causes of extreme poverty.
.png)
WHAT I'M DOING NOW
Chasing unique opportunities around the world
I'm on a mission to understand the world and how it works (the world is so complicated!🌎). I'm doing this by crafting a life full of unique experiences: speaking at conferences around the world, backcountry kayaking for weeks, researching quirky intersections between science and society.
Pushing my limits
My goal is to expand my pain cave. That dark, painful place that hard experiences (like running ultras!) brings you. I am obsessed about broadening my pain cave, and falling in love with the process of pushing my limits in sport and life.
Researching the root causes of extreme poverty in East Africa
I want to spend my life creating solutions to the poverty that exists in the world. I am starting by understanding extreme poverty - the root causes, nuances and complexities that define it, and what we've done in other countries to eradicate poverty.
Meeting interesting people
I love building a community of people who support and push each other to become better (this is why I love leading teams!). I care a lot about being a great friend and building deep relationships. And one of my favorite "hobbies" is talking with interesting people. People from cool companies, interesting backgrounds or caring personalities - I love both building community and learning from interesting people.
Seeking adventure
I thrive from adventure and unconventional experiences. Whether it's saying yes to a 10 day backcountry kayaking trip, running an 100km ultra or travelling around the world to speak at and attend conferences. Adventure is what fuels my love of learning.
Learning about myself and the world
I spend a lot of time thinking and reflecting. About the life I want to create, how to carve an unconventional path and so many hours thinking about frameworks to solve big problems in the world. Give me a journal, pen and a slice of gorgeous Mother Nature and I'll be the happiest 17 year old on the planet.
POPULAR
Join my newsletter to get my thoughts on building a meaningful life, philosophy and biotech every few months
WORK
Researcher, Hou Lab and Cyclotron Facility
January 2024 - Present
Researching Aurora kinase B as a cancer inhibitor and chemotherapy drug for the most advanced lung cancers at the Hou Lab. Developing radioactive isotopes for cancer imaging at the Cyclotron Facility.
Intern, TFF
June 2023 - September 2023
Creating an article series about innovations in agriculture on the TFF blog and launching the first TFF podcast. Working directly with the CEO on some exciting top secret projects that will be announced soon!
Creator, Project Maize
September 2021 - Present
Created a proposal for a transgenic strand of maize targeted for the climate of Malawi to increase yields by 5X. Worked with the plant and genomics team at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center to identify five new target genes in maize, and created plasmids for each in Benchling. Read more → | Watch video →
Content manager, Tract
March 2022 - June 2022
Was responsible for overseeing the creation of all content. Worked with over 40 teachers in classrooms around the world and school curriculum from grade 1-12, to plan <10 minute educational videos about the hardest STEM concepts.
Podcast creator and host, Luminexus
October 2021 - present
Created a STEM X impact podcast listened in 52+ countries in the top 10% most followed podcasts. Have interviewed over 30 industry leaders in AI, blockchain, gene editing, policy and startup. Listen →
STEM and philosophy writer, Personal Blog
September 2021 - Present
I have written over 30 articles on my public blog and over 25 public newsletters. I write about technology, science, biotech, my crazy outdoor adventures, life, philosophy and all the stuff that comes with discovering yourself and crafting a meaningful life. Read my blog →
Several consulting projects, TKS
September 2021 - June 2023
Through TKS I had the opportunity to build consulting recommendations for various companies and present to senior execs. For example, I worked on creating the in store experience of 2030 for Walmart, scaling digital twins in natural disaster mitigation for CAE, and improving the efficiency of solar panels judged by X, the Moonshot Factory.