Joyful news for the end of summer! I’m thrilled to share that Carla Zanoni is joining Flying Leap as our first board member.
I first met Carla as a writer. A journalist and poet, Carla is a member of a memoirist writers’ group with my wife, Kim, who introduced us. I got to know her on a writers’ retreat led by Lisa Weinert, where we shared rough drafts, views of the lake, and many cups of tea. I remember sharing an early draft of Duck, Death and the Tulip with her, and being struck with a deep sense of gratitude, thinking, “She gets it.” When we first started brainstorming our ideal board members, Carla was on that list.
Carla describes herself as, “Poet heart, journalist brain” and we’re lucky that she’s bringing both of those depths to our little company. The poet heart understands our work intuitively, and brings a passion and fire to her championship of the arts. The journalist brain is already asking thoughtful questions about our future, growth, and how to bring our work to more families here, there, and everywhere.
Personally, I’m most excited to have Carla as a mentor; according to my wife, she is one of the best people managers of all time, a skill set developed over her career as an incredibly accomplished executive. She knows audiences: Carla was the first global Audience & Analytics Editor – and first Latina – to be named to the masthead of the Wall Street Journal; she served as TED’s first head of audience development, helping new people access the incredible work TED does as a nonprofit; and much, much more. You can learn more about her career on the internet.
That said, I think the best way to get to know Carla is through her writing. Her creative work is powerful and personable; she writes about hope, resilience, self worth, whimsy, love, and emotion. Similar to our work at Flying Leap, Carla writes about big ideas in an honest, beautiful, and poetic-but-accessible way. I highly recommend her substack, The Em Dash.
I hope you’ll join us in welcoming Carla to Flying Leap. We are honored to have her, and can’t wait for everyone to see her impact on our artists and our audiences.
Jess, Kim, and friends celebrating Carla’s birthday earlier this summer. Selfie by Carla Zanoni.