Early on, I often was the odd girl out. Literally. I had to fend for myself many times in rooms full of career admirals and generals, sitting, for example, at the US Army War College, discussing National Security with men who’ve seen combat. [photo shows the young, tiny me in the middle of a group of male military officers.]

Imagine being at the Pentagon as a 21-year-old Reagan appointee during the Cold War. The seats were "man size". My feet didn't touch the floor. I weighed 95 pounds. My nickname became "Tinkerbell", and I embraced it because my fairy dust was data and determination.

I learned to do my homework before walking into a room--identifying the #1 point I wanted to make. I waited for the lull after a boisterous discussion to ask the question that needed to be asked. I owned the purple elephant in the room and used advanced preparation to bring critical facts into the conversation--as the elephant needs to be addressed before the underlying problem can be solved.

My success rode on making what mattered to me matter to others.

I received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations at the University of Virginia in 1985 and a Master of Arts in National Security Studies at Georgetown in 1987. My graduate program was designed to support military and intelligence officers who were at the mid-career point. Classes were taught at the Pentagon, and 85% of my class was male. I was a 21-year-old female. In my master’s thesis, I analyzed the People’s Republic of China’s integration of dual use technologies in the commercial and military sectors.

Throughout my graduate studies, I worked full time in the Reagan Defense Department and White House and enjoyed a front row seat to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

I then moved to Intel Corporation, when the company was regaining semiconductor market share from the Japanese, to serve as a technical assistant and troubleshooter for Dr. Craig Barrett, who would become CEO and Chairman of the Board. For nearly 30 years, I have used the manufacturing processes I learned at Intel and integrated them with the art of diplomacy to turn around failing projects in business, government, and philanthropy. Presidents, CEOs, and philanthropists bring me on board to solve seemingly intractable problems.