In the 1990s, I co-founded Ruckus Safety Awareness alongside Asian American feminist martial artists—an organization that taught empowerment self-defense, assertive communication, and violence prevention. What began as a program for Asian American women expanded to serve women and LGBTQ communities broadly. For 15 years, I taught throughout Japan.

In 2004, a participant asked a question that changed the direction of my work: "How do I resolve everyday disputes?" That question led me to a Master's in Conflict Resolution at Columbia, mediation certification, and an apprenticeship with a divorce mediator. My practice grew—and expanded—to working with communities and organizations navigating difference and conflict.

As I worked more deeply with organizational conflict, I witnessed widespread burnout—particularly among individuals and organizations committed to social justice. With guidance and support from my friend and colleague, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, author of Trauma Stewardship, I began incorporating education on vicarious trauma and self-care into my work. Understanding trauma and cultivating pathways to wellness became essential tools for supporting people and organizations in conflict.

In 2014, I arrived at Restorative Justice*. It offered not just a framework, but a way of being that aligned with how I wanted to work and be in the world. I became a Restorative Justice Coordinator in a New York City public high school, working with students of color impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline. Restorative justice is now the foundation of everything I do.



*Restorative Justice is rooted and practiced in indigenous cultures. My cultural background is Japanese American, not indigenous. I approach and practice RJ with respect and gratitude to the cultures to whom it belongs.