The Expanded Story

Early Years & Wanderlust

I was born in Washington, D.C. to a family of professors, philanthropists, and politicians. My mother was an arts and humanities executive, my father a professor, and my grandfather served as Lord Mayor of Georgetown, Guyana. From the beginning, I wanted to be a writer. I craved stories and adventure. Fascinating places and creative people. 

That search carried me far. On Semester at Sea, I circled the globe. A scholarship to Oxford soon followed. Together, these experiences transformed me: I returned more ambitious and global-minded than when I left. After finishing my English literature degree, I chased a writing career, first  interning at my favorite glossy, Trace Magazine, pounding the pavement mid-recession, and dreaming of seeing my byline. When steady work didn’t come, I looked outward again.

Paris & the Birth of Art All Night

A teaching assistantship through the French Embassy took me to Paris. My students lived and breathed culture, debating their favorite painters and novelists as casually as classmates back home might have discussed sports. One night, they urged me to attend Nuit Blanche, the city’s dusk-to-dawn arts festival. The streets were alive with light, performance, and discovery around every corner. It was unforgettable, and it left me wondering: could a city itself be a classroom for art?

Back in D.C., I joined Meridian International Center and, inspired by Paris, wrote a grant to create a “D.C. Nuit Blanche.” With the help of colleagues and local artists, we staged the first Art All Night. Thousands poured into the streets. The city pulsed with possibility. The festival grew rapidly, attracting more than 100,000 people annually before being adopted by the city.

Harvard & Entrepreneurship

Encouraged by a mentor, I applied to the Harvard Graduate School of Education and won a full scholarship. There, I studied creative writing with Amy Hempel, explored art in the public domain with Krzysztof Wodiczko, and gained the confidence to launch my own agency specializing in events + communications. 

I called it French Thomas, after my father’s uncle, a legendary dandy. Our mission: “fresh narratives about people and places.” Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET and founder of Middleburg Film Festival, became my first client. Others soon followed: DrawNYC, Deitch Projects, the New York International Children’s Film Festival, and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

From D.C. to Hollywood

In 2017, I married Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen, great-grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie. Our wedding story in The New York Times went viral, followed by coverage in Vogue, Town & Country, People, and more. Overnight, I became both subject and storyteller, watching my own narrative reverberate across the globe. 

The attention drew Hollywood interest. The Times article was optioned, we took meetings with producers, and we founded our own production company, Wax & Gold, to champion diasporic stories. Joel and I relocated to Los Angeles,  just as the world shut down.

Building Boldly & Writing Today

I continued my philanthropic work at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, where I oversaw a fund supporting boys and men of color. My portfolio focused on “narrative change”;  investing in more nuanced, complex stories about race, gender, and place. When the fund sunset, the chair of my board, Dr. Bob Ross of the California Endowment, encouraged me to design something new. His support allowed me to pilot a storytelling fund and eventually to launch what is now Building Boldly: a podcast, resource hub, and community helping creatives fund and shape sustainable careers. That commitment to philanthropy also led me to become an ambassador for Studio Samuel, an Ethiopia-based nonprofit focused on girls’ education and empowerment. 

At the same time, I returned to my first love — writing. I signed with a literary agent and began work on my debut book.

Today

My work threads together the same passions that shaped me as a girl in D.C.: storytelling, culture, and the belief that art belongs in public life. I’ve worn many hats: journalist, cultural producer, consultant, philanthropist, executive, but always with the same intention to build boldly at the intersection of art, community, and entrepreneurship.