Well, I'm pretty grateful to say goodbye to 2020...

But very excited about what's to come in 2021! At the top of the list? Tonio and I will be welcoming a baby boy into the world sometime around February 27. Not sure on names yet (the kids are pushing hard for "Danimal") but I'll look forward to sharing name and pics in a couple of short months.

On the work front, my role has changed up a bit: Where I was focusing more on product job family work (learning, talent programs, etc) my scope has grown to also incorporate some internal communications, culture, and diversity & inclusion work. Now we're 7 people strong, and having a blast tackling some really interesting problems. I'm feeling some anxiety about mat leave (C1 is awesome and we have 18 weeks) but I have to keep reminding myself how great my team is / that everything will be totally fine. (On the "Capital One is awesome" note we are hiring for some product roles, so if anyone is looking please drop me a note.)

I feel like I should have more to say in these updates, but unfortunately I have been wildly boring in COVID times... Luckily for me (and those of you who read this far) my friends have been much more interesting, so let's switch gears:

Awesome reads (and listens)...

• My buddy Arvin wrote on what his September 11 birthday means as a Muslim Iranian-American for TIME. It's a deeply personal piece on identity that we can all connect to. (I know this is pretty out of date now... Haven't sent this update in a while.)
• I'm obsessed with the weekly newsletter This Should Be a Movie, sent by former Vinetta partner in crime Kelly O'Malley. Her newsletter turned me onto some of my favorite reads this year, like this piece in the Economist about private tutors or this insane story in GQ about Frank Bourassa's massive counterfeiting operation.
• I'm nearly through listening to Obama's book, A Promised Land, on Audible. First off, I'm blown away that he personally recorded all 30+ hours of it (and grateful because it'd be weird if it were in a voice other than his). It's been interesting to hear events of his first term in his own words, and has definitely changed my perception of the guy.

• For those of us who are looking for their next great read for yourself or a teenager you love, my high school bestie Arvin Ahmadi just published his third book, How It All Blew Up, which follows an Iranian teenager's coming out and coming of age. It's a YA book that we can all enjoy. (And yes, Arvin made two appearances on this update!)
• For those of us who love cooking, consider supporting female-founded Pineapple Collaborative by purchasing your pantry staples from them. Ariel Pasternak cofounded Pineapple several years ago with the mission of supporting women in food. Her team has since built a massive network with some pretty amazing events. Now they're on to their next adventure: Making delicious olive oil! 5 stars!!
• For those of us who need a little help around the house, check out Olivier Kamanda's new venture, Nori. Nori is an executive assistant for your family, taking care of small tasks (booking appointments, finding a sitter, managing repairs, etc). He just opened the waitlist.

A few ways to help...

• As I mentioned in my last update, Kari Clark recently launched a new business called Breakout to connect and energize remote teams. They manage virtual offsites, culture events, parent support groups, and more. A few weeks ago my team hired them to do a Gingerbread House making competition for 200+ associates (was super fun). They're looking to connect with HR professionals in late stage (Series D and beyond) startups, and/or HR professionals or chiefs of staff in enterprise companies. If that's you or if you know of folks she should be connecting with, let me know!
• Another Halcyon business, SoaPen, is looking for B2B buyers for their hand sanitizers and soaps. The business was founded around a product that was literally a SoaPen - kids could draw soap on their hands, and take hygiene seriously. As a social enterprise, founders Shubham and Amanat donate 10% of their proceeds to COVID relief efforts. If your business need sanitizing products, please consider SoaPen— a female-founded social venture.
• My bud Julia Landauer just wrapped up another great NASCAR season and is back on the full-time speaking circuit. She has done dozens of paid speaking gigs for audiences of all shapes and sizes over the past 5 years. If you know of folks who might be looking to book a motivational speaker, definitely check out Julia's website for more on her background, speaking topics, and past talks!

Sending some love...

To Natalie Posever, Rebecca Yarbrough, and Julia Landauer for lots of support through this whole pregnancy thing; to my awesome team for handling a ton of change with more grace than I thought possible; to David Wilson for all he does to support our fam; to Helaine Knapp, Lola Han, Jay Newton-Small, Cameron Hardesty, Alice Hu, Aunt Wendy, Jonathon Perrelli, baby bro Joaquin, Arvin Ahmadi, Sofia Beeck, Param Jaggi, Rosy Khalife, and David Simnick for donating products/services to the lil auction I ran for my stepdaughter's crew team (because of these folks we raised over $6k!); to my mom for saving me with referrals every time I have a new pregnancy question; to my cousin Rachel who took on the challenge of planning a virtual baby shower (and to Cameron Hardesty for helping!); and to my husband for letting me overspend on wallpaper for the nursery (going all out on a safari theme - couldn't help myself).

Thanks for skimming this email and being a part of this journey!