Friends, neighbors, beloved community,

I stand before you tonight with deep gratitude and great purpose.

Eleven years ago, I jumped on Craigslist looking for an espresso machine…and left with a coffee shop. The ultimate unplanned purchase.

That shop was broken down, unprofitable, in need of attention, but it was full of potential.
Hour by hour, day by day, I worked to build it.

But what I really walked away with that day wasn’t just a coffee shop. It was a calling.

A calling that became Brewpoint Coffee, and over time, Brewpoint became so much more than a business.

It became a place where community isn’t just welcomed, it’s built.
A place where strangers become neighbors.
Where elected officials speak truth.
Where activists organize for justice.
Where young entrepreneurs see opportunity.
And where every person—regardless of race, sexuality, or immigration status—finds dignity, affirmation, and belonging.

But tonight, as I stand here, I cannot ignore that these very values: community, transparency, justice, inclusion are under attack.

Nationally, our leaders abuse power, spread lies, and target the most vulnerable among us.
And those decisions made at a national level, cascade here, into DuPage County. We are actively wrestling with the need for attainable housing, food insecurity, and transportation accessibility. 

It can feel like the very foundations of our communities are cracking beneath us.

But if I’ve learned anything from turning that Craigslist coffee shop into one of the fastest-growing small businesses in the nation, it’s this: when things fall apart, you don’t run. You build.

That is why I am announcing my candidacy for DuPage County Board District 1. Because I am a builder, and I believe all politics are local.

When a convicted criminal in the White House threatens to send the National Guard into Chicago, what keeps us safe is not militarization. Real safety comes from strong communities, from mental health services, from well-funded first responders working together.

When politicians, media, and hatemongers push us toward fear, isolation, and distrust; building community becomes a bold and radical act.

Choosing to stand with one another. Choosing to protect one another. Choosing to hope together.

That is our strategy.
That is our power.
And that is how we move forward—Building Community. Boldly. Together.

I am running for DuPage County Board, not because I have walked this path before. But because I have built paths before.

I am a builder.
I build community.
I build systems.

Not out of comfort, but out of conviction.
Not out of ego, but out of faith.

Faith that a government rooted in compassion is not only possible, it is necessary.
Faith that local leadership can reflect the best of who we are, and bring out the best in all of us.
Faith that DuPage County can be a beacon of inclusion, of equity, of shared prosperity.

As your county board member, I will fight for housing policies that ensure people can afford to live where they work because attainable housing is economic justice.

I’ll advocate for infrastructure that makes sense for working families: safe roads, reliable transit, and walkable neighborhoods.

I’m committed to making county programs easier to access for small business owners, especially those historically left out of the process.

And above all, I will work to build a DuPage where every person, no matter who they are or where they come from, has the chance not just to get by, but to thrive.

Tonight, I ask for your support.
Not just with your vote, but with your voice.
Not just with your presence, but with your participation.

We are building a grassroots campaign: brick by brick, dollar by dollar, door by door.

If you are here tonight, you know I am the right person for this job. But I have a competitive primary, and I’ll have a competitive general, so I need your help.

From the moment I launched one month ago, this campaign has been blasting off like a rocket ship. Imagine how much further we could go with resources in the bank and dozens of volunteers at our side.

We are aiming to raise $25,000 by the end of September, and I promise you this: every dollar you give will be stretched, stewarded, and turned into action.

We will show our neighbors that there is a better way.

We will share this better way when we call them.

We will show them this better way when we knock on their doors.

We will even advertise this better way when we print yard signs and deliver our ads.

So I ask you tonight:
Will you build with me?
Will you walk this road with me?
Will you believe, with me, that community is not just a feeling—it is a force to be reckoned with.

And I ask you to do three things:
Donate to the extent that you can.
Volunteer to the extent that you can.
And share this campaign with your networks. Take photos tonight, post them, and let people know you’re part of this movement.

Because this is not just about me. It’s about us.
And together, we are Building Community. Boldly. Together.
Thank you, and let’s get to work!