Planting Seeds for Change

Picture this: A girl watching her mother get ready for another gala…the jewelry coming out of the box, the carefully chosen gown, the transformation from “mom” to a glamorous women heading out to support a cause. And later, when the coast is clear, sneaking into that same closet to try on the sparkly heels and imagine her own grown-up world where being “dressed up” meant you were doing something that mattered.

There was no single conversation about giving back, no dramatic lesson about charity. It was just always present. The weekly church attendance where service was expected. The gala invitations constantly appearing on the kitchen counter. The Brownie badges, then Girl Scout badges, sewn onto my sash that quietly emphasized helping others. Nobody was making speeches about philanthropy, it was simply woven into the rhythm of life, an unspoken understanding that when you have something, you share it.

But somehow, those subtle values stuck. They followed me through my entire life. I remember setting up lemonade stands (let’s be clear, they were epic lemonade stands with homemade chocolate chip cookies and notecards I had made, not just Kool Aid or Country Time). And I always took some of the money I made and placed it on the offering plate at Sunday School. I didn’t just run the NYC Marathon; I joined Team In Training and raised money for the Leukemia Society of America when. At every stage in my life, giving back was a core value for me.

When I created Keep Wondering Why, I knew that quiet expectation, that giving back is simply part of doing business. It had to be woven into the fabric of everything we do.

That is why I created The Wonder Tree.

What It Is

The Wonder Tree is Keep Wondering Why’s philanthropy initiative, a commitment that transforms curiosity into giving that grows. Here is how it works: With every new client engagement, KWW contributes a portion to charity. But here is the part that matters most:

You choose where it goes.

You can select from our curated list of organizations, each one chosen because they embody the leadership transformation we believe in, or you can spotlight a charity close to your own heart. Your partnership, your impact, your why.

Why This Matters

I have spent my entire career believing that how we show up in the world matters. It is not just what we accomplish, but who we lift up along the way. Those Sunday mornings in church, those gala invitations on the counter, those Girl Scout service projects, they were not about grand gestures or recognition. They were about building a reflex, a quiet understanding that when you have something, you share it. Not someday when you have ‘made it,’ but now, because you are part of something bigger.

When I left the family business after 30 years to launch KWW, I knew I wanted to build something different. Not just a consultancy that helps leaders ask better questions, but a business that models the values I am asking others to embrace, such as curiosity, inclusion, intentionality, and yes, generosity.

Business should create ripples of positive change beyond transactions. Every partnership should be an opportunity to support causes that matter. This is not charity as an afterthought or a tax write-off. This is about ensuring that every engagement we do together leaves a legacy that continues long after the work is done.

Organizations That Inspire

Our curated list spans three areas that reflect what Keep Wondering Why stands for:

Next-Gen Leadership Readiness: Organizations like Dress for Success, Junior Achievement, and PFLAG are breaking down barriers and building up the leaders we need. Leaders who understand that diversity is not just a checkbox, it is a competitive advantage.

Travel and Tourism Impact: My roots are in luxury travel, so organizations like ASTA, Tourism Cares, and AmericaShare have special meaning. They are transforming how we think about responsible travel, not as something we take from the world, but as something we give back to.

Close to the Heart: Then there are the organizations that are woven directly into my life. Swim Across America, where I have volunteered for 16 years, raised over $500,000 with Team BeachBum, and now serve on the Board of Directors. The American Heart Association, because my mother is a heart attack survivor and every research dollar funded gives survivors like her second chances. And Bucknell, my alma mater, where I have had the privilege of servicing on the Bucknell University Alumni Association (BUAA) for 8 years and two as President, mentoring students and supporting scholarships that open doors for the next generation of thoughtful, inclusive leaders.

You can explore the full list on our Philanthropy page.

The Wondering

So, here is what I am wondering, and I would love to hear your thoughts:

• What is the earliest memory you have of someone teaching you to give back?
• If you could direct a portion of every business engagement to any cause, which one would it be and why?
• What would it look like if giving back was not an extra thing we do, but simply part of how we do business?

These are not rhetorical questions. The Wonder Tree exists because I believe we are all searching for ways to align our work with our values. If you have got a charity that inspires you, one with a story behind it, a personal connection, a mission you cannot stop thinking about, I want to hear about it. Share it with us. We want to amplify the causes that drive you to make a difference.

When Curiosity Leads, Giving Follows

Those subtle lessons, absorbed in church pews, playing dress up for future galas, lemonade stands, through Brownie meetings, planted a seed I did not even realize was growing. Not through one moment, but through a thousand small ones that shaped how I think about success, leadership, and responsibility. The Wonder Tree is my way of tending to that seed, of creating something that grows with every partnership, every conversation, every leader who chooses to ask better questions.

Because when curiosity leads, impact follows. And impact, like the best trees, is something that keeps growing, long after we are gone.

Want to explore how Keep Wondering Why can help your team or organization? Or share a cause that matters to you? Let’s talk.

The wondering continues. Stay Curious. Keep Wondering Why.

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With gratitude, curiosity, and purpose,