I'm Sri Lankan. Anglo-Indian, Scots, Portuguese and Dutch, born in the UK. In the early 1980s I spent two years in Kenya that was terrifying, vivifying and clarifying in ways I could never have anticipated. I learned how to slaughter a chicken, bribe a customs official and survive a school riot. I also established a language interference program, built a school library and ate freshly roasted cashew nuts on a beach in Mombasa. I've written three fiction books about the intersection of cultures set against political and social conflict. My college teaching career taught me that inter-generational teaching is one of the most effective ways to engage student learning. Like so many BIPOC women I've encountered racism in my career that thwarted ambition and prevented opportunity. This helped me develop an incredible resilience and tenacity -- which is why, at age 65, I've launched my first business, Wild Women Leaders of Color.