+ kontrary is different on money and life.
Hi! My name is Rebecca and I investigate the line between money and meaning. My personal and research-driven essays and short notes explore work, life, technology, and women. Kontrary is a space to challenge the usual ideas and advice you typically hear.
I hope you’ll stay in touch by signing up for my weekly newsletter below. You can also settle in, grab a cup of jo and catch up with some of my favorite posts here.
I started this blog many iterations ago because I felt I had something different to add to the conversation. Since then, my ideas have been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Lifehacker, the Washingtonian, and the Wall Street Journal, among others.
My career started as a do-gooder, but I quickly jumped into startups. I led the PR and marketing at an e-commerce startup where I built trust and enthusiasm for an unknown brand, and led customer development to gain the company’s first 100,000 users to more than 1 million. I served as Vice President of Marketing for a software startup. I’ve taught lean startup at University of Maryland’s business school. And in 2013, Washingtonian Magazine named me a Tech Titan.
But after five years in startups and technology, I always came back to my work at a nonprofit. Every day, I talked to the people we were helping. Every day, I knew the issues I worked on were important. While the work was not always the most efficient, it was meaningful. I started to realize I wanted to be part of something larger.
I now live in Washington, DC in the best apartment ever with the best husband ever Ryan Healy, founder of Brazen.com. For a person with such a soft voice, I’m unusually opinionated. For me, what makes us uncomfortable is the most interesting point of conversation, and that’s where I write. New here? Buckle up, and catch up here.
