Prior to joining Leading Edge, Will was a project associate at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, where they supported management of regranting initiatives to advance immigrant equity, criminal legal system reform, and other progressive state-based policies. (Read their full bio here.) Here are a few Q&As to get to know them!

What’s something you’re excited about right now?

I'm already pondering my birthday. It's not until spring, but a friend and I usually do a big joint party, and I would love to go somewhere near water for it.

What does a “great place to work” mean to you?

A great place to work is one that acknowledges everyone's full personhood and how it interacts with our workplaces.

What are you looking forward to most about joining Leading Edge?

I'm looking forward to a culture that is thoughtful about being a great place to work!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Very little in life is irreversible. If something isn't working, you can try something else. If you want to be a different person, you can just start doing different things and it'll follow.

What’s your favorite place to travel?

I love going to the beach or lake! I'm from Minnesota, so being by the water was a frequent thing for me growing up, and I miss it now that I'm in a city.

What's the best book you've enjoyed in the last year?

I really enjoyed the novel A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine! It's space opera about a diplomat who is called to the capitol of a space empire in order to bargain for the existence of her community after her predecessor is mysteriously killed. Lots of interesting worldbuilding and mediation on what imperialism does to identity.

If you could take a week off from your regular life to immerse yourself in learning something new, what would it be?

I want to learn actual music theory. I've had some flow in (and out of with disuse) my brain, but it would be fun to really understand how music is constructed. I'd want to learn to play guitar! On the practical side, I really need to sit down and learn better knife skills for cooking. I am aware that I could be chopping vegetables much faster, but I just don't have the skills yet.

What is something you have accomplished as an adult that your younger self would be proud of?

I have semi-regularly started playing sports. It's just for fun with my friends, but I am actually improving in athletic skill with practice. Wild how that works.

What’s a work lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way?

Many competent people are making up a lot of things as they go, and you will be fine if you have to too.

What's one thing that can instantly make your day better?

Going on a walk outside and seeing trees. The human brain loves to see trees.

What’s your “dance like nobody’s watching” song?

All the dancing I am capable of is the moshier kind. I've really enjoyed BLACKOUT by Turnstile this year. They're a Baltimore hardcore band that hit it big this year—this song got nominated for a Grammy! More hardcore songs should have cowbell.