Hi, I’m Chris

I founded Compass & Context from a lifelong curiosity about how systems shape human experiences — and how those systems can be designed to better support the people within them.

My work has been shaped by experiences across healthcare, education, nonprofit organizations, international communities, and organizational leadership. Across each environment, I have continued returning to the same question: how can we build systems that better support the people within them?

A Global Perspective

I have always experienced the world through multiple perspectives.

Growing up across different cultures and communities, serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova, and working across healthcare, education, nonprofit, and organizational environments reinforced a simple belief:

People bring different histories, values, experiences, and assumptions into every interaction.

Understanding those perspectives is essential to understanding the systems people create and navigate.

Across cultures and communities, I have found that many fundamental human needs remain consistent:

People want to be seen.
People want to be respected.
People want to know they matter.
People want their families and communities to be safe.

The details may change from one environment to another, but the underlying human needs remain remarkably consistent.

Learning Through Service

Service has been a constant throughout my life.

As an Emergency Medical Technician, I learned that uncertainty is unavoidable—but preparation, communication, and strong systems allow people to respond effectively.

Every emergency call was different. Every person was different. Every situation required adaptability.

But the foundation remained consistent:

Assess the situation.
Understand what is happening.
Follow the process.
Communicate clearly.
Work together.
Remain calm.

The goal was never to eliminate uncertainty.

The goal was to create enough structure that people could successfully navigate it.

I believe organizations work the same way.

Peace Corps and Community

During my Peace Corps service in Moldova, I worked in health education, teaching students in grades 2–8 in Romanian within a rural community.

That experience shaped how I understand culture, community, and systems.

I saw firsthand that many challenges people experience are not caused by a lack of motivation, intelligence, or effort.

Often, people are navigating systems where their ability to create change depends on the resources, authority, and flexibility available to them.

That lesson continues to guide my work:

When something appears impossible, the question should not immediately be whether someone is unwilling.

The better question is:

"What constraints are they operating within, and what would need to change for something different to become possible?"

Seeing Systems From the Inside

My academic and professional experiences have allowed me to view organizations from many perspectives.

I began my studies at St. Michael’s College, where I earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy. My education explored both human behavior and the deeper questions that shape how people understand themselves, their communities, and their responsibilities to one another.

Through coursework in psychology, philosophy, ethics, and the philosophy of religion, I was introduced to different perspectives on human nature, morality, meaning, and the relationship between individuals and the systems around them.

I later completed an MBA and MS in Global Healthcare Management and Policy at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, where I studied how organizations operate, make decisions, allocate resources, and develop strategies to create impact.

Throughout my career, I have worked across higher education, healthcare organizations, nonprofit environments, consulting projects, and organizational leadership roles.

Each experience reinforced the same lesson:

Systems matter.

The structures surrounding people influence what is possible.

The Power of Asking Why

One of my most consistent practices is asking:

"Why?"

Not as a challenge.

As curiosity.

When something is described as impossible, I look deeper:

Is there a true limitation?
Is there a policy requirement?
Is there a resource constraint?
Is there a historical process that has simply never been reconsidered?

Often, the barrier is not that something cannot happen.

The barrier is that nobody has had the time, authority, support, or perspective necessary to rethink the system.

Designing Better Systems

The goal of Compass & Context is not to create systems that remove humanity.

It is the opposite.

The strongest systems recognize humanity.

They recognize that people will make mistakes.
They recognize that people will encounter barriers.
They recognize that uncertainty is unavoidable.

The question is whether a system responds by creating more harm or by creating more support.

A strong system does not prevent people from failing.

A strong system creates the conditions where people can recover, learn, and succeed.

The Future I Want to Build

I believe the future belongs to organizations that understand a simple truth:

Organizations that create environments where people can be human are often the organizations that become the most resilient.

They adapt better.
They innovate more effectively.
They identify problems earlier.
They build stronger relationships.
They create better outcomes.

The goal is not to create perfect organizations.

Perfect organizations do not exist.

The goal is to create organizations where people and systems can grow together.

Because ultimately:

Better systems create better possibilities.

Learning to Navigate Systems

I founded Compass & Context from a lifelong curiosity about how systems shape human experiences—and how those systems can be designed to better support the people within them.

Throughout my life and career, I have studied, navigated, and worked within complex systems: healthcare, education, nonprofit organizations, government processes, and community structures.

Some of that exploration was intentional, through studying psychology, ethics, healthcare, leadership, and management.

Some of it was necessary, through personally navigating systems that were not always designed with every person in mind.

Over time, one lesson became clear:

Most people are not struggling because they lack ability. They are often struggling because the systems around them were not designed to support them.

That belief shapes how I approach organizational challenges.

Instead of asking:

"What is wrong with this person?"

I ask:

"What is happening within the system that is making success harder than it needs to be?"