Let me tell you a story.

I remember sitting at the back of the room, behind the AV booth, waiting for a conference I helped organize to begin.

Two thousand people streamed in—name tags, coffee cups, nervous smiles.

The keynotes began. The panels followed. The day moved along; smooth, polished, exactly as planned.

But something felt off. The energy didn’t hold. The conversations skimmed the surface. By mid-afternoon, I knew we had missed an opportunity.

What would they remember in two weeks?

I’ve been in too many rooms like that, where the gathering looks good on the surface, but the purpose gets lost in the noise, and the design overlooks the people it’s meant to serve.

That’s why I founded Tukoda Productions: to create gatherings that hold people well.

My background in sociology, psychology, and participatory leadership shapes how I think about gatherings—not as a checklist to manage, but as intentional spaces to build connection and move ideas forward.