The Maintainers 

is a global research and practice network interested in the concepts of maintenance, infrastructure, repair, and the myriad forms of labor and expertise that sustain our human-built world. Through collaborative efforts across an interwoven network of communities, Maintainers’ pursue a mission of maintaining self and society through reflection, research, and advocacy in the hopes of achieving a more caring and well-maintained world. I started managing the project in 2020, and became a co-director in 2024. 

For this project, I have led an interdisciplinary global research network of scholars and practitioners, guiding them through landscape scans, qualitative research, and storytelling. This work bridges theory and practice by helping scholars share knowledge with broader audiences and supporting practitioners in translating on-the-ground experiences into case studies that inform theory. I have also designed and secured funding for fellowship awards, guiding fellows conduct research on topics such as networks of care, degrowth, circular economies, education, and environmental advocacy.  I am a member of the steering committee for the international sustainability network VR(Ex)Change, a coalition that seeks to  better integrate and accelerate work and research in the areas of sustainable production and behaviors related to sustainable consumption.


My work has been published in Places Journal, and I have represented the network at international conferences, design sprints, and other convenings, as well as contributing public translational work (in this example, exploring tool libraries as a pathway to alternative consumption models). My research interests center on transcending traditional academic pathways through participatory action research, community needs assessments, and methodologies rooted in care and equity.Through the Maintainers, I have partnered with multiple groups, including Culture of Repair, Repair Economy Summmit, and UnitedforALICE, among others. 

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