First off, it’s VAH-REEN-ah · Sh-aw-n-eh-s-ee.
But my friends call me V.

I believe that the best way to connect with other humans is by telling a story.

I’m kind of a people person — always have been. Maybe it’s the Southern in my blood, but I was born a social butterfly. I’m the type who will walk into a brewery and know the bartender’s life story by the time I leave. Wired to forge and foster authentic human connections, I’m driven by an insatiable desire to make the world a better place.

While working with nonprofits in East Africa and Southeast Asia, I discovered something: stories — real, human stories — are powerful. Stories have the ability to change hearts to move minds. They can bring people together, humanize enemies, communicate complex concepts, and inspire action.

Now, armed with story, I’ve taken my extreme extroversion and aimed it at making our broken world a little more beautiful. So come and say hi. Just, you know, be prepared to get immediately invited to pizza night so I can hear your story.

— Varina Shaughnessy

LET’S CHAT!