The idea for OneHome Collective emerged as a way for me to be in the world in a meaningful way and to bring my community together to create something beautiful in a world that seemed to be quickly becoming a very tough place to exist. It took a little bit of time, a lot of love, and tons of community collaboration – but here we are! The 1HC community is a family. We all seek to find our own way to participate in making the world a better place for everyone and to connect in a deeper and more authentic way.

My background in comparative religious and cultural studies has been a huge asset and helps me always be aware of what I can learn from others – how my life is enriched and experiences of the world deepened by the friendships I have with people all over the world. I have a few special skills, but am mostly a Jane of all trades and have a deep desire to connect and create beauty and compassion with those I get to encounter. It is my sincere hope that everyone who chooses to participate in our little family will find in it a path to compassion, meaning, and a new way of being.

C.Aiden Downey, PhD lectures in the Intercultural Conflict Management Program and Alice Solomon University in Berlin, Germany and is associated faculty at Emory University. He served as director of undergraduate studies at the Division of Educations Studies from 2009-2015. Trained as an educational anthropologist, Aiden works with schools, business, and other organizations to build organizational cultures that sustains people, learning, and change. Aiden’s research and writing focus on community-engaged pedagogy, urban education and the narrative nature of experience, knowledge and identity. Formerly a teacher at an inner-city high school for dropouts, pharmacist and Marine veteran of the First Gulf War, Aiden co-founded The Workshop School, an innovative project-based public high school in Philadelphia that teaches inner-city youth to change the world.

Hey guys! I am a college student at Kennesaw State University working on a political science degree with a minor in International affairs. I have been blessed with the ability to travel and live all around the world and had the opportunity to serve others in many of those countries. I have always had an interest in helping others and making our world a better place. I don’t always have the right words or right skills for every challenge but I do have a willingness and passion to do whatever it takes. I believe everyone has something unique they can bring to the table and if we all use those strengths we can see amazing things happen. I believe there is a huge need for change in the world. It absolutely breaks my heart that there is so much pain, poverty, pollution, and so many more tragedies going on all around us. My hope for OneHome is that people from around the world can come here with their unique skills to help minimize those tragedies. 

Joe comes to One Home Collective with 13 years of foreign residence and an affection for cultural diversity and languages. Averse to making decisions on the basis of emotion, one of his main functions on the advisory board is to serve as a devil’s advocate, naysayer and harbinger of doom, in order to more thoroughly subject ideas, projects, and goals to trial by fire.

As an industrial engineer and an avid traveler, I desire to ensure that the global supply chain benefits people every step of the way. I believe One Home Collective can be a catalyst to have a significant impact on the global supply chain and global poverty.

Alexa is currently finishing up her Bachelor’s degree in Human Learning and Development with concentrations in Counseling and Family + Community Literacy from Georgia State University. After graduation, she has plans to continue onto graduate school to study social/ personality psychology. She has a deep passion for equal education and literacy initiatives, as well as a consuming curiosity to understand how different personality traits impact the trajectory of individuals’ career and lifespan development. This unique set of interests led Alexa to have an immediate connection with One Home Collective and its initiatives, and she is so excited to be able to join the organization’s social media team. In her free time, you can find her reading a book on the couch, walking through the city with her beloved dog, or going to the grocery store way too often (she has an abnormal affinity for fresh produce).