With a background in communications, development, and administration, Joan has worked for Africa Center for Peace & Democracy, Open Society Foundations, and Inter Press Service. She has also worked as a consultant for the United Nations Population Fund, as well as a United Nations Correspondent for Inter Press Service and a teacher at Scuola Holden. Splitting her time between the US and Italy, Joan currently runs Open Borders, a three-part social innovation project focused on storytelling to promote inclusivity, integration, and education, and a creative agency called Little Bird Creatives. Her writings have been published by Cool Hunting, The HuffPost, Marie Claire, Essence, The Minneapolis City Pages, The World Post, Inter Press Service, La Voce di New York and OkayAfrica.