We were really fortunate this April to have the entire Praxis team in town with us here in Charleston! Working with each other every day, we get to experience on a daily basis just how special and awesome each member of our team is. Knowing this, we took some time to sit down with each team member in order to learn a little more about them. Here is a little insider of each member of the Praxis team!
How long have you been with Praxis, or rather, how long has Praxis been around?
“6 years.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“SCRAPPY.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“Besides the t-shirts, it’s watching people realize that they can do more than they thought they could do.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“C.S. Lewis. He got me interested in the workings of the mind. As well as Ludwig Von Mises. He provided a lot of foundational ideas for me.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I cry in almost every movie.”
How long have you been with Praxis?
“5 years.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“Hungry. In more ways than one. Really though, Sara has the best answer to this question.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“Our team and our customers. They’re the best in the world.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“Henry Hazlitt. Like his predecessor, Frederic Bastiat, he had a knack for simplicity in his writing and authored one of my favorite books (Thinking as a Science) at just 22!”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“The entire team usually ignores my hilarious jokes and movie references in Slack. Also, my real job on the team is to prevent TK from playing Christmas music 12 months a year.”
T.K. Coleman, Education Director
How long have you been with Praxis?
“Since the beginning.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“SYNERGETIC. That we are more than the sum of our parts. We truly experience creativity as an emergent of working together.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“That we’re truly on the leading edge of something that I believe is inevitable.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“Overall influencer, René Descartes. Current favorite, Venkatesh Rao.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I’m a really emotional, playful, family-oriented guy.”
Sara Morrison, Director of Operations
How long have you been with Praxis?
“About two and a half years.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“It’s two words but, exhaustingly inspiring. When I think of Praxis I think of the community of participants and our Slack community that is constantly booming with what people are working on. Someone will be like, ‘I’m working on a podcast! Can someone design a logo for me?’ And then like ten people jump on that opportunity and it sparks a whole discussion. Something along those lines happens like every single day.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
I like that my job is diverse enough that I get to do a lot of different things. For instance, I like talking to people, I get to interview our applicants, I like diving into the metrics of the company and playing with Excel and Salesforce.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“I have always loved Milton Friedman. He could completely decimate your argument but he would do it with a smile. So he was a great advocate for free markets without being antagonistic.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I can tailor my own clothes on a sewing machine and I make really crooked scarves.”
Brian Nuckols, Marketing Associate
How long have you been with Praxis?
“Two years and two months.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“DRIVEN. We share a collective vision of a world where people are passionate at work.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“The principle of charitable interpretation. No matter what someone does to you, you always give them the most charitable interpretation. You assume they’re not being malevolent and give them the best interpretation possible.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“Tori Amos. The thing I admire the most about her is that she gives a roadmap to transform suffering into hope.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I was named after the Olympic figure skater Brian Boitano. And bonus! I have lost over a hundred pounds twice in my life.”
Lolita Allgyer, Content Strategist
How long have you been with Praxis?
“One year. Hard to believe it’s gone by this fast!”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“DYNAMIC. The fact that everyone is so gifted in their own niche and that those niches work together so well fascinates me.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“The culture of coaching. Everybody is a coach and everybody is willing to be coached. We’re constantly learning from each other and pushing each other to grow.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“Mark Twain for sarcasm, George Washington for his leadership, C.S. Lewis for his insight, and a whole list of other people for various specifics.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I actually wasn’t born in the United States. I was born in Paraguay, a country in South America.”
Drake Powell, Customer Service Associate
How long have you been with Praxis?
“6 months.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“POWERFUL.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“The freedom to work and be who I am as I do what I do, and explore other avenues. The freedom to play around, grow, the FREEDOM.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“Carl Sagan.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I LOVE to sing and dance.”
Hannah Frankman, Community Manager
How long have you been with Praxis?
“I’ve been with Praxis a little more than 2 and a half years. I started as the application review intern on the operations department, then became a contractor working in education with TK. I came on full time in the Fall of 2017.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“VIBRANT. Everyone is intellectually curious, creativity driven and hungry to grow (there’s also a lot of personality).”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“We’re helping young people learn how to gain freedom and agency in their lives. We’re giving them the capacity to build anything that they want in life. And that’s endlessly exciting to me.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“Far too many too list. Currently, David Perell, Hemingway, and Andrew Carnegie. David Perell for the way he learns, Hemingway for the way he understands human experience, and Carnegie because of how he understands greatness. “
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I’ve only ever been to the movies twice in my life. I saw A Star Is Born, and Us.”
Sheridan Lintz, Business Partner Community Manager
How long have you been with Praxis?
“LinkedIn says 9 months.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“HIGH-POWERED.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“Changes happen fast! Also feeling empowered to do what you want to do.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“C.S. Lewis.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I was a viral meme in the weightlifting world for one month. “
Julianna Carbonare, Education/Placement Utility Player
How long have you been with Praxis?
“Since March 2019.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“CHILDLIKE. In the best way possible. We are a group of adults who unleash our inner child every single day through play, imagination, and taking action on the wildest of ideas.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“Not only do I feel that every single day here I’m part of a higher mission, but there’s also just the simplicity of arriving to work each day and knowing I’ll return home having genuinely laughed or smiled at least once.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“My favorite thinkers are usually writers, but the most consistent thinker that I’ve followed throughout my life has been Paulo Coelho.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“Even though I haven’t eaten meat in over 4 years, I am an absolute fanatic for the Coney Island Nathan’s hot dog eating contest every July 4th. I never miss a year, know every single fact about it, and have memorized the list of anyone who’s ever won. #bringbackkobayashi”
Christian Pauls, Placement Specialist
How long have you been with Praxis?
“It’s been exactly one week shy of a year since I was accepted into Praxis. However, it’s been about two months since I was officially given the opportunity to apprentice at Praxis.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“AMBITIOUS.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“I really love seeing participants grow so much throughout the bootcamp and as they begin their professional career! It brings a smile to my face.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“Kanye West. But in all seriousness, I really like what Noam Chomsky has done. Carl Sagan, too.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I just found out I’m lactose intolerant this past week. Apparently, 60%+ people are, but just deal with the symptoms. Crazy, explains the stomach torture I’ve had to endure!”
Corey Purves, Placement Specialist
How long have you been with Praxis?
“I’ve been working at Praxis for almost 2 months now.”
What’s your favorite thing about working for Praxis?
“My favorite thing about working at Praxis is our opportunity to change lives every day.”
Who is your favorite thinker?
“My favorite thinker is C.S. Lewis.”
What’s one word to describe the Praxis team?
“AMBITIOUS.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
“I survived a house fire.”