We recently had the chance to connect with Stacey Kaleh and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Stacey, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
My two daughters are truly joy-spreaders! They radiate with curiosity, laughter, and imagination, and they inspire and fuel me. I am also finding joy in great music, art, and poetry. I try to listen to a moving song, look at a favorite work of art from one of my many museum exhibition catalogues, and read a new poem every day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
At the core, I’m someone who loves finding connections and bringing people together to maximize collective impact for social good. I try to go about my days leading with kindness and intention. For about 15 years, I’ve honed my skills in communications, storytelling, and partnership development. I have a few different roles where I’m fortunate enough to be able to explore my passions, continue learning and growing, and put my skills to use for my greater community.
My primary role is Associate Director of Partnerships and Programs for Good Systems, the University of Texas at Austin’s research grand challenge to design ethics-driven AI technologies that benefit society. We’re a campus-wide, interdisciplinary research program that digs deep into complex ethical questions at the intersection of AI and society. My role is to support our amazing team of researchers with stakeholder engagement and in the development of partnerships with leaders in industry, government, and nonprofits so that we can address these multi-layered questions through interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration. I love learning from all of the researchers and partners we bring together and from the dynamic discussions and debates that occur when we examine and explore different points of view. Our collaborative research efforts often begin by getting a diverse group of motivated people together in conversation to expand our notions of what we can do to advance socially beneficial technologies and how this work to define, evaluate, and build new technologies will impact others. Some of my favorite moments are when we get to bring these conversations to the wider community — all of our panels and programs are free and open to the public!
UT Austin is my alma mater and home away from home. I take pride in serving our students, faculty, and community and in advancing collaborative, interdisciplinary research that a big public university located in a global tech hub is uniquely positioned to do.
Outside of my work at UT Austin, I’m a freelance writer. I interview and write profiles of women leaders across Austin for Austin Woman Magazine and write about Texas wine, historic preservation, Texas Hill Country destinations, and longstanding local restaurants for Edible Austin, Edible Houston, and Edible San Antonio. Writing has been a lifelong passion, and I value the opportunity to share stories about local leaders, makers, creatives, and entrepreneurs. I get to meet and interview some truly incredible people, and that makes this work absolutely inspiring. I’m grateful to all who have trusted me to help share their personal journeys. As a former museum professional with an M.A. in Museum Studies, I also make it a priority to dive into the history of my hometown. Writing about history and how it shows up in the present is a nice reminder of how interconnected we are and of the visionary people who shaped this place we love to call home and paved the way for us to build the future. Although I write about many subjects, most of my readers know me from my “Texas Varietal” wine series and the wine adventures I document through Instagram under the name “Texas Wine Girl” (@txwinegirl). I live in the Hill Country and have spent a lot of my free time over the years exploring local wineries and vineyards and learning from winemakers and winery owners. I recently launched a new website and blog, TexasWineStories.com, to share more ways to support local makers and growers. I have so many stories to tell! I’m very close to finishing my first book on Texas wine and the community and culture around it…stay tuned!
Through my own business, Curious Optimist LLC., I work with cause-oriented clients to help them build meaningful and impactful communications strategies and develop their brand platforms and messaging frameworks. I also advise on how partnerships can propel impact and help make connections between organizations with shared values. Recently, I’ve been serving as the inaugural Communications Chair for the nonprofit Austin AI Alliance, and I was proud to design their logo and foundational messaging alongside the founding team and Board of Directors and to develop some compelling brand storytelling videos for the Alliance with my partner in life and work, Brian Kaleh.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad taught me so much about work, especially that it can be a vehicle for the change you wish to see in the world and for giving back. My dad dedicated his career to advancing cancer research at the American Cancer Society, and, seeing the incredible change he was able to help create and accelerate to improve so many lives around the world has inspired me to always work for a cause I believe in and that helps people.
My mom has also always been a big source of inspiration for me. She taught me that I can be and do multiple things, to have confidence in going after big dreams, and to ask a good question every day.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Big change starts small. The small, every day actions matter. Speaking up to share your ideas matters.
Don’t worry so much about trying to make a big, splashy, recognized impact on the world. Every act of kindness, every deep conversation, every small step taken and new idea shared, ripples out into the world and creates change. We don’t always see it, but transformation often starts small, in quiet ways, and grows over the years.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
Love is everything.
It might sound cheesy, or like I’m paraphrasing the Beatles, but I really do believe that love is what matters and what is lasting after this short time we have on Earth.
I make a lot of my most significant life choices based on love. Love for my family, love for my partner, love for a cause, love for the work itself or the creative process behind a job.
I find that when I love what I do, I also do it well, with the right care to make something successful. So love has actually been a good business strategy for me. But, mainly, staying true to my heart and to my values infuses my life with great meaning and lets me sleep easy at the end of the day and take pride in time well spent.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I am most a peace when I’m writing, listening to music, looking at art, or walking on a beach, listening to the waves roll in — when I’m fully present and connected.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kalehmedia.com/
- Instagram: @txwinegirl
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-ingram-kaleh-b5b66725/
- Other: Texas Wine Stories: https://www.texaswinestories.com/
Image Credits
All photos by Stacey Kaleh and/or Brian Kaleh. Logos by Stacey Kaleh.
