Founders
Sarah and Ashley first ran into each other back in business school while they were getting their MBAs at Simmons College. Upon graduation, the two decided that a business partnership was in order, and Diffuse 5 was born. This website represents a collection of their combined strengths and interests and couldn’t have been possible without the help of a number of individuals who provided guidance, support and services throughout the process of planning, implementation and launch. We love you guys!
A little background info…
Ashley Lucas
Ashley grew up just outside of Boston after moving here at the age of 4. She’s been a lifer ever since, attending UMass Amherst and earning a dual degree in Economics and Psychology. Post-graduation, she gained experience working for a few companies both big and small doing everything from sales calls and purchase processing to project management and graphic, web and textile design.
Alright, now for the good stuff…
Ashley likes to think of herself as a bit of an artist. She’ll always have a special place in her heart for Rugby (Yeah Maddogs and Beantown!) and misses the sport dearly since her departure from it for grad school. Her favorite color is red, she likes buffalo blue cheese pizza and is totally that girl who spends an incredible amount of energy trying to convince her friends that it’s completely reasonable to go out on a Wednesday night. But mostly, she thinks that individuals who have ever identified as queer females, as well as their friends, family and allies, have something really incredible to offer and wants to see them all come together and share their laughter, experiences and expertise in order to build a stronger community. Totally attainable btw.
Ashley’s Twitter Feed
Her Tumblr site
The Diffuse 5 Twitter stream
Sarah Briggs
Sarah was born and raised in southeastern MA and has also spent her life in and around Boston. She attended UMass-Dartmouth and earned a degree in Multidisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Women Studies. During college and post-graduation Sarah spent 6 years as a Police Officer before heading to business school. And because she didn’t feel like an accelerated MBA program was challenging enough, she also coached collegiate basketball and soccer, and continues to do so today.
If there were only one word to describe Sarah, it would be sporty. Often the only graduate student to show up in athletic gear, you might think she was headed out to go running instead of sitting in on an Accounting exam. But we just like to think that it’s her way of showing her absolute dedication to all things sporty. Sarah has an intense attention to detail in numbers, plans on training for the Boston marathon next year and is a Capricorn (we’re not sure what that means exactly but we heard it has something to do with being stubborn).
Her passion for starting Diffuse 5 comes from her education in gender studies and experience in mostly male dominated fields. She believes that understanding and education, part of which comes from the diffusion of information, can help all individuals become more open-minded and inclusive in society.