MEET DEB

DEBRA BAIDA, Creator and facilitator of liberated spaces

I started my organizing business after two decades working as a photo editor for magazines, museums, and documentary photographers in New York and San Francisco. It was during these years that I honed the skills and passions that led me into this field, though admittedly, I believe the organizing gene has been as prominent in my DNA as is the gene for curly hair.

Organizing provides me with a meaningful and creative outlet to share skills and information that help people bring about positive change in their lives. Connecting with people fuels my days, and I continue to be inspired and humbled by the individuals whose lives I am invited to enter.

Throughout my pursuits, I maintain a strong commitment to participating in the local community. In 2008, I was the first organizer to be certified by the San Francisco Green Business Program. That same year, I began volunteering as a project captain with Rebuilding Together SF, and through this affiliation I was trained as a Green Home Assessor for a pilot program launched by the Department of the Environment. I have completed emergency preparedness trainings through the San Francisco Fire Department’s NERT program. I am an active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

In other parts of my life I am a photographer who refuses to give up black-and-white film, a sustainable food advocate who loves sharing her latest local find, an avid cook who considers time in the kitchen a form of meditation, and a voracious reader. I reside in San Francisco with my partner, Sven, my collaborator in simple living and eco-citizenry.

Liberated spaces is a motivating force in my life and in the collaborations with my clients. In my blog of the same name, musings and findings loosely pertaining to organizing, sustainable living, and creativity intersect and mingle. These are themes that fill my waking hours, though they’ve yet to infiltrate my sleeping hours.