Colleen started traveling internationally at the age of 6, and became fascinated with other cultures and ways of life, which led to her interest in international development. At UCLA, she received a degree in Middle Eastern and North African Studies with a minor in Civic Engagement, and worked for a nonprofit focused on bringing clean drinking water to people in Kenya. Prior to joining Erb, Colleen worked at Veritas Prep where she created and managed the Department of Operations, streamlining processes across all company departments and automating tasks to allow employees to focus time on other projects.