Shannon Turlington

Shannon’s lifelong passion for words and writing began young, when she devoured any book she could find–from science fiction classics to Shakespeare’s plays. These early interests in writing and technology merged during her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied creative writing and started working with early internet applications. After graduating, she launched her first career writing more than 20 books on technology and related subjects for Ventana Press, Macmillan, McGraw Hill, Sams, Que, and other publishers. In 2001, she transitioned to a second career in project management, joining IntraHealth International as a senior systems development manager for open source software projects focused on improving women's health, notably the human resources information system iHRIS. After leaving IntraHealth, Shannon returned to her passion for the craft of writing. She completed a certification in professional copyediting at the University of California, Berkeley, and began her third career as a freelance editor. Initially focusing on work with global health organizations such as PATH, WHO, and Carolina Population Center, she has since expanded her niche to serve research institutions and technology publishers, including Policy Analysis for California Education and O’Reilly Media.

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As an editor, Shannon partners with writers and experts to enable them to express their ideas more clearly and connect better with their audiences. She respects and upholds the individual voice of each writer she works with and believes that helping writers, innovators, and researchers get their ideas out into the world ultimately helps change the world. Shannon is excited to collaborate with Sonder experts at Pathways, drawing on her experience to support them in crafting and presenting their analysis and insights.