Lo/Be Story
Our Story
We started Lo/Be Story because we kept witnessing the same paradox: brilliant students who could ace any exam but couldn't answer the most important question—"What do you actually want?" These high-achievers had mastered following external scripts but when those scripts ended at graduation, they felt lost despite their impressive credentials. The problem wasn't lack of talent. It was lack of authorship.
Our breakthrough came when we realized that the students who thrived after graduation weren't the ones with perfect GPAs—they were the ones who could tell a coherent story about who they were and where they were going. Yet no one was teaching them how to craft that story. We knew we had to build something different.
We are a team of experienced scholars and professionals who have spent years helping students and young professionals discover and articulate their authentic narratives. Our mission is simple but transformative: to help high-achievers become the authors of their own lives, not just characters in someone else's script. Because in a world full of people following predetermined paths, the ones writing their own stories are the ones who stand out.
The Story Behind "Lo/Be"
The name Lo/Be captures the essential tension at the heart of every meaningful career decision: the dynamic space between where you are and who you’re becoming.
Lo stands for Look—seeing your current reality with honesty and clarity. It’s everything you’ve built so far: your experiences, skills, and circumstances. It’s not about being “low” or limited; it’s about recognizing your starting point without judgment.
Be stands for Become—the person you’re actively shaping through conscious choices and intentional growth. It’s not a fixed destination, but an evolving process of becoming more fully yourself and expanding into new possibilities.
And the slash? It’s not just punctuation—it’s the bridge. It represents the active work of transformation: experimenting, reflecting, and crafting your story. It’s the space where real change happens—the creative process of designing your life instead of leaving it to chance.
This is where all meaningful career design begins: in the tension between Lo and Be.
It’s the space where you stop being a character in someone else’s script and become the author of your own. Where scattered experiences turn into a coherent narrative. Where confusion gives way to clarity. Where external expectations yield to authentic direction.
Lo/Be isn’t about getting from point A to point B.
It’s about navigating the ongoing journey of becoming who you’re meant to be—with intention, creativity, and story at the center.
Look. Become. Your story starts here.
Lo/Be Story Team
Seth Looper
Founder
Seth's journey to career design began in an unexpected place: architecture studios, where he learned that the most powerful designs emerge from understanding human needs, not just aesthetic preferences. As he guided aspiring architects through portfolio development at Kent State University, he noticed something profound—students weren't just learning to design buildings; they were learning to design their professional identities. This revelation led him to ask a bigger question: What if we applied architectural design thinking to career development itself? What if students could prototype their futures the same way architects prototype spaces?
At Dartmouth College's Career Design Lab, Seth transformed this vision into reality, creating what he calls "journey spaces"—dynamic environments where students don't just attend workshops but engage in scaffolded experiences that mirror the design process. Drawing from his years leading high-profile architectural projects and founding Looper Works LLC, he helps students move from passive career planning to active future-building through mind mapping, pathway simulations, and iterative prototyping. For Seth, every career conversation is a design challenge, and every student interaction is an opportunity to help someone become the architect of their own story—a philosophy that aligns perfectly with Lo/Be Story's belief that meaningful careers aren't found, they're intentionally crafted.
Peter Krause, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Peter's career story began with a profound realization during his own Ph.D. journey in English Literature: graduate school wasn't just about becoming an expert in his field—it was "unique and invaluable preparation for diverse careers." This shift in perspective, sparked by mentors who encouraged him to be "clear-eyed about academic job markets" and "innovative in applying the grad student toolbox widely," transformed how he viewed not just his own path but how he could help others navigate theirs. What started as a personal awakening became a professional mission when he discovered his gift for helping students see beyond the narrow confines of traditional academic trajectories.
From Fordham's writing center to Dartmouth's Center for Professional Development and now Princeton's GradFUTURES, Peter has built his career around a simple but powerful belief: "There is a nearly universal willingness among folks in business, non-profits, academia, government, etc., to respond positively to the cold email from an inquisitive grad student." This optimistic view of human connection drives his approach to career development, encouraging students to reach beyond their comfort zones, ask tough questions, and view networking not as transactional but as genuine curiosity about diverse paths. Whether he's exploring new running trails with his son Maxime and dog Obi or slowly learning French, Peter embodies the same experimental mindset he encourages in students: that growth comes from trying new things, building connections, and staying open to unexpected possibilities.
Shahab Albahar, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Shahab’s career story began with questions, not answers: Why do some communities bear the greatest environmental risks? How can design respond in ways that are more than visual—ways that are systemic, equitable, and just? These questions, first sparked during his architecture studies and deepened through fieldwork and research, eventually led him to see planning not just as a profession but as advocacy—work that bridges science, design, and storytelling to shape better futures. What started as curiosity became a mission to use spatial thinking as a tool for social and ecological equity.
From creating cloud-based learning tools for NOAA’s Flood Inundation Mapping program to advancing wildlife connectivity across Southern California’s transportation corridors, Shahab’s work challenges traditional boundaries and champions design as a force for systemic change. His teaching experience, from planning theory seminars in Virginia to design studios in Kuwait, reflects a core belief: the best planning happens when we embrace complexity, community knowledge, and creativity alongside the practical. Holding a Ph.D. in Urban & Environmental Planning (University of Virginia), a Master of Landscape Architecture (Harvard), and a Bachelor of Architecture and Fine Arts (RISD), Shahab continues to explore how design can tell new stories of resilience—when he’s not chasing the next coastline or reimagining old site plans with fresh eyes.
Brandon Green, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Brandon's path to career coaching began with an unlikely realization during his UCLA doctoral studies in Cinema and Media Studies: the most compelling stories—whether on screen or in real life—aren't about following predetermined scripts, but about characters who actively shape their own narratives. While researching "The Artist's Code: Technology and the Optimization of Creativity in Hollywood," he discovered that successful artists weren't just talented; they were skilled at adapting, experimenting, and rewriting their professional stories as the industry evolved around them. This insight sparked a shift from analyzing creative careers to actively helping others design them.
For over eight years, Brandon has mentored students across diverse backgrounds, from first-generation McNair Scholars developing graduate research to Upward Bound high schoolers exploring college possibilities. Whether teaching digital media at Arizona State, guiding underrepresented students through graduate applications, or now coaching at Dartmouth's Center for Career Design, he approaches each conversation with the same creative inquiry that drove his academic research. Brandon believes that career development is fundamentally a liberal arts challenge—one that requires reflection, storytelling, and the courage to experiment with new possibilities. His mission is simple: help students move from asking "What should I do?" to confidently declaring "Here's the story I'm writing."