Why Not?

When examining her life’s path, Rebecca Francis ’90, who majored in graphic and advertising design with minors in English and psychology, laughingly says, “Honestly, my whole journey is a ‘why not?’ It may have started when one of my English professors asked if I would tutor other students. I was unsure, but then I thought, ‘Why not?’”

As a speaker at Moravian’s 2025 Founders Forum, Francis led a breakout session titled “Tell Me Why Not?,” which explored the impact of shifting your perspective from “why?” to “why not?” She believes applying this to both her personal and professional growth helped her navigate the challenges life presents. “I’m totally a ‘glass half full’ kind of person. I’m always thinking, ‘Let’s try this. If it doesn’t work out, it will take me in a new direction.’”

Francis calls herself a lifelong learner, an idea her parents embraced and one she holds very dear. But it didn’t quite make sense until she arrived at Moravian. “Exposure to the liberal arts program was incredible. All I wanted was design; it felt comfortable. But I took classes in religion, science, math, psychology—and all of a sudden I started to have other interests. I realized there are so many things I can relate to! These skills seemed like add-ons at the time, but they’ve been the foundation of my success.”

She also thoroughly enjoyed her art classes. “I loved the courses and the head of the department, Rudy Ackerman. He was an amazing man and ran such a great program. At that time, it was literally the beginning of using computers for design; we were so cutting edge on these little Apples!”

Following graduation, Francis worked in design, first in Philadelphia, then moved with that firm to Miami. After a layoff, she built a growing portfolio of clients, eventually opening her own successful design agency and running it for 10 years. Clients included universities and food manufacturers, along with corporations such as Sony and Olympus. While working full-time, she also attended an evening program full-time to earn her MBA in marketing and international business from the University of Miami. “I keep myself open to new opportunities and experiences, and as a designer, an MBA was kind of a stretch. I pursued international business partly because Miami was very diverse and multicultural. For the first time, I was in the minority, which was a life-changing thing I loved.”

When her husband was offered a job overseas, they moved to Surrey, England, with their 9-month-old daughter, then later to Tokyo when their second daughter was just 9 weeks old, and finally to Hong Kong. Again, Francis was in the minority but embraced that throughout their travels. While overseas, she put her career on a soft hold, revisiting her options once she and her family returned to the United States.

“After exploring the business of flipping houses, I realized I needed to learn more and obtained my real estate license in 2015. My first sale was a $2.2 million home, and that success led to me creating my own team, The Rebecca Francis Team at Berkshire Hathaway, Fox & Roach, Realtors. We’re at the top of our game; we have the most buyers and sellers of high-end homes ($700,000 plus) in the valley.”

Francis’s diverse background—combining a designer’s eye with persuasive writing and effective marketing—has contributed to her team’s success. “I love what I do. My business is so interesting, and every day it’s different, with so many facets to it.”

In addition to running her agency, Francis is dedicated to her family—“Anything to do with my kids I love!” She is an avid reader and works out daily, at the gym or by walking or playing golf or pickleball. Despite her robust schedule, she has found that “the biggest changes in life, the biggest opportunities, come when you take a leap of faith. The most exciting moments happen when we have no idea where it’s going to take us.”—Renée A. James ’80