Experience

TREND Community Development Corporation

Chief Operating Officer (July 2022 - Present)

In this role, I lead the organization’s strategic planning, project management, fundraising, partnerships, and more. As the organization’s first and only full-time employee, I wear many hats ranging from managing a talented network of contractors, to managing the organization's finances, to ensuring that grant deliverables are met on time and on budget. I have worked closely with TREND leadership to raise $4.5 million dollars for the organization and deliver innovative programs and services that drive inclusive economic growth and build community wealth. I have been responsible for developing and managing project scopes and budgets, including projects that provide technical assistance to entrepreneurs and community leaders.

Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation

Community Engagement & Organizing Director; Interim Resource Development Manager (March 2021 - June 2022)

In this role, I manage a team of five talented organizers and oversee year-round programming including a Residents Council, Wellness Club, a food program, and community gardens. I manage the department’s budgets, contracts, engagement metrics, and reporting. I work closely with community partners from local aldermen, to health organizations, to social service agencies on a variety of community development initiatives.

As Resource Development Manager, I develop and execute the organization's fundraising plan which includes proposals to family foundations, corporate sponsors, government entities, and individuals. Within one year, I wrote and submitted 65 proposals and reports that generated a total of $535,000. I conduct extensive research to expand the donor pipeline, update the pipeline report on a weekly basis, and prepare reports for the Board of Directors.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Master’s in City Planning (September 2019 - January 2021)

At MIT DUSP, my coursework and research focused on equitable community development. I completed coursework in affordable housing policy, economic development planning, commercial revitalization, real estate development, urban design, and racial equity and justice in planning. I conducted research with Professor Amy Glasmeier on the Living Wage Calculator and with Lecturer Jeff Levine on small business recovery in the wake of COVID-19. My master’s thesis focused on why the preservation of affordability and culture on Chicago’s Paseo Boricua matters.

City of Boston, Office of Economic Development

Rappaport Public Policy Fellow (June - August 2020)

As a fellow, I supported the implementation of the Outdoor Dining Pilot by providing technical assistance, equipment, and $5,000 grants to 20 restaurants in low-income communities. This support made it possible for the restaurants to have a safe and successful reopening after COVID-19 closures in the spring. I also developed a previously non-existent Salesforce training manual, made recommendations for improving Salesforce protocols, and reviewed hundreds of Reopen Boston Fund applications.

Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation

Resource Development Manager (April 2019 –  June 2020)

In this role, I was immersed in the complex processes of affordable housing development and preservation. I developed and executed the organization's fundraising strategy, identified new grant opportunities, and wrote 65 grant proposals raising $535,000 for the organization. I led several large, collaborative grant applications including a submission to the Chicago Prize on behalf of the West Humboldt Park Collective. The application included the production of the video linked below.

MassDevelopment

TDI Program Improvement Intern (January 2020)             

MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) is a program for Gateway Cities designed to accelerate economic growth within focused districts. Over MIT's Independent Activities Period, I worked with the TDI team to develop a process for evaluating TDI district work plans and measuring program impact. I evaluated four district work plans by reviewing program materials and interviewing local stakeholders.

NowPow

Director of Sales; Senior Sales Associate (September 2015 - January 2019)

NowPow is a tech startup that connects healthcare professionals to community-based resources through a digital platform. Hired as the company's fourth employee, I led and executed the company's sales and business development strategy in partnership with the CEO. Within three years, the company had grown to 85 employees. I developed the sales team’s internal operating systems including the customer relationship management (CRM) software and Request for Proposal writing guidelines. I represented the company by leading meetings, giving presentations, and coordinating the logistics to attend thirty-two conferences across the country. I managed a team of four associates in two locations and helped grow sales from $0 to $2.5 million.

University of Chicago Office of Career Advancement

UChicago Public Interest Program Coordinator (July 2014 - June 2015)

In this role, I managed all aspects of the fellowship program which included employer recruitment, marketing to students, and job matching. I developed a strategic plan for expanding the program to a new region for the first time, Washington, D.C., and conducted outreach to potential employers at hundreds of nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses with a social mission. I also managed two college student interns and worked closely with a ten-member volunteer alumni board. As a result of aggressive marketing and account management, I nearly doubled the number of fellowship placements from 21 to 40 within one year. In 2017, the program was rebranded as the Kimpton Fellows Program.