Resume

Recent Work Experience

LORA MENTER STRATEGY STUDIO

Principal

11/13 – present

  • Monj.com (Food and Nutrition Education SaaS Platform): User research, product strategy, instructional design, content design, and behavioral design SME. Researched and authored white paper on nutritional behavior change.

  • Hollowick Inc: Helped executive team create pandemic response strategy, including laying the groundwork for launching a new B2C business unit.

  • Conveners.org: Worked with Executive Director to design the new Convening Circles program offering, including training guides and facilitation materials.

  • Big Bang Strategy: Purpose-based corporate strategy project for high-end restaurant chain, including organizational and user research.

  • MyDomino.com (Clean Energy Concierge Service): Communications/information design project

  • 2015 World Compassion Festival: Communications/information design project

 

STEVE & KATE’S CAMP

Strategy Consultant (Sausalito, CA) 

11/12 – 7/13

  • Helped senior management design company strategic planning process. Worked with founder to outline and articulate company values, mission, and philosophy around the psychological and educational importance of self-directed learning for children/campers.

  • Visioned organizational design for company that more fully embodied self-directed learning philosophy for management and staff.

GREENERMIND SUMMIT

Co-Founder & Leadership Team Member (San Francisco, CA)

 3/10 - 2015

  • Co-created the vision and strategy for The Greenermind Summit and its community, which supports purpose-driven and sustainability-focused people both personally and professionally.

  • Shaped and supported many aspects of annual event design and ongoing community.

SUPERBETTER LABS

Founding Member (San Francisco, CA)

1/10 – 6/12

  • Founding member working closely with CEO and Creative Director to establish company vision, strategy, and operations for SuperBetter—a start-up focused on combining game design, technology, and the science of well-being to help people cultivate personal resilience.

  • Personal responsibilities focused on business strategy, content strategy, and business operations. Also coordinated with research partners, including The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Worked with Ohio State University to write successful NIH grant application to study the effect of SuperBetter on mTBI recovery.

  • Note: Big Bang Strategy was a partner in starting SuperBetter.

 

BIG BANG STRATEGY

Program Manager (Sausalito, CA)  

3/08 – 6/11

  • Led innovation strategy projects to create businesses, products, and brands that support health, well-being, and play. Projects often focused on the food and beverage industry, including extensive work with Fortune 100 beverage company on health and sustainability. Participated in frequent collaborations with sister company, big BOING, on child-supportive projects related to learning, toys, and play.

  • Created business and brand strategy; designed and executed qualitative, market, and organizational research; planned and facilitated collaborative group processes; led product design and development efforts; visioned and executed communications design; and led the continuous improvement of internal processes, including innovation process design.

 

Additional Work Experience

HILLSTONE RESTAURANT GROUP

General Manager (Boca Raton, FL), Service Manager (New York, NY, Santa Monica, CA, Los Angeles, CA), Manager (Irvine, CA, San Francisco, CA) 

11/05 - 9/07

  • Led operations and strategy in restaurant with $10M annual sales. Responsible for over 100 employees in hands-on, high volume dining as well as operations design, service design, and restaurant finances.

 

INCAE BUSINESS SCHOOL

Researcher (Alajuela, Costa Rica)

10/04 - 9/05

  • Researched the international trade of sustainably produced agricultural commodities from Central America. Authored The Sustainable Cocoa Trade: An Analysis of US Market and Latin American Trade Prospects.

 

INTERRUPCIÓN

Consultant & Writer (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

10/04 - 9/05

  • Worked with Argentinean non-profit supporting socially responsible business. Designed and drafted the Fair Trade Business Development Manual, outlining the process to develop and market domestic fair trade products.

 

THE REINVESTMENT FUND

Workforce & Economic Development Intern (Philadelphia, PA)

2/04 - 9/04

  • Assisted with research-based strategic impact assessment of affordable housing investment aimed at urban neighborhood renewal. Analysis involved quantitative census information and qualitative data from resident interviews.

  • Worked on project integrating workforce and economic development policy into business investment decisions for TRF.

 

FAIR FOOD

Local Food System Coordinator (Philadelphia, PA)

6/03 - 9/04

  • Worked with Director to market and strategically plan the project’s initiatives to promote local and organic agriculture in urban markets, including a weekly farm stand at Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market.

  • Served as liaison with the Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI).

 

HVC LIZARD CHOCOLATE/SOBE

Test Market Coordination & User Research (San Diego, CA) 

5/02 - 8/02

  • Member of a small team responsible for the management of the San Diego test market for a new SoBe chocolate product. Coordinated sales, distribution, and marketing efforts.

  • Conducted user research in test market and analyzed results to form product development and marketing strategy proposals. Efforts culminated in a nationwide product launch.

Education

THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES

(San Francisco, CA)  

2014 - 2016

  • MA in East-West Psychology

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology (Philadelphia, PA) 

2000 - 2004

  • BS in Economics, Management Concentration, The Wharton School

  • BS in Systems Engineering, Sustainable Systems Concentration, School of Engineering and Applied Science