​PROFILE

 

Arts entrepreneur, program coordinator, and designer with a passion for helping creative people build confident, sustainable careers in the visual arts. Founder of multiple arts organizations that have supported more than 10,000 independent artists across the United States through welcoming, community-centered events and practical professional development. Skilled in arts entrepreneurship, grant writing for the arts, marketing, and hands-on learning. Dedicated to giving artists and creators real-world tools, encouragement, and pathways to turn their creative work into meaningful livelihoods.

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EDUCATION

 

July 2027 M.S., Nonprofit Management, Columbia University - New York, NY

• Emphasis in arts and cultural nonprofits; grant writing

 

Dec 2024 B.A., Journalism & Media Studies, Roosevelt University - Chicago, IL

• Emphasis in magazine layout & design; photojournalism

• Minor: Sustainability Studies

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

2023 - Current Program Assistant, Virginia Tech - Blacksburg, VA

Faculty Affairs, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost 

Support the design, coordination, and evaluation of faculty-facing programs, leadership development, and professional learning initiatives across the university.

• Researched, developed, and launched Virginia Tech’s first Pop-Up Faculty Club, designed to build community among 2,700 faculty members.

• Co-led design of the Provost’s Leadership Development Program, a major new leadership initiative.

• Co-planned and executed Virginia Tech’s first Mentoring Forum, a full-day mentoring conference.

• Facilitate workshops for various faculty programs, including New Faculty Mentoring Grant, You’ve Got Tenure—Now What?!, and leadership development offerings.

• Served on search committees including the Dean of Agriculture & Life Sciences and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs roles.

• Provide graphic design assets for Faculty Affairs (print and digital).

 

2019 - Current Founder & Events Organizer, I Heart Indie Markets - Nationwide

Founder of a nationwide arts-entrepreneurship and makers-market organization supporting independent artists through professional opportunities and education.

• Grew from a single event to a national network across 23 states and districts, 38 cities, and 59 neighborhoods, hosting 50-70 arts events annually.

• Mentor a network of 10,000+ independent artists on pricing, branding, portfolio development, marketing, and sustainable creative-business practices.

• Develop marketing strategies attracting up to 4,000 attendees per event.

• Build and maintain partnerships with 200+ arts venues, community organizations, and municipal agencies.

• Design event branding, promotional materials, and digital campaigns; management of website and social media.

• Recruit, train, and supervise staff; oversee HR, budgeting, and logistics.

• Create onboarding packets, educational materials, and professional-practice resources.

• Navigate multi-state licensing, permitting, and municipal regulations.

 

2013 - 2022 Founder & Graphic Designer, No Coast Paper Co. -  Nationwide

Founded and operated an independent stationery and product design brand, sold in 120+ retail stores across the U.S., including stores such as Strand Books in New York City.

• Designed and produced a cohesive and evolving line of 500+ products over a decade, including greeting cards, notepads, stickers, art prints, buttons, and postcards.

• Managed wholesale partnerships with boutiques, shops, and national retailers.

• Oversaw e-commerce (Etsy, Faire, wholesale website), product launches, and marketing strategy.

• Directed production workflows, vendor relationships, materials sourcing, and manufacturing processes.
   

2017 - 2019 Founder & Event Organizer, Madison Makers Market - Madison, WI
Created a hybrid craft fair and pub-crawl event series supporting local 

makers and small businesses.

• Organized quarterly multi-venue events hosting 40–100 vendors.
  Led all marketing, design, and promotional strategy.

• Built a regional network of 600+ artists and makers; facilitated long-term vendor and venue relationships.

• Produced Winter Wonderful, a series of six charity events featuring different arts events, benefiting six nonprofits.

• Navigated city contracts, permitting, and public event operations.
   

2012 - 2016 Marketing & Research / Processor, Van Berg & Associates, Brentwood, CA
Progressively advanced through roles in marketing, operations, and 

training.

• Designed and implemented marketing strategies, including newsletters, blogs, and web updates.

• Planned and facilitated workshops, training, and professional meetings.

• Managed sensitive data entry across 20+ companies during high-volume periods.

• Provided high-level client support and communication.
   

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EXHIBITIONS & MARKETS

 

2020 Virtual exhibition: “Making Space,” Art Lit Lab, Madison, WI

 

2019 48 events as an arts vendor under No Coast Paper Co. 

 

2018 62 events as an arts vendor under No Coast Paper Co. 

 

2017 Group exhibition: “What Can Art Do,” UW Madison 7th Floor Gallery, 

Madison, WI; 53 events as an arts vendor under No Coast Paper Co. 

 

2016 18 events as an arts vendor under No Coast Paper Co. 

 

2015 11 events as an arts vendor under No Coast Paper Co. 

 

2014 5 events as an arts vendor under No Coast Paper Co.

 

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SELECTED NEWS COVERAGE

 

No Coast Paper Co.

 

Jan 2018 BuzzFeed, “Valentine’s Day Cards For People Who Hate All That

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May 2017 HuffPost, “Funny Father’s Day Cards That’ll Make Your Dad LOL” 

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I Heart Indie Markets & Madison Makers Market

Feb 2024 Fox 5 San Diego, News feature - TV coverage of a makers market event

 

Feb 2023 Fox 5 San Diego, News feature - TV coverage of a makers market event

 

June 2022 News 9 OKC, News feature - Coverage of I Heart Indie Markets’ multi-venue makers market + bar hop

 

Nov 2019 Channel3000 / Madison Magazine — “Imbibe and Thrive at 11 Drink Events This Week”

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Dec 2018 Badger Herald article, Feature on community partnerships + Winter Wonderful events

 

Nov 2018 Channel 3000 (Madison), “Madison Artisans Vie for Black Friday Customers”

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CONFERENCES & TRAINING WORKSHOPS (ATTENDED)

 

Nov 2024 POD Network Conference
Focused on faculty development, mentoring, inclusive teaching, learning 

communities, and academic leadership.

 

Mar 2016 Proof to Product: Paper Camp, Wholesale Strategist Training

Three-day intensive program for creative entrepreneurs on wholesale strategy, pricing, product design for wholesale, trade show preparation, and scaling creative small businesses.

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AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

 

• Arts Entrepreneurship

• Creative Career Development

• Community & Industry Partnerships

• Graphic Design & Branding

• Event Design & Experiential Learning

• Small Business Management

• Digital Marketing & Content Strategy

• Artist Mentoring & Portfolio Development

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PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

 

Arts & Creative Practice

 

Graphic Design & Layout

Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and more.

Branding & Visual Identity

Writing + messaging, portfolio development, website-building platforms (Squarespace, Wix), social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, etc.).

Bookbinding

Coptic stitch, saddle stitch, staple-bound, case binding (ribbon/fabric-bound).

Other Creative Skills

Zine creation, collage, photography (film + digital), product design, visual storytelling.

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Arts Entrepreneurship & Professional Development

 

Artist Support & Coaching

Artist mentoring, portfolio development, pricing strategy, creative business advising.

Professional Practices

Wholesale strategy, vendor readiness, craft/arts business systems.

Experiential Learning

Event design, hands-on workshops, applied learning frameworks.

Training & Onboarding

Vendor onboarding, artist education materials, professional development resources.

 

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Relationship Building & Community Engagement

 

Partnership Development

Arts organizations, venues, small businesses, municipalities.

Community-Centered Program Design

Inclusive and participant-driven programming; multi-partner initiatives.

Leadership & Collaboration

Collaborative leadership, cross-team coordination.

Communication & Facilitation

Stakeholder communication, relationship cultivation, workshop facilitation.

 

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Program & Project Management

Event Operations

Event logistics, multi-venue coordination, staffing management.

Project Coordination

Cross-functional collaboration, multi-state permitting + compliance.

Administrative Management

Budgeting, staff recruitment, supervision, and organizational workflows.

 

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Marketing & Digital Strategy

Digital Marketing

Social media strategy, content planning, audience engagement.

Content Creation

Copywriting/editing, photography, visual content, promotional materials.

Email & Web

Email marketing, newsletter creation, website management (CMS platforms).

Campaigns & Analytics

Audience development, digital campaigns