People often ask if my glasses are upside down.
They’re not. The design just challenges expectations. That’s how I approach work, too.
I came up through design before I built systems around it. Seven years leading a Chicago studio taught me what breaks before I had the authority to fix it.
The first thing I do when I join a team is listen. Not to audit. Not to assess gaps against a framework I already have in my bag. I want to know what's working, what's creating friction, and what the work actually looks like day to day.
That's how trust gets built. And without trust, the systems don't stick.
I've built design operations infrastructure at a 15-person agency handling 125+ annual clients and inside an enterprise innovation studio reaching 1,000+ associates. That range informs how I build now: systems sturdy enough to hold under growth, lightweight enough that the team actually uses them.
I do my best work on teams where design is taken seriously but the systems around it are still being figured out. If that's where you are, let's talk.
Built by community, shaped by design
For ten years I ran SheSays Chicago on zero budget, zero staff, and zero formal authority. Built it to 2,500+ members. Events sold out within 24 hours. Members returned year after year.
I also served six years on the AIGA Chicago board, leading mentorship programs that doubled cohort capacity while keeping attrition under 3%.
The work taught me about adoption, community building, and getting skeptical people to show up consistently. It's also where I learned that the systems you build for volunteers have to be genuinely useful, because you can't mandate compliance.
Recognition & Speaking
Emcee for Re:imagine Retail
Sam’s Club
Served as Emcee at flagship innovation conference. Was the face of the event and key driver of an experience that convened 325+ attendees and 30+ sprint teams tackling enterprise-wide retail challenges.
Glantz Annual Values Award
Glantz
Winner of the annual employee of the year award for embodying company values: be a team player, act with kindness and honesty, be nimble in nature, do the right thing, learn every day.
Celebrating Women in Innovation
Chicago Innovation
Recognized SheSays Chicago as a women focused organization making a major impact in the lives of Chicago’s innovative women.
Building Better Mentorship
AIGA Leadership Conference
Workshop presenter for annual AIGA Leadership Retreat, helping other chapters build successful mentorship programs.
Design Your Future: Making the Transition to Digital
General Assembly
Panel moderator on what it takes to make the career switch from advertising to digital design.
The Heres Award
Revelry Agency
Second annual recipient of The Heres Award, given to a leader in the company who instills value in their team and the company: honesty, integrity, service to others.