Education
University of Southern California
B.A Environmental Studies
Media Arts & Practice International Policy & Management
GPA: 3.97
Languages
English & Spanish Fluency
Skills
Facilitation
Engagement
Qualitative & Quantitative Research & Analysis
Human Centered Design & Strategy
Coalition Building
Project Management
Video Editing (Adobe Premier)
Graphic Design (Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Canva) Storyboarding
Figma
Notion
Mailchimp
Quickbooks, WooCommerce, PayPal
Microsoft Office
SketchUp
Translation (English/Spanish)
Acknowledgements
GreenBiz Emerging Leader
Latino Alumni Association Scholar
Order of Troy Recognition Award
Anita Brown Wilson Award for Environmental Studies
References
Anne Close; previous supervisor
Jessica Perez; previous supervisor
Luis Reyes; previous supervisor
Maesa Pullman; colleague
Carolyn Levi; colleague
Macaleigh Hendricks; colleague
Projects
Present; NY Curator & Caretaker : ) • Compiling an ongoing repository of “best practices” in trauma, care and neuro-informed facilitation, participatory action research and human centered design so as to continue bettering the way I show up as a researcher and facilitator. • Organizing admirable articles, scholars, artists, webinars, organizations, demonstration projects, books, newsletters, mixed media, funding sources and in person experiences into a search-able Notion database. • Babysitting & Dog-sitting; Writing. • File, note and scheduling organization for individual clients.
April 2024 - October 2024; Brooklyn, NY Associate at Precyle Zero Waste Store • Educated customers on zero waste living as well as our bioregion's farms and small businesses. • Increased sales and google reviews. • Received local produce orders; stocked; sterilized reuse containers; supported events; curated staff and customer recommendations.
December 2021 - September 2023; Hollywood, CA
Arts & Culture Program Manager at The BirdHouse
• Facilitated 20+ community workshops and working groups that generated community led initiatives such as garden to table science education classes at a local middle school. • Contracted local artists and supported the realization of 70+ on-site mission-aligned workshops, more than doubling educational offerings and attendance (created service agreements & registrations; troubleshot orders; timely communication with contractors; on site facility prep & safety; welcomed guests). • Organized a 100+ attended outdoor performance in Griffith Park (spearhead design, completed permit requirements with the City of LA, coordinated volunteers for set up & tear down). • Championed in-person outreach (distributed garden made products to local businesses; created scavenger hunts & on site seasonal calendars for passerby; tabled local events; submitted team memo encouraging intentionality with our media production). • Created website prototype and interaction design notes for future web developer to address navigation issues. • Developed NPO protocols and file organization systems (programming, frequency of use, scheduling, vetting, facility safety, purchase requests, rental agreements, volunteer orientation and partnerships). • Created programming rationale & budgets in alignment with strategic goals. • Reviewed for financial discrepancies; Submitted instructor invoices and W-9’s; Created profit and loss statements; Ensured bookkeeper had timely anticipation of income and expenses; Maintained petty cash system. • Created & presented quarterly programming and financial reports to the Board. • Conducted grant, zoning and land use research for Board's strategic planning.
December 2022 - August 2023; Hollywood, CA Membership Services Representative at YMCA • Performed outreach to share renovation, re-opening and programming information (calls, emails, event tabling). • Enrolled members & responded to all inquiries with accurate and thorough information. • Created map of local businesses for team outreach. • Crafted internal staff cheat sheet to give informed audience attuned tours.
• Transcribed board meeting minutes.
• Checked unhoused neighbors into the facility for the shower program. • Distributed food.
• Transcribed board meeting minutes.
• Checked unhoused neighbors into the facility for the shower program. • Distributed food.
July 2022 - August 2022; Hollywood, CA Education Designer with Poieto • Piloted a media literacy curriculum with 30 elementary students at Hollywood Charter School.
August 2022; Malibu, CA Field Support with Mesa Agricola • Set up, waitress and tear down for outdoor farm to table dinners.
April 2021 - January 2022; Long Island, NY Cook & Cashier at PlantWise Eatery
October 2020 - February 2021; Remote Research Assistant with USC Spatial Sciences Institute • Synthesized research for industrial ecologist Dr. Robert Vos’ book "SDG12 - Sustainable Consumption and Production: A Revolutionary Challenge for the 21st Century." • Investigated the state of global material flows, governance, economies, socio-economic life cycle assessments, extended producer responsibility, government procurement, circular economy, sector initiatives and product/packaging design (See here for acknowledgements). January 2020 - August 2020; Los Angeles, CA Assistant to CA State Senator Caroline Menjivar, former East Valley Area Representative at LA Mayor's Office Department of Legislative & External Affairs • Facilitated roundtables with Sustainability Advisory Council to gather feedback and create neighborhood relevant toolkits to implement LA’s Green New Deal, liasoning, creating action items and translating discussions.
• Mapped key stakeholders in the East Valley (businesses, places of worship, leaders, neighborhood councils, chambers of commerce, non profits, health centers, schools, parks, libraries, rec centers, housing). • Conducted resident interviews & supported Neighborhood Council meetings, creating bi-lingual presentations, infographics & newsletter to share departmental updates.
• Answered Mayor’s Help Desk phone line, directing constituents to relevant depts. and submitting feedback to appropriate staff.
• Walked constituents through COVID relief food & housing applications.
• Mapped key stakeholders in the East Valley (businesses, places of worship, leaders, neighborhood councils, chambers of commerce, non profits, health centers, schools, parks, libraries, rec centers, housing). • Conducted resident interviews & supported Neighborhood Council meetings, creating bi-lingual presentations, infographics & newsletter to share departmental updates.
• Answered Mayor’s Help Desk phone line, directing constituents to relevant depts. and submitting feedback to appropriate staff.
• Walked constituents through COVID relief food & housing applications.
April 2020 - December 2020; Remote Circular Economy Pioneer with the Ellen Macarthur Foundation • Mapped the business model and supply chain of Apeel, which creates a biofilm that extends the shelf life of produce, and developed distributed production recommendations which would allow others to study, use, modify and distribute their product, so as to further integrate circular economy principles into its operations. May 2018 - June 2020; Los Angeles, CA & Catalina Island, CA Ambassador Program Lead & Educator with the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies • Conducted student and faculty interviews to understand the state of sustainability efforts across the University. • Trained students to survey peers, create coalitions within their departments & work with faculty to include more career-relevant sustainability into curriculums, inspiring the Office of the President’s Sustainability Working Group. • Public speaking engagements with administration and donors to prioritize strategic goals.
• Collected & synthesized cross-departmental data to create a prototype website that better categorized and showcased the array of cross-campus sustainability initiatives (utilized by the Office of Sustainability).
• Set new collaborations in motion & organized interactive programming (ex. Wrigley x Annenberg School of Communication x Natural History Museum; 800+ donations University Clothing Swap; field trips)
• Created new graphic design materials, bi-lingual signage, research summaries & promotional materials for Sustainability Prize Pitch Competition.
• Developed a partnership with the Admissions Office to direct potential incoming freshmen to Ambassadors.
• Served as a sustainability competition Judge alongside USC’s Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Dux.
• Led hiking and kayaking tours of native flora, fauna and island geography, to Aaron Price Fellows, Boy Scouts, local middle schoolers and adults on REI Expeditions.
• Collected & synthesized cross-departmental data to create a prototype website that better categorized and showcased the array of cross-campus sustainability initiatives (utilized by the Office of Sustainability).
• Set new collaborations in motion & organized interactive programming (ex. Wrigley x Annenberg School of Communication x Natural History Museum; 800+ donations University Clothing Swap; field trips)
• Created new graphic design materials, bi-lingual signage, research summaries & promotional materials for Sustainability Prize Pitch Competition.
• Developed a partnership with the Admissions Office to direct potential incoming freshmen to Ambassadors.
• Served as a sustainability competition Judge alongside USC’s Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Dux.
• Led hiking and kayaking tours of native flora, fauna and island geography, to Aaron Price Fellows, Boy Scouts, local middle schoolers and adults on REI Expeditions.
January 2019 - June 2019; Los Angeles, CA Qualitative Research Assistant with USC Security & Political Economy Lab • Collected and coded observables linking hydrocarbons to the onset, duration and intensity of civil conflict within primary & secondary data sources; assessed their limits; synthesized results and recommended adjustments to research design. See here for more.
July 2019 - August 2019; Eugene, OR APRU Researcher • Devised programming that would help maximize BRING Recycling’s impact after creating a current state blueprint of food waste in Lane County and conducting stakeholder interviews.
September 2017 - May 2018; Los Angeles, CA Educator at California Science Center • Engaged visitors in interactive science education programs, trained new staff and presented educational “shows” in front of 200+ people. September 2016 - May 2017; Nashville, TN Educator at Nashville Urban Green Lab • Drove a mobile interactive sustainability exhibit to low income middle and high schools in Nashville to inspire and empower youth to take meaningful climate action, protect natural resources, and normalize sustainable behaviors.
Misc. Research & Design
Interactive Web Docu-Narrative: COVID Narratives
Research/Writing/Presentation: Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of the Global Warming Potential of Alternative Building Materials in South Los Angeles, California. Presentation & Report.
Research/Writing: Economic-input output life cycle assessment to assess the carbon footprint of constructing different freeway alternatives. Research/Writing: Critical assessment of the management of common pool resources in the context of emerging digital tools. Research/Multi-Media/Soundscapes/Exhibit Design: Survival of the Fittest, a multi-media piece exploring the influence of auditory environments on civic imagination & behavior.
Archive: Group Gratitude Logbook, an archive of daily gratitudes collected anonymously over the course of 1 week.
Research/Writing: Creativity and art as tools for healing, transformation and ecosystem restoration.
Packaging Design: Re-imagining Superman.
Graphic Design: Life Beneath Our Feet
Illustration/Moving Image/Collage: Guest House
Documentary: 1283 W 36th St
VoiceOver: Luminesce Podcast
Illustration: coming soon.