Portfolio & CV
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Portfolio
Experience
Experience
content & co-creation officer, alight
December 2018 - december 2019
Established and implemented the organization’s brand voice during the transition from American Refugee Committee to Alight, ensuring consistency across storytelling via 15 communication channels and onboarding a diverse audience of over 200,000 donor’s and the general public to the new vision and direction.
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Managed the organization’s content creation process from content gathering, writing, editing, and publishing, and supported the storytelling needs of country programs and special projects.
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Directed communications for crises: in South Sudan, navigated key messaging, PR, and communications strategy amongst government agencies, international organizations, and stakeholders, avoiding loss of contracts and disruption of services.
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Acted as the managing editor for the Changemakers 365 program, an engagement and communications tool that motivates field staff to "do the doable,” realizing the change that’s possible in everyday situations, and telling the story of that change. Resulted in over $1m in revenue in private contributions. Also produced written and visual content for program.
Led human-centered design activities, communications, and partnerships management to support innovative sub-brands, such as the Color Movement initiative, which fights human trafficking with Catholic Nuns in El Salvador.
copywriter, alight
may 2015 - december 2018
Shaped the voice of the organization, acting as a loudspeaker for refugee stories around the world. Worked with the Creative Team to craft compelling narratives that tell the story of Alight’s work and its impact on communities.
Conceptualized, wrote, and guided Alight's communications: annual report, website, field-based communications, decks, ghostwriting for Alight leadership, direct response fundraising, press releases, speeches, awards, blogs, and short films, strongly contributed to an 82% increase in private fundraising revenue from 2015 to 2019.
Managed media appearances for Alight leadership, writing briefs and developing key public relations messaging.
Traveled to programmatic field sites—including Somalia, Sudan, DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Turkey, and El Salvador—to collect and develop stories, photos, and video for the organization's communications and marketing platforms.
research & communications officer, asili
september 2014 - june 2015
Based in DR Congo. Led field-based communications for Asili, Alight’s social enterprise platform.
Used the human-centered design insights completed by IDEO.org in the start-up phase to bring Asili to life.
Led the successful proposal development of the Global Development Alliance (GDA) grant for USAID ($6M).
ethnographic fieldwork, U of Denver
july 2012 - november 2012
Based in Maputo and Manjacaze, Mozambique. Conducted dozens of in-depth, ethnographic interviews with Mozambican staff employed by INGOs, people impacted by INGO initiatives, and INGO expatriate staff, uncovering the cultural forces at work behind development practices in Mozambique and its role in the country's colonial past.
Published “Beyond Donors & Dollars: An Ethnographic Case Study of International Aid & Its Agents in Mozambique.”
communications assistant, what's up pr
april 2011 - july 2012
Assisted the CEO in marketing and communications strategies for What’s Up PR, a public relations firm specializing in the outdoor industry. Led social media strategies, copyedited and produced content for press releases, managed client and sponsor digital databases, managed client email marketing campaigns, and collaborated with client teams on rollout of communications strategies.
Maintained the What’s Up PR website, helped to coordinate major conferences, shows, and meetings for clients, including logistics, event coordination, and post-event follow up. Managed client media image, product shipments, and athlete sponsorships.
archaeology field school, beloit college
June 2006 - july 2006
Trained in archaeological techniques in Chile's Atacama Desert, excavating Chinchorro household and grave sites dated between 7500–2500 B.P. Mapped, excavated, categorized, and sorted artifacts for contribution to the University of Chile's Department of Anthropology.
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Contributed to archaeological record of Chinchorro culture in the coastal Atacama region near Pisagua, Chile.
education
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University of Denver, 2013
MA Ethnography/Cultural Anthropology
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Beloit College, 2009
BA Cultural Anthropology
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