International Economic Development Council

American University

Hollins University

Wharton Executive Education

Strategic leader | Business Coach | Entrepreneurship and Economic Development | Innovation | Startups | Marketing and Consumer Insight Pro

- Coaching clients to reach their business goals including money and time mastery, sales and marketing, systems and technology, management and leadership development, and scaling strategies.

ActionCOACH Team Hauser

Accountability Coach, Director of Community Engagement

Collaborate with staff on Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, defining regional priorities for the next five years.

Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board

Board Member

AeroX is a non-profit organization working at the leading edge of aviation technology including drones, eVTOLs, and universal traffic management systems for low altitude flights. Key initiatives include building one of the country's first urban air corridors for UAS, piloting drones as first responders, and creating workforce training for local underserved youth.

AeroX Ventures is a venture capital fund focused on investing in the future of aviation, particularly in logistics, defense, and public safety.

AeroX Ventures

Board Member, Investment Committee Member

Agile City is a non-profit innovation consultancy and ecosystem builder working with industries, companies and communities to accelerate the transformation to a more entrepreneurial, resilient and equitable economy. 

Built a high-performing and intentionally diverse, hybrid team, developed internal strategic and operational processes, planned and managed annual budgets, led marketing and fundraising efforts, and oversaw grant development and administration including impact measurement.

Key initiative: The Venture Winston Grants, a startup recruitment and retention program
Generated 1,200 applications, 20 million social media impressions, 50k web site visits and awarded $450k in grants to 9 diverse startups through a public-private partnership. 

Commissioned outside equity assessment of all business practices, communication materials, and implemented all recommendations.

Program Impacts: Cohort companies raised more than $4.3m,  submitted four SBIR grants worth more than $1.6 million, opened multiple new markets, developed new products/services, secured a new university partnership, finalized five new health care partners, completed their regulatory strategy and completed a research project with NASA that provided scientific visibility and awareness. 

CURRENTLY SERVING AS INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NC TECH PATHS: NC Tech Paths is a non-profit working at the intersection of technology, economic development, workforce training and rural revitalization. We train our local rural neighbors in high-demand tech skills and help place them in remote jobs so they can LIVE. TRAIN. REMAIN. We connect employers with an untapped talent source, helping fill their tech talent pipelines with qualified candidates. And we've opened The Masthead, the newest co-working space in NW NC. 

Strengths: Strategy, Ideation, WOO (Winning Others Over), Positivity, Self Assurance

Agile City Winston-Salem

Chief Executive Officer

A non-profit organization serving minority and women-owned businesses with consulting, certification training, contract matching and access to capital.

ACCESS Center for Equity + Success

Co-Founder

Worked closely with global, national and regional economic development leaders, businesses, non-profits and entrepreneurial support organizations to identify key strategic gaps and build potential solutions to point innovation towards solving key systemic and economic inequities with economic mobility at the core. Lead all marketing, operational, budget and fundraising activities.

Key Initiative: Thursday Gatherings, a free, weekly community convening designed to  align, amplify and accelerate the local innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Program Impacts: Team delivered more than 50,000 hours of programming to 5,000+ visitors over 160+ events. Created the most diverse Venture Cafe community in the world, accurately reflecting our city's population and providing a welcoming, safe environment. Attendees started and grew businesses, found jobs and employees, investors and board members. Created 4 FT jobs and 8 internships.

Venture Cafe Winston-Salem

Executive Director

Led key operational functions including marketing, client and project management, human resources, and investor relations.

Cognistx

Partner + SVP, Operations

Strategic planning and communications to help companies navigate the ever-changing marketplace, evolving cultural values, escalating consumer demands and create lasting behavior change. Offering proprietary tools based on the latest behavioral science to shift attitudes into real actions.

Project highlights: Researched and authored 3 CSR Reports for Steelcase; contributed original content to quarterly customer magazine on healthcare, education, sustainability; qualitative and quantitative research on new product development; persona development; marketing plans and strategies

Clients included: Steelcase, ConAgra, Crest, Masco, Orville Redenbacher

Critical Shift Consulting

Founder and Shift Leader

Started and grew the Insight Department to bring deeper consumer, behavioral and context understanding to sustainability and energy efficiency clients through research, insights, strategy and creative campaigns.

The Shelton Group

Vice President of Insight

Lead and managed major accounts including financial services account; specialty retail

Wildfire

Firecracker - Account Supervisor

FAW is the nation's premier marketing to women consultancy. Worked with national clients to bring consumer insight, brand positioning, brand architecture, brand consolidation and other strategic planning ideas to the table. Experienced with qual, quant, writing killer briefs and have a great reputation with the creative department.

Mullen/Frank About Women

Senior Strategic Planner

Sr. Strategic Planner

Started the Account Planning department at Woodbine in addition to writing award-winning creative.

Karen Barnes