Fundraising & Community | Mission-Driven Design & Event Leadership

I directed visual strategy, storytelling, and execution for major fundraising events and community-led initiatives. My focus is building professional, repeatable processes that simplify participation, elevate donor experience, and make the organization’s mission the hero at every touch point.

St. Ignatius College Prep | Erik Kristensen Scholarship of Service

Event Director & Producer
Fundraising • Donor Experience • Community Engagement

The Goal
Raise funds for the Erik Kristensen Scholarship while creating a meaningful, memorable event that would strengthen long-term donor relationships and deepen community connection.

My Role
- I led the event end-to-end, owning both strategy and execution:
- Event strategy and planning
- Budget ownership and financial management
- Vendor sourcing, negotiation, and coordination
- Program design and run of show
- On-site production and execution
- Guest experience from arrival through close

The Approach
- The event was designed as a mission-driven donor experience, not just a fundraiser.
Every detail — visuals, pacing, flow, and storytelling — reinforced the purpose of the scholarship and the values of the St. Ignatius community.

Impact
- Raised critical funds in support of the Erik Kristensen Scholarship
- Consistently received feedback including:
- “Best event I’ve ever been to.”
- Achieved strong donor retention, with repeat guests returning year after year
- Strengthened trust with stakeholders through seamless execution and thoughtful design
- Built a sense of community through consistent, mission-aligned visual storytelling

Designers & Geeks

Chapter Lead (NYC) & Event Producer
Community Growth • Live Events • Operational Leadership

The Role
As Chapter Lead (NYC) & Lead Event Producer, I led the planning, production, and execution of Designers & Geeks events in New York City, helping scale the community from a small local group into a large, highly engaged network.

What I Did
- Led end-to-end production for recurring live events
- Managed venues, vendors, and on-site execution
- Shaped the event format and guest experience
- Partnered with organizers to scale operations as attendance grew
- Maintained quality, consistency, and a welcoming experience as the community scaled

Impact
- Grew the NYC chapter from ~100 members to 10,000+
- Supported sustained, repeat attendance across events
- Built momentum and trust through reliable, high-quality execution
- Established Designers & Geeks as a recognized creative community in NYC

The focus wasn’t just growth — it was experience. By making events feel thoughtful, inclusive, and easy to attend, the community scaled without losing its human feel.