TRUE Communications
Currently, I am Account Director at TRUE Communications, a full-service communications and marketing agency based in Sausalito, CA. We work with many of the most prominent brands in the cycling and outdoor industry. My main role is media strategy and relations, while also providing counsel on brand marketing strategy and campaign planning. Learn more at www.truecommunications.com
Backcountry.com
Brand Manager of Portfolio Brands, Backcountry.com.
In this role, I managed the marketing activities of the Backcountry.com portfolio brands, including Competitive Cyclist, Basin + Range, Steep & Cheap, and Whiskey Militia (closed 2018). Competitive Cyclist, however, quickly became the focus given the desire to build a meaningful brand architecture and rebuild a meaningful customer relationship with passionate cyclists.
As the Brand Manger of Competitive Cyclist, I oversaw nearly all aspects of marketing on site and in our off site activations. I collaborated across nearly every business unit to craft more than 300 marketing messages and brand campaigns each year. Using marketing analytics and performance metrics as a baseline, I created and managed a robust marketing calendar to ensure YOY performance and growth. Furthermore, I played a pivotal role in developing both brand strategy and the business value proposition, guiding the organization with a cohesive and compelling brand narrative.
A small sampling of the work I completed can be see here:
Brand Campaigns
2018 Road Bike Buyer's Guide
Trail to Tribe with Yeti Cycles
Spoils of Victory with 7Mesh
Vendor Campaigns
Gore Wear - Shakedry Stretch
Alchemy Bikes
Guides
Power Meter & Computer Guide
Collections
Helmet Collection
Bike Launches
Yeti SB100
Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop
Marketing Manager of Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop.
In this role, I oversaw direct marketing efforts of our online store, managed digital marketing and paid advertisements, developed our email marketing campaigns and helped plan in-store and various community events. It was a position in which I was also able to put my Information Science hat on and begin to utilize analytics data to inform marketing strategy, enhance the brand experience and better connect with customers. I left this position to join the team at Backcountry.com and Competitive Cyclist.
County Road Consulting
Lead Consultant, County Road Ltd. Co.
As the Lead Consultant with County Road Consulting, I worked with a wide range of restaurants, ranchers and artisan food processors to assess business goals and product development operations. I worked with management to develop operational procedures, business plans, and customized record keeping programs that met federal, state and municipal safety regulations. I also focused on developing HACCP plans for specific preparation techniques like Reduced Oxygen Packaging and SousVide as well as all forms of added-value meat processing, including voluntary and conventional slaughter, sausage making, smoked products, charcuterie and salami. I would never have guessed that what started as a hobby to learn how to make bacon in Ann Arbor, MI would turn into a viable and entertaining consulting career in the food safety business.
The World Bank & MSU Global
Consultant, The World Bank & Michigan State University
In the spring and summer of 2014, I was part of a Global Food Safety Partnership working group of the World Bank, co-authoring a policy paper on Open Business Models. In this paper, we called for the continued development and sharing of food safety training resources to help increase the possibility of expanding and generating production markets in developing country settings.
I also recently worked with the Michigan State University Global program on a partner project with OERAfrica called AgShare, which promotes the sharing of agricultural knowledge and resource to fill critical gaps in agricultural education in Africa.
The University of Texas at Austin
Product Manager, University of Texas at Austin.
From the Spring of 2013 - Spring of 2014 I worked as a Project / Product Manager at the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) at the University of Texas at Austin. The office works directly with faculty and other university staff to create high quality Open Educational Resources (OER) and learning materials for less commonly taught languages - like textbooks, online modules, and publications. My main role was related to outreach on campus and in the wider foreign language educational community, promoting and understanding open pedagogy and teaching practices that incorporated the use of OER.
Underground Meats
Managing Partner / Owner, Underground Meats
Before leaving for Texas, I helped start and ran an artisan charcuterie and salami company, Underground Meats. To this day, Underground Meats works with some of the country's finest farmers and producers to source heritage breed animals, which results in some of the best cured meats, charcuterie, and fresh meat around. Products are available both on a wholesale and retail basis throughout Wisconsin.
In addition to overseeing the operation, I also taught classes on everything from whole animal breakdown to making bacon and sausages at home and worked on plans for the retail meat storefront, the Underground Butcher.
The Underground Food Collective
Managing Partner / Owner, Underground Food Collective
In the Spring of 2010 I joined the Underground Food Collective in Madison, WI to pursue my dream of curing meats and bringing people together around food. I catered numerous weddings and parties as a part of Underground Catering and ran the artisan meat operation, Underground Meats. I helped open the Underground Kitchen - a beautiful bar & restaurant that burned down only 9 months after we opened it. In 2012, we replaced it with the acclaimed bar & restaurant Forequarter and Underground Butcher.
The University of Michigan Medical School
Business Systems Analyst, University of Michigan Medical School
In the winter of 2007, I graduated early from the University of Michigan's School of Information to co-found Open.Michigan - an initiative that supports university researchers, learners, and instructors to maximize the impact and reach of their scholarly work through the sharing of these resources under open (Creative Commons) licenses.
Based out of the Office of Enabling Technologies at the University of Michigan's Medical School, we worked with a talented group of developers and visionaries to develop innovative software and processes for clearing copyrighted educational materials and sharing them with the world as Open Educational Resources. We were funded with grants from UMMS and the Hewlett Foundation and built lasting collaborations with medical schools in Ghana and South Africa.
While in Ann Arbor, I also helped start and operate a Friday morning breakfast salon called Selma Cafe, which is what led to my direct interest in curing meats.
The International Development Research Centre
Community Manager, International Development Research Centre
In the summer between grad school, I landed a pretty amazing internship with the folks at the Canadian based International Development Research Centre (IDRC). At the time, I worked at the Community Manager for a project called telecentre.org, where I helped to build awareness and solicit contributions to a wiki on telecentre management and best practices. I lived and worked from La Paz, Bolivia and New York City.
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