I help early startup founders in the financial, hi-tech, consumer, and NGO sectors create frameworks, differentiation, and demand for disruptive ideas, programs, and services through Category Design, Brand and Product Marketing, and Community work. Highlights: • Advisor to 7 startups from stealth through successful launches. • Co-author to 5 disruptive categories in finance, tech, academia, and the arts. • Self-started, designed and applied quantitative and qualitative research (questionnaires, focus groups, comparative statistics, eye-tracking data collection and analysis, SWOT, SOAR, PESTEL, NOISE, observational testing, deep interviews) resulting in significant Product Design updates, new opportunity maps (with new verticals), Marketing reorgs, HR process updates, and several hyperpartnerships. • Designed, planned, and co-produced programs, projects, and deliverables supporting governmental private/public affairs (with Australian Transport Authority, Romanian Ministry of Culture, Rep. of Moldova Health Ministry, Cambodian Diaspora Group), educational and NGO initiatives (Cornell, SFSU, Emerson College), and tech partnerships (Amazon, Oracle, et alii).• Designed, managed, and executed growth initiatives for multiple startups and NGOs.

I lead Category Design for olfactive anthropology (a new, interdisciplinary area of research studying the semiotics of smell), and I'm a category creator for niche perfumery in one of the fastest-growing Premium Goods markets in Europe. — Industry advisor serving the scent & olfaction field through product evaluation, interdisciplinary networks, advocacy, and creative direction.  — Large body of educational content (reach: 2.5M+) used as a main reference by industry leads, the public, and multiple national and international media (Departures, Elle Magazine, et alii) — Public speaker and market consultant at Esxence (2020 & 2022, 2023), Google Leadership Conference, ScentXplore, et alii — Content lead for over 30 perfumery panels, lectures, and hosted exploratory sessions— Founder of perfumerydirectory.com, the largest database of fragrance-related vendors and destinations in the world (in dev.)— Main Category Creator for niche perfumery in Romania. In 5 years, the market is close to mature.

Category Design for streaming analytics, IoT, and ITS. Worked with main stakeholders to design the streaming analytics category, define our corporate identity, plan our product strategy within several new verticals, and design appropriate GTM plans for SQLstream's disruptive offering. Handled all the strategic, tactical, and creative processes, and managed all production for a wide set of initiatives, startup-style (modest resources/highly volatile market). Managed brand integration through two acquisitions. — During this time, SQLstream was recognized as a market Leader by the Forrester Wave Report.

Category Design & maintenance for dark pool trading. Worked alongside the CEO, the VP and the product/ marketing/ sales/ creative/ communications teams to define the category of dark pool trading, and to develop and execute global programs that increased member awareness and engagement for the Liquidnet platform. — Initiated a rebranding exercise resulting in core identity updates and new brand elements; planned and produced all new applications, including a $1.3M Ad campaign— Helped define the GTM plan for a new subcategory, and coordinated implementation across multiple channels and 3 continents— Lead the production of creative deliverables for a multitude of internal clients, driving asset gathering and managing internal and external resources, schedules, budgets, creative reviews and distribution— Handled the concepting, content creation, exclusive presentation design and cross-team coordination for major internal launch and state-of-the-industry events.

Worked alongside the Marketing and Management teams to analyze, plan and develop the business and marketing strategy for career expos in the Women For Hire Fall Tour. During this time, expo attendance went up 35% and advertising costs went down down 19%.

Category Design lead for reverse mergers and PIPEs. Researched, synthesized and identified investment opportunities in SE Europe and developed a European deals pipeline through educational campaigns, thought leadership materials, events, and local publicity.

Used quantitative and qualitative research methods to assess the impact of new products on niche markets. Ran focus groups and operated novelty technologies for user research, from smart rooms to eye-tracking devices.

Category Design & lobby for independent theater as a new professional field. Materialized the founders’ creative vision by raising the awareness for Toaca and the nonprofit community among the target groups. Managed community, media and governmental affairs on foundation’s behalf. Planned administrative and educational events and monitored core components including enrollment, schedules and budgeting. — Increased participation at events by an average of 50% and media coverage by one third— Pioneered the making of the first independent theatre category in the National Theatre Festival— Orchestrated the first TransEuropeHalles Conference in S-E Europe, increasing the number of international partnerships by 33%.