Responsible for driving the growth and expansion of our business through strategic partnerships, alliances, and new market opportunities. Alpine Creations | Paradise Textiles | Thread IQ

• Key member of the leadership team dedicated to transforming carbon emissions into premium cellulose for the textile industry, as inspired by nature.• Headed Strategic Partnerships function, successfully negotiating contracts and managing accounts with major global brands and manufacturers across the textile value chain (including H&M, Reformation, GANNI, nuuly, and Walmart), increasing annual YoY revenue by 70%.• Developed and implemented Commercialization Roadmap, partnering with business and technical teams to refine pricing, product, and business model hypothesis.• Discovered and forged new partnerships for carbon capture, pulp to fiber development, and downstream fabric to retail processes, yielding the first-ever fiber and yarn developments from CO2.• Led NGO onboarding and collaborations with esteemed organizations including Canopy Planet, Textile Exchange, BioMADE, and Material Innovation Initiative.• Constantly reassessed and evolved infrastructure and operations to improve outcomes and align entire team with clarity, open communication, and strategic insight to manage relationships and enable successful execution.• Spearheaded comprehensive customer and market research initiatives, driving data-driven insights to fuel Rubi's product development strategies and propel the creation of cutting-edge next-generation offerings.• Elevated the brand equity and visibility of our ingredients, significantly amplifying market value and recognition.

• Identified growth opportunities and applications for Naia™ cellulosic fibers to address global market needs, focusing on sustainability, performance, macro, and micro trends.• Served as R&D Manager and technical voice to apparel brands, delivering $5-8M annual revenue by strategically fostering supply chain partnerships and aligning brands with Naia™-based fabrics, carefully considering fitness for use, technical, design, and cost parameters.• Led strategic Stage Gate projects from concept to market adoption by building cross-functional teams, developing action-driven milestones, realizing product value propositions and creating the material innovation narrative, resulting in first Naia™ staple fiber adoptions, including programs with ANTA, Patagonia, Gap, and Hugo Boss. • Coached colleagues on proactive customer engagement techniques, such as brand benchmarking, product line analysis, identifying market insights, storytelling, building engaging customer presentations, Strategic and Conceptual Selling (Miller/Heiman).• Drove collaboration across the platform by building an environment of open communication, in which we could better identify gaps and overlaps in our path to continuously improve our products, increase market adoption, and secure our future in the sustainable fiber industry.• Mentored junior colleagues and coach peers through employee on-boarding, textile industry technologies and trends, Eastman processes, policies, safety culture, and community engagement.https://naia.eastman.com

• Led team of scientists, technicians, and business support team members to develop a global fabric library, sample and test materials to support customer engagement.• Launched strategic partnerships with mills in Guatemala, Mexico, US, and Taiwan to train how to knit, wet process, and finish fabrics made from our products, as well as how to market our fiber solutions to brand customers, resulting in over 100 new fabrics to exhibit at Outdoor Retailers.• Collaborated with cross-functional team to create marketing story for Avra(TM) performance fibers and build brand excitement through social media, trade shows, and special events, garnering significant industry interest and resulting in an adoption by Spyder for the 2018 US Olympic Ski Team.• Developed and led Claims Substantiation and Advisory team to ensure all externally-facing claims and marketing materials are fully validated while aligning with the brand image.• Played key role in hiring process, onboarding, and mentoring new colleagues for rapidly growing team.

• Led SUV "Kinetic" segment team of designers, engineers and technicians in benchmarking, trend development, and design discovery calls in order to realize and influence customer buying behaviors.• Led this cross-functional team through the execution of technical trials and efficient communication of results to executive leadership and customers.• Managed strategic partnerships around the globe with OEMs, tier ones, and international partners to source and develop new products through efficient supply chains.• Frequently traveled to customers, industry conferences and trade shows to identify new materials, trends, production technologies and growth opportunities in automotive interiors and develop innovative solutions to place products in these gaps. • Developed inspired product designs for weaving, knitting, printing, embossing, electrowelding, and applique’ by utilizing digital design tools such as Illustrator, Photoshop and AutoCAD. Responsibilities include: Global Design Strategy, Product and Materials Development, Trend and Market Research, Competitive Benchmarking.Product placements (wins) include:• 2015 Ford Mustang (US)• 2016+ Ford F150 XLT Sport (US)• 2016+ Ford Mustang S550 California (US)• 2016+ Dodge Power Wagon (US) - shown below• 2018+ Ford Mustang S550 (US)• 2018+ Nissan Juke (EU)• 2019 SAIC A0 (CH)• 2021+ Nissan Pathfinder (EU)

• Employed expertise in technical design, color development, and trend forecasting to create highly technical performance fabrics for outdoor, athletic/athleisure, military and industrial apparel, and contract upholstery.• Executed all phases of new product development and process development from material selection, laboratory evaluations, and customer trials, to commercialization.• Ensured the success of each product by developing in accordance with customer vision, quality, time, cost, and manufacturing efficiencies.• Implemented PLM within product management, development, and manufacturing.• Developed new equipment, manufacturing processes, and testing procedures.• Directly reported to President and CEO regarding new technologies, materials, and product management system.

• Produced customized strike-offs through digital design, color matching, and screen-printing on textured vinyl for wall coverings used in the hospitality, health care, and professional markets.

• Created Jacquard-woven structures, color blankets, and CAD templates by working directly with manufacturing equipment and implemented these resources into learning environment.• Examined the automotive textile industry, focusing on trend forecasting, market research, and the new product development process.• Interviewed 70 professionals throughout the textile value chain to better understand consumer buying behaviors and brand value drivers.• Presented globally through international conferences and industry publications.• Mentored undergraduate and graduate students at the College by empowering each to utilize their unique skill sets to take ownership of their education and, ultimately, their careers.

• Commissioned by NCSU Chancellor Oblinger to be reconstruct the www.NCSU.edu. • Determined layout and content to best serve the University, with a focus on the Student section.

• Developed prototypes for interior seating system from cellulosic materials.• Assisted in building the Splinter car and trailer to debut at the International Woodworking Fair.

• Worked within all aspects of childrens wear company including design, shipping, retail, and administrative responsibilities.

• Prepared the newly-renovated labs by repairing equipment, such as hand and electronic weaving looms, table-top knitters, and screen printing table, building inventory records, and ordering supplies.