Kayley Shepard Email & Phone Number

Free communication requires expert coordination. I deeply enjoy facilitating collaboration and innovation in open environments that allow members to speak freely and learn from their colleagues, fellow students, or fellow citizens. Working behind the scenes, I manage programs to bring groups of people together, allowing communities of all sizes to join forces and learn without worrying about logistics. In the past 5 years, I have focused primarily on audiences of small business leaders and entrepreneurs. My key projects include:- Planned and managed first-ever University of South Alabama Technology and Research showcase which brought together 80+ key stakeholders, including business leaders from companies such as Airbus and Austal, to learn and engage with researchers at the University. - Collaborated and maintained communications with community partners to organize, promote, and facilitate monthly events featuring nationally recognized speakers as part of Coastal Conversations Program, reaching 150+ community members in-person and 2,000 virtually.- Led logistics planning, marketing, communications, and student recruitment for USA’s I-Corps Experience Program in collaboration with National Science Foundation to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among college students; ~40 students received Innovation Scholar Certificates and networking opportunities.- Organized and led trade missions for countries such as United Arab Emirates to facilitate strategic B2B meetings for exporters in conjunction with U.S. Commercial Service Gold Key program, leading to 20+ exporters from Alabama traveling to competitive markets globally to establish business partnerships. - Managed programs/networking events relating to trade policy, advocacy, export finance, and foreign markets that featured local/national speakers, drawing 50–250 attendees and $40K+ in sponsorships in 2019 and 2020.I am looking forward to furthering my career in program development and management to drive learning and innovation. Let’s connect and explore opportunities to convene and engage your target audiences!Program Coordination & Facilitation | Project Management | Communications | Fundraising | Budgeting | Presentation Development | Logistics Coordination | Event Management | Stakeholder Engagement | Relationship Building | Strategic Planning | Research | Data Analysis | Social Media Marketing | Change Management | Process Improvement