TractorBeam - Rural Economic Equity Accelerator is a startup, social enterprise consultancy focused on the co-creation & implementation of grassroot solutions that address economic equity in rural America through rural-led, stakeholder-supported open innovation.

The On Deck First 50 Fellowship is a highly selective program where top talent comes to accelerate their ideas and careers, surrounded by a world-class community.

Reorganizing, rebuilding, and reimagining the WEA website to make it more impactful for program development, more functional for site visitors, and more efficient for WEA staff.

Worked primarily with microbusinesses and non-profit organizations taking their projects from idea to impact. Managed multiple, varied projects simultaneously including website design & development, app concept & development, strategy consulting, service product design, curriculum development/creating course materials. Continuously improved internal systems to manage tasks more efficiently, set client expectations, and streamline processes. Distilled complex technical information into simple, actionable steps. Advised clients through feasibility, strategic planning, business model decisions, and packaging/pricing their services. Leveraged human-centered design to identify opportunities for strategically redesigning client websites. Collaborated with cross-functional teams and communicated at all levels of client organizations.Major contributions/highlights of achievements:• Built and launched over 20 client websites per year. • Designed and developed the Rest in Power native application, an end-of-life planning tool• Designed, storyboarded, and developed the prototype for the HeartsConnect app, a post-adoption communication platform.• Designed and presented a web application for New Hunger Coalition, a regional farm to food market program. The app would allow them to more easily track donations, report on their impact, and coordinate volunteers. The organization is currently seeking grant funds to develop a prototype.• Conducted internal and external research to strategically re-imagine the site architecture and UX/UI of the website for Rural Resources, the regional community action project. The old website confused visitors who often left not knowing what services were available. With the new UI, users report that they are much more to recommend Rural Resources to a friend now that they understand all of the services they provide.

EffortlessPress development has been paused while I pursue the opportunity to have an even larger impact on social & economic equity by founding TractorBeam: A Rural Tech Talent Accelerator.

The NEW Creators Workshop was a nonprofit, shared-use creative & community space. The space included a makerspace, workshops, community meeting space, coworking, and regular creative/community events. Sadly, we had to close the doors for covid safety protocols only 3 months after our grand opening. After paying rent from our own pockets for over a year, we made the difficult decision to close permanently.

Provided training and 1:1 consulting and technical support to small & solo business startups. Developed & taught a course on business design including core competencies, values, target market, business models, operational plans, and proforma financial projections. Partnered with Alaska InvestNet to serve as the project manager for their 2nd Annual, three-day Entrepreneur University training event. Assisted startup teams with pitch presentations to angel investor groups. Contracted with the SBDC to provide training in remote areas throughout the State of Alaska. Training topics included business planning, creating a simple website, pricing your artisan products, using Google like a pro, and business technology basics. Wrote several government & foundation grants for nonprofit clients. Major contributions/highlights of achievements:• Advised Kim who provides post-adoption support services for birth mothers. Her target user did not have the ability to pay for services. Created a business model that targeted adoption agencies as partners. The agencies contract with Kim to provide her services to their birth mothers. She now has contracts with several top agencies and has helped dozens of birth mothers.• Consulted with Lisa who had a dream to help small food manufacturers in her community. I introduced her to the shared-use commercial kitchen business model. Since then, Kitchen Local has seen dozens of foodpreneurs launch and grow their food businesses.• Advised over 120 clients to build a business that fits their lives. • Delivered over 85 hours of business training and technical assistance virtually and in Alaska’s most remote regions.

Helped define this new role as the school's first Director of Student Success. Helped students remove personal, emotional, and institutional obstacles to their success. Created an electronic bulletin board where students could share resources like rides, childcare, and textbooks. Developed the school's first grievance policy and process, so the students would have somewhere to go with their concerns and complaints. Contacted students who were absent to help them problem solve issues keeping them from attending and coordinated with their instructors when needed. Mentored students 1:1 while we brainstormed how to address the personal challenges that were affecting their ability to excel in their schoolwork. Created and taught workshops on time management, stress management, and writing research papers.

Revitalized the program by redefining the target market, updating the training programs, increasing outreach, and developing community relationships. Steadily increased the capacity and sustainability of the Women$Finances program. Wrote & managed the program budget, as well as all grants and donor relationships, including a 10-year federal SBA grant and a highly competitive, nationwide grant from the Ms. Foundation Collaborative Fund for Women’s Economic Development. Launched the Alaska Microenterprise Incubation (AMI) Center, the first shared-use office space, co-working space, & training center of its kind in the state. Facilitated annual & quarterly strategic planning. Tracked outcomes for our clients and reported impact to the board, grantors, and donors. Hired and led the program staff and volunteers through mentorship and collaboration. Designed and developed course materials and marketing collateral. Managed the only microloan project in Alaska, coached clients through the application process, presented applications to our Advisory Board for approval, and managed the loans once they were awarded.Major contributions/highlights of achievements:• Selected as the YWCA USA National Model Program for Women's Economic Advancement.• Awarded the Ms. Foundation's Collaborative Fund for Women's Economic Development.• Successfully coached 100% of microloan applicants to received funding. All loans were also paid off.• Taught over 200 women to start and grow their own businesses.

Taught Marketing in Fall of 2004 and Fall of 2005. Modified the standard course design to give students a more immersive, learn-by-doing experience. Coordinated with local small businesses & nonprofits to pair them with student-led teams conducting market research & creating marketing plans for them. Implemented a 360-evalutation process which served as a portion of the group project score.

Redesigned and wrote new curriculum for the program's ten-week entrepreneurship class within three weeks of taking the position. Developed a data management system for marketing and client communications. Consulted with clients on a daily basis about writing business plans, creating marketing strategies, performing feasibility, creating business budgets and financials, securing financing, improving their processes, and more. Designed an instructor-led, online version of the entrepreneurship course in Moodle.

Taught Marketing in the Fall of 2003. Taught Organizational Development in the Summer of 2004 both in the classroom and online.

Provided one-on-one technical assistance for manufacturing concerns helping them develop developed operational plans, financial projections, and marketing strategies. Researched each manufacturer’s industry to quickly understand where the opportunities were for innovation. Designed and wrote copy for AKMA marketing collateral. Created and maintained three websites. Implemented direct mail and broadcast email marketing strategies. Major contributions/highlights of achievements:• Led the AKMA role in the development and planning of the first ever Entrepreneur University Alaska, a statewide, one-day training conference with over 500 attendees. • Designed and developed the website for Alaska Quality Seafood, a national campaign and quality check program promoting wild Alaskan salmon.

Hired to align the sales and marketing efforts of a venture-funded industrial start-up. Developed the corporate Strategic Marketing Plan. Redesigned the website to complement the brand message. Designed, implemented and administered a sales-lead database in Goldmine. Managed the daily operations, training and direction of the sales team. Developed marketing materials, white papers, and design templates for both. Created a three-phased direct mail strategy. Major contributions/highlights of achievements:• Met with the CEO before leaving to ask if they had considered a change in their business model. Their product required a substantial cash outlay which required the purchase to go through procurement. This meant the sales cycle could be months or years long, which did not please their investors. This also meant a lot of time and money was spent nurturing leads that may never result in sales. Suggested switching to a model where the company leased the use, installation, and ongoing maintenance. This would shift the purchase from a capital expense to an operational expense. More people in their target companies were empowered to approve operational expenses. This would make the sales cycle much smaller and would lead to happier investors, less money spent nurturing leads, and increased, sustainable profits. Soon after I left, I learned that they did begin using the leasing business model.