Work

I am an avid supporter of nonprofit and tech culture and appreciate what technology can do to transform, improve and connect our lives. I also value creativity, collaboration, sustainability, and resourcefulness of the people around me. I co-founded Vivanista to support these beliefs, as it is a collaborative environment that provides people and charitable groups a more rapid ramp to profitability with essential fundraising tools and resources.

I love to make things, whether it is designing something new or taking things apart to find a new use for them. I look forward to contributing my own resourcefulness and creativity in order to give back wherever possible. I have leveraged my skills in the workplace gained from years of competitive sports and team leadership, below are a few of the notable projects, speaking events, articles, partnerships and non-profits that I have been fortunate to work with or on.

The Vivanista Fundraising Summit:

On November 11-12, 2011 Vivanista brought together volunteers, leaders, and nonprofit professionals to learn from field experts and exchange best practices in creative, effective fundraising. This first of its kind event disrupted the traditional nonprofit conference. Presentations included speakers such as (RED) creator Tamsin Smith, GirlUp at The UN Foundation director Gina Reiss-Wilchins, Eventbrite VP of Marketing Tamara Mendelsohn and Rick Smolan, TIME, LIFE and National Geographic Photographer, best known as the creator of the ‘Day in the Life’ book series, among others. (See photos)

Leveraging successful corporate strategies, the stellar line-up of speakers addressed hardhitting issues nonprofits and volunteer groups are similarly facing: branding, media relations, corporate sponsorship, ticket sales, ROI-based events and how to maintain sustainable audiences. The day was packed with a series of short TED-like talks, discussions and interactive workshops. Attendee’s learned everything from the Secrets of Effective Crowdsourcing , to Cultivating and Engaging Philanthro-Teens , Using Social Platforms to Drive Ticket Sales , Making the Most of Google Grants, How to Build a Young Professional Community, The Value of a Professional Auctioneer and more.

“I have attended and run dozens of conferences and admire the fresh, fun and dynamic energy that Vivanista brings to the non-profit world. Vivanista has tapped into an innovative group of philanthropists and nonprofiteers that break the ‘status quo’ and have fun experimenting with new models of philanthropy.”-Brady Hahn, Founder of The Nonprofit Effect

STRATEGIC MARKETING CAMPAIGNS:

The VivaBrite Awards, to Award Outstanding Philanthropy

The best charitable fundraising does more than just raise dollars; if done well it also raises awareness for the cause and is a vehicle to build a community of advocates, including both donors and volunteers. Vivanista and Eventbrite joined forces to honor the achievements of nonprofits and individuals in fundraising. The Award winners were recognized at the Fundraising Summit Kick-off party in San Francisco on November 11, 2011.

The 48-Hour College Flash Fundraising Competition

Challenge for college students to create a flash fundraiser that can be executed over 48 Hours. Select teams received a $100 Micro-grant, Flip Video Camera and Free ticketing through Eventbrite. The team that raised the most money was awarded $1,000 donation to charity.

International Women’s Day Parties For a Purpose Campaign

Vivanista joined forces with CARE and Sprinkles Cupcakes to spark a movement during the month of March, encouraging people to host Cupcake Parties for a Purpose™ that raise awareness and funds for CARE. Individuals and groups across the country were invited to organize parties using Meetup.com in their communities, everywhere.

About the Campaign
Parties For a Purpose Toolkit
Vivanista IWD Press Release
Care.org Movement
Personal blog post
Press Coverage: Mashable, Ladies Home Journal, CNET, The Case Foundation, and Cause Cast

Share The Love of Philanthropy Photo Contest

We invited people to tell a story with a digital photograph of a person, place or something that speaks more about philanthropy than words ever can. The Valentine’s photo contest was run through Facebook, using the Wildfire App and crowd-sourced voting to select a winner that received a $1,000 charitable donation. 100 Photo finalists were published in The Love of Philanthropy E-book.

Parties For a Purpose Video Contest

A grassroots campaign that encouraged volunteers to share a favorite party theme, simple-to-implement fundraiser that anyone can host to generate charitable donations. The contest rewarded YouTube videos with the most attending RSVP’s gathered through crowd-sourced voting online.

SPEAKING & EVENTS:

I have presented at multiple conferences and seminars, including: The Exceptional Women in Publishing Conference, Reno-Tahoe WordCamp, Nevada Interactive Media Summit, Ignite, WordPress Meetup’s, and all Vivanista events.

Social Entrepreneurship Panel, Exceptional Women In Publishing 2011

Generating Revenue and Buzz for a Fundraising Event, VivaImpact 2010