Creative Skills & Hobbies

Alexandra Iliopoulos

Product Designer

Hello, my name is Alexandra and I am a highly skilled and experienced UI/UX Designer with a passion for creating visually stunning and user-friendly digital experiences. With a strong background in Visual Design and Web Design, I have honed my skills in creating intuitive and engaging user interfaces that not only captivate users but also drive results. Throughout my career, I have worked extensively with Figma, utilizing its powerful features to bring my design concepts to life. I am well-versed in UI best practices and have a keen eye for detail, ensuring that every element of my designs is meticulously crafted to perfection. I am also proficient in creating design systems, which not only streamline the design process but also maintain consistency across various platforms and devices. One of the aspects that sets me apart is my deep understanding of UX design principles. I believe that a successful design is not just visually appealing but also seamlessly guides users through their journey, providing them with a delightful experience. By conducting thorough user research and testing, I am able to identify pain points and create solutions that address the needs and desires of the target audience. In addition to my technical expertise, I am also passionate about mentoring and helping others improve their skillsets. I firmly believe in the power of knowledge sharing and collaboration, and I am always eager to guide and inspire aspiring designers to reach their full potential. I find great joy in seeing others grow and succeed, and I am committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive design community. With a proven track record of delivering exceptional results and a genuine passion for my craft, I am confident in my ability to take on any design challenge that comes my way. Whether it's creating captivating user interfaces, optimizing user experiences, or mentoring aspiring designers, I am dedicated to pushing the boundaries of design and creating meaningful connections between users and digital products. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate and create impactful designs together.

Evan Mulligan

Career Development Coach & Resume Writer

Hi there! My name is Evan and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share a little bit about myself with you. As a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) with over 15 years of experience in sales, marketing, and recruiting, I have dedicated my career to helping individuals navigate the ever-changing world of professional development. Throughout my own journey, I have experienced firsthand the frustration and dissatisfaction that can come from being stuck in unfulfilling jobs and careers. However, it was through these challenges that I discovered my true passion: helping people find and meet their career goals in a personalized, one-on-one setting. My expertise as a career coach lies in resume writing, interview preparation, offer negotiation, raise negotiation, LinkedIn profile enhancement, and career strategy. Whether you are just starting out on your career journey, considering a career change, or simply need to update your resume to stand out as the top applicant, I am uniquely qualified to provide you with the guidance and support you need. What sets me apart is my genuine enthusiasm for helping others and my ability to solve problems. I believe that everyone deserves to find a career they are truly passionate about, and I am here to help you discover that path. With my extensive background in sales, marketing, and recruiting, I have the knowledge and expertise to guide you towards success. So, if you are ready to take the next step in your professional journey, I am here to support you every step of the way. Together, we will uncover your true passions, craft a standout resume, enhance your LinkedIn profile, and prepare you for those all-important interviews. No matter your age or stage in life, I am here to help. I will be your copilot on this exciting journey in making your career dreams a reality. Get in touch with me today and let's get started!

Tom Hadley

Startup Product Management & Engineering Advisor

My name is Tom and I am a seasoned professional in the field of product management and engineering for startups. With a wealth of experience working with companies in the pre-seed to pre-IPO stage, I have honed my expertise in guiding these ventures towards success. One of my key strengths lies in my deep understanding of various tech stacks and software architectures. I have a knack for identifying the most suitable technologies and frameworks to build robust and scalable products. Additionally, I excel in hiring and leading high-performing engineering teams, ensuring that the right talent is in place to drive innovation and deliver exceptional results. Another area where I bring immense value is in API design. I have a proven track record of creating well-documented and intuitive APIs that enable seamless integration with external systems. This expertise allows me to optimize the user experience and enhance the overall functionality of the products I work on. In addition to my technical prowess, I am also well-versed in product design and the development of minimum viable products (MVPs). I understand the importance of creating user-centric solutions that address real pain points and deliver tangible value. By leveraging my skills in product management, I am able to guide startups in crafting compelling product roadmaps and executing successful go-to-market strategies. What sets me apart is my ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders. I have a knack for translating complex technical concepts into clear and concise language that resonates with non-technical founders. This enables effective collaboration and ensures that everyone is aligned towards achieving the company's goals. If you are a non-technical founder looking to navigate the challenging landscape of product management and engineering, I am the ideal candidate to guide you. With my extensive experience and unique skill set, I am confident in my ability to help you build and scale successful startups. I am passionate about empowering startups to reach their full potential, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with you and contribute to your success.

Florentina Sergiou

Full Stack Design | AI Prompt Engineer | Marketing

Hey there, I’m Florentina! With both BSc and MSc degrees from New York University, I bring a diverse range of expertise to the table. Here’s a glimpse into my areas of specialization: 🌎 Adventure Travel & Tourism: I have explored 18 countries, seeking thrilling experiences such as skydiving, ziplining through cloud forests at 5,000ft, riding camel-back around the Pyramids of Giza, jet skiing along the Hudson River, and cliff jumping in the Mediterranean Sea. Having resided in New York City for six years and traveled to Cyprus 15 times, I hold extensive knowledge of both urban and coastal lifestyles, making me an excellent resource for your next adventure. 🦾 Artificial Intelligence (AI): Alongside teaching workshops and gaining recognition as a trending artist on Pinterest's "Today Tab," one of my artworks was displayed as the first AI generated piece at the iconic Rockefeller Center in NYC. As an AI Prompt Engineer, I can guide you in effectively communicating with AI to achieve your desired outcomes. 🎨 Graphic Design: With over 10 years of experience using the Adobe Suite, I am a seasoned full stack designer proficient in 2D graphics, web design, and 3D modeling. My creations have landed on eight foot flags flying around the rink at Rockefeller Center on four occasions. I have also shared my knowledge through facilitating design thinking workshops, empowering others to unleash their creative potential. 🛠️ Manufacturing & Production: For five years, I have been actively instructing users on various machinery, ranging from laser cutting to CNC milling to 3D printing. Not only have I taught these skills, but I have also applied them to personal projects, such as building laser-cut sculptures and upcycling PCB boards into jewelry pieces. 🚀 Marketing & Sales: With a broad skill set honed through positions at NASA, Wilder World, NYU MakerSpace, Arrow Electronics, Micro Strategies, and Buena Gente, I currently serve as Expert Session's Marketing Manager. Having amassed extensive experience in marketing, I am well-equipped to provide valuable insights and strategies. Additionally, I can offer resume and portfolio feedback to help you make a lasting impression in the field. I look forward to sharing my expertise with you and helping you achieve your goals!

Lisa Pertoso

Creativity Coach / Comedian / Learning Designer

🌟Feel stuck on a work or life project and need a creativity boost? 🌟 I’ll shake up your perspective with tools from comedy and experiential learning principles. Approach your challenge with fresh eyes with writing, verbal, and/or movement exercises. 💡How have I supported others? Some examples…💡 – Best practices on how to lead brainstorming / ideation sessions – Speaking / presentation / facilitation tips to increase confidence – Energizing ice breakers for more effective meetings and gatherings – Fun, creative activities for the solopreneur who needs a routine break – Feedback on humor and satire short written pieces 🌎 Why me? 🌏 * Designed & facilitated thousands of people through remote and live learning experiences * 20+ years experience in professional development, experience design, and consulting * 13 years of performing improv theater, storytelling, sketch comedy * Published writer: satire and personal essays = portfolio: https://lapertoso.medium.com/ Why me? The Official Bio... Lisa Pertoso is a learning designer, facilitator, and organizational coach. She founded Follow the Fear, an experiential learning company, to help organizations and individuals prepare for the future of work by developing our most vital human skills: adaptability, communication, creativity, empathy, and self-awareness. Throughout her 20+ year career, Lisa has brought playful and human-centric learning experiences to thousands of people in the U.S., Asia, Australia, and Europe. She has led workshops, classes, and talks for the public and for clients including NYC Department of Health, Brooklyn Public Library, BMW Group, Equinox, TBWA, and Pragmatic Institute. Her personal essays and satire pieces have been featured in Glamour, Women's Health, Insider, McSweeney's and more. Lisa follows her fears every day as an improvisation performer, writer, and parent. Learn more and connect with Lisa on Linkedin.

Faren Ahlman

Career Coach

Hi there! I'm a career coach and recruiter. I love reading resumes and coaching clients to help them get to the next level in their careers. I use my 10+ years as a recruiting professional to help job-seekers understand what's happening behind the scenes when they apply to a role. This gives them an edge in the job market and allows them to make better decisions about their careers. It's all about demystifying the process and helping people achieve their goals!

Rebecca Royal

Event Planner and Productivity Nerd

I am a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), and have a Certificate in Event Management from The George Washington University. I am creative, hardworking, and detail oriented. I enjoys working with others and watching creative visions come to life. In my spare time, I test and implement new productivity tools, build websites, and manage social media for my local chapter of a non-profit. TECHNICAL SKILLS: • Microsoft Office (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher) • Swoogo, A2Z, CVENT, Netforum/Abila, EventRebels • Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Canva • Mobile Application Development • Basic HTML/CSS • Wordpress • Cadmium • GoToMeeting, Zoom • Constant Contact, FloDesk • Proficient in American Sign Language

Clarissa Kear

Visual Artist & Art Instructor

Clarissa Kear is a Philadelphia based contemporary realist painter, and graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, with a major in painting. Clarissas expertise is in painting/drawing fundamentals, composition, and etching techniques. She utilizes her classical training as a springboard to create large scale, imaginative studio paintings. Clarissa is an expert in oil painting, and imaginative composition. She offers a session titled 'Drawing and Painting from Imagination' where students will engage with a variety of mediums in order to transform intuitive sketches into fully realized compositions. In this session, you will learn the practice of automatic drawing and will acquire knowledge about painters and illustrators who create from imagination. By the end the session, you will have completed a fully realized work of art entirely from imagination in the medium of your choice that emulates their own personal style and vision. She also offers a session for beginners titled 'Drawing Fundamentals' This session is for someone would is looking to learn more about techniques related to classical art training. In this session, Clarissa will show you how to build up a drawing using the 19th century method of charcoal handling. This will produce a fast, concise, and visually accurate representation of your subject, and open doors for you to start drawing more accurately. Lastly, Clarissa offers a session in intro to drypoint etching. This will familiarize you with etching tools, as well as the history of etching. You will also learn a variety of hatching techniques, how to transfer a pencil drawing to a metal plate, and how to create a small printed edition of original artwork. This course will require you to have access to a print shop, or etching press. Clarissas courses will require a small amount of required art materials to get started, which will be provided via email after signing up! You can view Clarissas portfolio at clarissakear.com.

John Canela

Tech Career Coach & Cybersecurity Consultant

My purpose is to elevate untapped potential by delivering personalized coaching, actionable resources, and accountability. I want to live in a world where early-career professionals, career changers, and underrepresented groups achieve fulfilling tech careers. I currently work as a Senior Consultant at Google, and I focus on Computer Forensics and Incident Response as a service; advising and communicating relevant findings of cyber threats to customers at Fortune 1000 companies. I like talking about cyber security, career coaching, and helping people think bigger. Whether you're a new graduate, changing careers, or aiming for a promotion, our sessions will help you walk into the next step in your career with confidence and clarity. Look forward to working together! #InThisTogether #grateful

Brandon Kuipers

E-commerce Growth Strategist

Co-founder and CMO of ZOX, a DTC E-commerce accessories business and top Shopify store with over 9,000,000 wristbands sold since 2011. Recent co-founder of "where do you draw the line?", a conversational relationship card game. Expert in paid social marketing, growth tactics, and more. I have a passion for start-ups, angel investing, and guiding businesses on tools and features that would add value to my own businesses. I host a local entrepreneurs' pickup basketball league with a few friends here in Austin. Lover of all things plant-based or sustainable.

Ciera Hines

Behavior Analyst & ABA Consultant

As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), I am dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals through the application of science-based principles of behavior. My mission is to promote positive change, foster independence, and improve the quality of life for those I work with. With a strong foundation in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), I employ evidence-based strategies to address a wide range of behavioral challenges and developmental concerns. My sessions will be geared towards two different types of audiences; individuals interested in going into the field, and parents that have questions and/or concerns about ABA therapy for their child.

Joseph Brand

"designer"

Hi there! My name is Joseph and I'm thrilled to share a little bit about myself with you. I consider myself a well-rounded designer and technician, with a passion for creating visually stunning and functional designs. Throughout my career, I've honed my skills in various design software, including Adobe Illustrator, Indesign, and Revit. These tools have become an extension of my creative process, allowing me to bring my ideas to life with precision and finesse. One of the things that sets me apart is my diverse experience in design at all scales. From print media to architecture, I've had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects, each presenting its own unique challenges and rewards. This exposure has given me a well-rounded perspective and the ability to approach design from multiple angles. I take great pride in my ability to provide valuable advice and guidance to others in the field. Whether you're looking for specific help on a project or simply want to gain a cursory overview of industry-standard design software, I'm here to lend a helping hand. I believe that sharing knowledge and fostering growth within the design community is essential for our collective success. When it comes to finding the ideal candidate, I thrive in collaborative environments where creativity and innovation are valued. I enjoy working with individuals who are passionate about their projects and are open to exploring new ideas. Together, we can create something truly remarkable. In conclusion, I am Joseph, a designer and technician with a diverse skill set and a passion for creating exceptional designs. I am here to share my expertise, provide guidance, and collaborate with like-minded individuals. Let's embark on this creative journey together!

Tania Friedlander

Performance & Leadership Coach

Tania is an attorney and a former champion athlete. She was one of the top Austrian table tennis players and Vienna champion. In addition she won 4 medals at the Jewish Olympics (European Maccabi Games) including gold. Plus, she has a passion for ballroom dancing and performed at the Vienna Opera Ball. She has trained at world-leading coaching institutions. She is an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and a Certified Gallup Global Strengths Coach. She is driven by her passion for helping individuals break through their challenges, whether professional or personal. She has the privilege of working with executives and emerging leaders from Google, Facebook, Salesforce, Neiman Marcus, Morgan Stanley and other leading companies. She has helped 300+ high performers with: Clarity Direction Identify and Leverage their Strengths Confidence Productivity Peak Performance Motivation Goal achievement Leadership Development Business Development She lived in four countries and 12 cities and is a wife and mother of four girls. She is bilingual in English and German. Featured in various publications: Women in Leadership Publication Brainz Magazine Mishpacha Magazine N'Shei Chabad

Meredith Benedict

Leadership Coach & Career Strategist

Meredith is a Leadership Coach based in New Jersey with over 15 years of experience in the corporate world, most recently leading marketing teams at Meta/Facebook. She also has an MBA from the University of California at UC Berkeley. She has worked with clients ranging from new managers to C-suite executives in the tech, financial services, media, consulting, CPG, healthcare, nonprofit and government sectors. Her clients come from a variety of companies including Google, Apple, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, Capital One, KPMG and Samsung. Meredith helps rising and established leaders explore and define what’s next. She works with clients on a variety of topics, including building executive presence, refining their personal brand, identifying where they want to head in their career and being intentional in how they show up in difficult moments. She has extensive training in interpersonal dynamics and helps clients functionally with building influence and conflict management. In her corporate roles, she directly coached C-level leaders at Meta/Facebook on their external and internal presentations and communications and regularly works with clients on their public speaking skills. Meredith guides clients through a self-discovery process in order to anchor their choices in their personal goals and barriers. She then incorporates leadership and relationship skill-building - rooted in data-backed practices and her own strategic insights - to help with external and internal obstacles along the way. Finally, she partners with clients to identify the actions they want to take to be better leaders and long-term strategies to keep growing well beyond the coaching engagement. Meredith’s style is direct and inquisitive. She asks powerful questions that empower clients to think deeply about their choices. Her clients say that they feel supported to explore challenging feelings and circumstances and leave sessions with more clarity on their next steps. Meredith is an ICF-certified coach (PCC) trained in the Co-Active coaching model. She has led teams and multi-million dollar initiatives at companies such as Meta/Facebook, ModCloth and Innovation Works.

Scott Purcell

Product & UX Design Leader

I am Scott, a seasoned professional with 15 years of experience in Product and UX Design Leadership. Throughout my career, I have been at the forefront of pioneering profitable growth through game-changing product experiences. My expertise spans across various industries, including Healthcare, Travel & Transportation, Hospitality, Ecommerce, Retail, Real Estate, Energy, Education, Banking & Finance, Shipping Logistics, SaaS, and more. My skill set encompasses a wide range of areas, such as UI synthesis, rapid prototyping, journey mapping, design systems, data UI design, and accessibility. I am proficient in tools like Miro, Figma, Adobe, and have extensive experience in mobile, web, and hybrid design. Additionally, I possess a strong background in Lean UX Canvas, personas, ML/AI, user testing, and design thinking. Throughout my professional journey, I have achieved significant milestones and made a tangible impact. For instance, I reduced patient documentation time for clinicians from 20 to 5 minutes using AI, resulting in a 26% improvement in product viability ahead of EYO projects. I also helped apartment seekers find their dream homes by providing filtering tools that match their mental models, increasing speed-to-market for a top US real estate management client with three user-targeted templates in just two months. Furthermore, I created a progressive login system for Toyota that dynamically demonstrates membership program benefits, leading to increased CRM conversion rates. I replaced a rollerboard full of documents with a hand-held app for Family Dollar General Managers, resulting in an impressive 89% day-one adoption and improved relationships between IT and business partners. I have also improved the food delivery driver's experience by reducing interface clutter, leading to fewer road accidents, order errors, and improved customer satisfaction. In addition to my accomplishments, I am uniquely qualified to provide advice and guidance in various areas, including mental health care, shipping logistics, educational institutions, and insurance lending. I have empowered mental health care patients to monitor and share their progress, untangled complex shipping lingo for shippers and carriers, and improved program quality for educational institutions by helping nursing students successfully complete their clinical hours. I am an ideal candidate for founders, user experience designers, product managers, business executives, startups, medium-sized businesses looking to scale, and Fortune 500 companies. With my extensive experience, expertise, and proven track record, I am confident in my ability to drive innovation, deliver exceptional results, and provide valuable insights to any organization. Thank you for considering my professional biography.

Andrew Yeung

Dubbed the "Gatsby of Silicon Alley" by Business Insider. Built an audience of 100k+ tech leaders. Ex-Google / Facebook leader.

Andrew Yeung is a product leader at Google (ex-Meta), investor, writer, event producer, and expert in community building and going viral. He's produced over 100+ tech events and build a community of 20,000+ tech CEOs, leaders, and founders in 6 cities and was dubbed the "Gatsby of Silicon Alley" by Businesses Insider, and featured on Bloomberg, This Week in Startups, Morning Brew, and Fortune Magazine. Fast Company even said he "throws the best meetups of young creative professionals." His platform reaches over 100,000+ tech leaders and he has helped thousands get jobs, hire talent, get press, raise money, and scale their companies. Andrew's areas of expertise: • Marketing • Going viral • Brand building • Event production • Audience building • Community building • Career development • Landing competitive tech jobs

James Friscia

AI Research Leader & Tech Product Scaling Expert

Hello, I'm James, a former strategy consultant, turned gaming product director, turned AI research leader. I am currently CEO and Cofounder of CoNote (www.conote.ai), a platform redefining research with AI. I am passionate about launching and scaling technical products (as well as surfing!). Book a session with me if: A) You want to talk about the latest trends in AI for insights / research. B) You want to dive deep on the business of gaming. C) You are thinking about founding a tech or AI company from zero and want to form a playbook (or just hear about the many things that I did both right and wrong). D) You are interested in how I transitioned out of corporate to build a successful consulting practice. I have worked across the world for Fortune 500 companies, unicorns, & small startups. I have sat as advisor, in house corporate leader, and founder. In all instances, I have seen time and time again how uncovering insights from users/customer and detecting broader market signals is critical to success. Looking forward to our potential session together!

Amy Sanchez

Executive Leadership Coach

Amy Sanchez is an Executive Coach, Workshop Facilitator, Keynote Speaker and CEO of Swim Against the Current. She specializes in helping high potential leaders and teams up-level their leadership approach to improve happiness, impact and earning potential. In addition to the work Amy does with individuals and teams, she also leads group coaching for c-suite women who are members of Chief. (Chief's mission: to drive women forward into positions of power and keep them there). Amy holds a B.S. degree in Marketing and Psychology, an MBA degree from USC and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) license, one of the highest coaching distinctions. She is an industry thought leader, and has worked with clients from companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Stanford, Apple, Google, Lucile Packard, Amgen, Pinterest, Pfizer, and many more (including medium and small companies). Amy has been featured in leading business publications including Fast Company, Glassdoor, Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, and The CEO Magazine.

Adam Barney

Growth Coach & Networking Expert

Greetings! As a Growth Coach, my goal is to assist you in discovering your unique superpower. Personally, my superpower is networking! I am convinced that everyone has a talent worth exploring, and I am here to provide the necessary support to help you achieve your objectives, including energy and accountability support. My powerful and interactive training workshop is designed to focus on essential soft skills such as professionalism, communication, and networking. With over two decades worth of experience leading and developing teams in non-linear marketing careers, I have worked alongside established brands as well as startups. Currently, I am constructing my own coaching practice for the second time and am thrilled to share my expertise with you.

Jason Zhu

Design Strategist & Startup Advisor

I'm Jason, the cornerstone of Nen Creative, a design studio based in vibrant New York. My academic journey in design commenced at Carnegie Mellon University. Before establishing Nen Creative, I played pivotal roles in consulting for clients like Google and co-founding Parthean, a financial literacy startup backed by Pear VC that successfully secured funding and continues to thrive. At Nen Creative, our forte is collaborating with startups and VC entities. Our impressive client roster boasts names like Andreessen Horowitz, Hearth AI, Pear VC, Mantis VC - The Chainsmokers, the University of Pittsburgh, and Utopia Labs, among others. Our palette of services spans branding, web design, product design, and various deck presentations (from fundraising to LP and AGM). Positioned uniquely at the nexus of startups and design, I excel in the transformative 0 to 1 phase. My door is always open to all founders seeking funding, a design evaluation, or guidance. Off-duty, my passions are tending to my garden, indulging in chess, and expressing myself through painting/drawing.