Project Director and Operations Expert
My work
I’m an entrepreneur and problem solver by nature, and I believe in doing it without taking yourself too seriously. I love dreaming up, launching, and tending to businesses. I see both long-term strategy and day-to-day challenges as opportunities for powerful growth.
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Harbor Bay Hospitality | 2022 to Present
As the COO of Harbor Bay Hospitality, I've had the honor of operating and growing 4 hospitality concepts and 1 CPG brand in Cleveland, Ohio. We opened all 5 businesses in 2022 and have grown each into award-winning establishments with notable brands and avid fans. We are proud to offer over 180 employees health and wellness benefits, as well as real opportunities for growth. We are inspired everyday by the opportunity to bring high-quality experiences to the wonderful neighborhood of Ohio City.
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As Chief Operating Officer I oversee operations, finance, marketing, HR, employee retention, beverage and community.
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Harbor Bay Hospitality operates as a subsidiary to Harbor Bay Ventures, an innovative development firm with a focus on mass timber construction.
Edda
The most beautiful all-day café and coffee shop in Cleveland, Edda is the neighborhood hub for "working from home" with delicious and healthy fare. Our coffee is roasted delicately by our own women-led roastery. The Edda roastery also supplies our CPG coffee brand, which is anchored by premium bagged coffee and the only local, third-wave, compostable K-cups. You can find our coffee at various grocery stores, artisan shops, and hotels across the city.
Founder and CEO
Lois
New York’s first all-tap wine bar, focused on the democratization of food and wine. Lois was female-owned with a focus on innovative and efficiency-driving hospitality. Often lauded as one of the best wine bars in New York City, Lois operated for 6 years before we sold the business in 2021.
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The Absolute Best Bar in the East Village - New York Magazine
Our 15 Best Date Spots in New York City - Bon Appetit
Lois Is NYC's First Bar to Implement No-Tipping Policy - Thrillist
The Laidback Euro Wine Scene Hits New York - Harpers Bazaar
Aida
Aida was a line of packaged snacks, with a focus on crackers you can’t stop eating. Developed out of community feedback from the snacks we served at Lois, we created a line meant for easy entertaining, focused on accessible ingredients and engaging branding.
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Snacks From an East Village Wine Bar Available Online - The New York Times
Is This The Next Big Trend in The Foodie World? - Domino Magazine
A Slightly Obsessive and Highly Subjective Look at the Best Things We Ate and Drank in 2018 - Bon Appetit
Oh, but there's more
Catering & events
Through Lois, I built a substantial catering business, focused on show-stopping grazing tables. Clients included Buzzfeed, Diageo, Kate Spade, CAMP Toystores, and more.
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As Head of Events at Lois, I also worked on a weekly basis to create intimate events for life milestones and joyful celebrations. Each event was custom designed with food, wine selections, florals and decorations to meet the production needs for each client.
Brand partnerships
I love to connect the dots for creative, fun, mutually beneficial collaborations that help businesses thrive by building off each other’s communities. At Lois and Aida we worked with fabulous partners such as Everlane, Lacoste, Kate Spade, That Cheese Plate, Yes Way Rosé, Buzzfeed, & Donna Chai (among others).
Past & Future
Food, wine, & hospitality - Tuscan style
Ah, youth! My post-college year was a dream, working at incredible establishments in Tuscany (La Bandita, La Foce, Monteverdi Tuscany) showed me what a great life could look like, sparking my drive to focus on my passions of food, wine and thoughtful hospitality.
PR, branding, & focusing on passion
After returning from Italy I was able to tailor my passions of food, wine and travel into my work in New York. I gained experience in marketing, storytelling and brand-building for companies in tech (CLEAR), food & beverage (Colangelo PR), and the world’s largest cookbook publisher (Penguin Random House).
Project-focused, results-driven
I caught the entrepreneurship bug early, and knew I wanted to channel my experience and passion into my own businesses, both of which I started before turning 30. My background in PR, hospitality, and early-stage tech all helped form the basis for success as I went out on my own.
After 10 years as an entrepreneur and 2.5 years running a multi-unit company from inception, I have learned a thing or two about the grit, creativity, and tenacity required to drive projects of all sizes over the finish line with as little friction as possible.
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Project direction, I've found, is just as exciting as building my own brands. I absolutely love taking an idea that needs shaping and strategizing and translating that project to a team of like-minded doers, motivating the execution, and, ultimately, crossing the finish line to satisfied stakeholders.
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