The Team
Experienced Leaders Empowering Organizations with Data and Deployable AI
The Leadership Team
Experienced Leaders Building Responsible AI for Real-World Value
Christine Duque
두케 세린
CEO & Managing Partner
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Turning complex AI and digital transformation problems into clear, human-centered strategies that actually get deployed, deliver ROI, and stay ethical.Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m the CEO and Managing Partner of Alonsera, where I lead AI strategy, solutions, and deployment across sectors and markets. I’m best known for building responsible, scalable AI ecosystems and leading more than $2B in award‑winning AI and digital initiatives for Fortune 50/100/500 companies and emerging markets—driving results like up to 70% faster data ingestion and 30–50% gains in customer engagement efficiency.Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help leaders move from AI buzzwords to measurable outcomes by:Designing ethical AI and governance frameworks they can trust
Connecting research, talent, and ventures so innovation sticks
Enabling smarter decisions, higher ROI, and true future‑readiness
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about responsible leadership, advancing women in technology, and empowering emerging markets. I wrote the Amazon best-seller Walking in My Shoes: Shattering Glass Ceilings in Corporate America and serve on UC Irvine’s Graduate Division Dean’s Leadership Council and Oxford University’s Kellogg College Commission on Sustainability.Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: Before AI strategy, there was opera. I’m an accomplished operatic soprano and actress with a degree from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music—I made my debut at Carnegie Hall and I’m known to get the karaoke party started.
Chief Technology Officer | Chief AI Officer
Head of Global AI Center of Excellence & Venture Studio
Nikos Acuña
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Connecting the dots between frontier AI research, systems engineering, and real-world business value—then building the platforms that make it all work at scale.Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m a pioneering AI researcher, technologist, and founder with over two decades of experience in AI/ML/NLP platform development, business transformation, and systems engineering. As CEO and Co‑Founder of Aion Labs, I’ve built and operationalized AI R&D innovation labs with blue‑chip tech companies like Rocket Fuel, Sizmek/Amazon, and Domo, and deployed AI data products that have generated more than $300M in revenue worldwide.Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help brands and enterprises harness the next wave of AI by:Designing and deploying machine-augmented systems that scale globally
Advancing data sovereignty and planetary-scale computation strategies
Merging computer vision, systems engineering, and generative diffusion models to unlock new frontiers of growth and operational excellence
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about the future of intelligence—human, artificial, and everything in between—and how design, ethics, and systems thinking can shape more resilient economies and cultures.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I spend as much time thinking about the philosophy of intelligence and creativity as I do about the code—my happy place is where science fiction, systems theory, and emerging tech intersect.
Tophe Enerio
Managing Partner
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Translating complex digital transformation into coordinated execution—aligning business, product, engineering, and data teams so strategy turns into measurable outcomes at scale.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m known for leading enterprise transformation across GTM systems, MarTech, SalesTech, customer platforms, and revenue ecosystems—bringing strategy, technology, and execution together to deliver measurable business impact. I’ve built and scaled global marketing, CRM, and GTM capabilities, modernized operating models, and driven growth across retail, technology, payments, and pharma. My edge is combining deep Salesforce and MarTech expertise with strong product and portfolio leadership—turning complex ecosystems into connected, high-performing platforms that elevate customer experience and accelerate revenue.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help organizations move from fragmented capabilities to connected, customer-centric platforms that drive real business results. I lead end-to-end transformation across MarTech, loyalty, and customer data platforms, modernize CRM and marketing ecosystems, and design unified omnichannel engagement strategies. By aligning teams, processes, and technology into scalable operating models, I deliver measurable growth—improving acquisition, retention, and customer lifetime value.Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about building and giving back—whether that’s mentoring teams, helping others grow their careers, or teaching practical skills like couponing to help foster families and underserve communities stretch their dollars. I enjoy bringing people together around shared goals and creating impact beyond the workplace.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I’m equally comfortable in discussing vision all the way into the weeds—whether it’s whiteboarding a transformation strategy or diving deep into the architecture and integrations that make it real. The best part is seeing it all come together when the team delivers.
Lilit Davtyan
Co-Founder | Partner
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Bringing clarity and confidence to complex financial and operational decisions—especially in fast‑growing, high‑stakes environments.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m a former CEO and CFO with deep experience across private businesses and PricewaterhouseCoopers. I’m best known for guiding fast‑growing private companies through transformation and scale, earning industry recognition as both “CEO of the Year” and “CFO of the Year.” I hold a B.B.A. from Woodbury University and a Master’s from USC Marshall School of Business.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help leaders turn growth ambitions into sustainable business models by:Designing financial and operational strategies that support scale
Strengthening governance, risk management, and performance discipline
Acting as a trusted advisor through major inflection points and transformations
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about helping entrepreneurs and emerging leaders build financially sound, resilient companies—and about opening more doors for women in business and finance.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I’m just as energized by mentoring over coffee as I am by boardroom strategy sessions—nothing makes me happier than watching a founder’s financial story finally “click.”
DuWayne Milner
Partner - Strategy and Innovation
Practice Lead
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Turning bold, complex growth ideas into clear strategies and measurable results.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m a strategist and growth architect with over three decades of experience guiding Fortune 500 and mid‑market firms through transformative change. At Equifax, I led strategy and innovation for Workforce Solutions, helping it grow from the smallest to the largest and fastest‑growing business unit, and I was a founding member of the AI Governance Council. Earlier at American Express Incentive Services, I led a complex multi‑platform migration across global development centers—under budget, with zero client churn—and earned patents for scalable, customer‑centric innovation.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help leaders:Shape strategy that actually translates into growth
Launch differentiated products grounded in value‑chain innovation
Embed responsible AI into core business models
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about the intersection of strategy, innovation, technology, and finance—and about helping teams move from conceptual thinking to actionable, sustainable growth.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I’m a CPA who loves both a clean balance sheet and a messy whiteboard session—my favorite days include a bit of each.
Our Strategic Partners
Partnering for Impact: Aligning Vision with Integrated Responsible AI
David Lin
Principal -
Cybersecurity Practice Lead
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Building security programs that are both practical and robust—protecting what matters while enabling the business to move fast.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m a senior technology and information security leader experienced in orchestrating global InfoSec programs with strong governance, empowered security cultures, and high‑performing teams. I serve on the board of the National Technology Security Coalition (NTSC), a non‑partisan organization advocating for the CISO community with federal and state representatives and uniting public and private leaders around cybersecurity policy.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help organizations:Design and operationalize effective cybersecurity governance
Navigate elevated risk profiles in fast‑changing environments
Align security strategy with business priorities and regulatory realities
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about growing the cybersecurity community and expanding career pathways. I co‑founded ISSA SoCal and advise several nonprofit security organizations to connect practitioners, share knowledge, and create advancement opportunities.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I love connecting people just as much as protecting systems—some of my favorite “security wins” start as simple community conversations.
Carl Horton
Founder and Managing Director BlueAcumen
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Bringing clarity, structure and alignment to complex business and technology challenges so organizations can make confident, data informed decisions.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: As Founder and Managing Director of Blue Acumen, I am known for building and leading high‑performing, outcome-oriented teams. Although my work centers on innovation, I am known for relationship development, executive governance and authentic communications to effectively solve challenges while reducing risks.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help clients:Establish business vision and capabilities roadmap around shared objectives in dynamic, high‑risk environments
Align teams on an enterprise solution that drives significant value creation and business impact
Create actionable recommendations and roadmaps, provide support implementing business recommendations and technology solutions and designing change management strategies to ensure and measure adoption of new capabilities.
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about entrepreneurship and leadership development. I dedicated significant time mentoring and helping current and future leaders build the judgment and resilience needed in a rapidly shifting threat landscape.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I’m deeply committed to community development through education. I started my career as a Math teacher in an urban school and have continued to advocate for education reform to provide fundamental capabilities for our future generations.
Minsan Park
Global Learning Practice Lead
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Designing learning experiences that actually change behavior—scaling skills, confidence, and leadership across entire organizations.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m a seasoned learning and development professional with extensive experience designing and implementing innovative training programs. I’ve worked with multinational corporations like POSCO Group, Daewoo International Corporation, and TikTok, building a deep understanding of human capital development across industries and global markets.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help organizations:Build high‑impact learning strategies tied directly to business outcomes
Improve sales performance, team agility, and leadership capability
Design data‑informed, AI‑powered learning initiatives that deliver measurable performance improvements
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about helping people unlock their potential—especially through thoughtful, scalable learning ecosystems that support continuous growth.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I love translating complex skill maps into simple, engaging learning journeys—my favorite compliment is when a team says, “That was actually fun and useful.”
Mazi Zarrehparvar
Program Director
Global Learning & Dialogues for the Global AI CoE
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Translating complex AI, data-governance, and sustainability challenges into practical training and programs that enable public-sector leaders to adopt responsible, auditable solutions.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m Strategic Partner and AI Education & Enablement Public Sector Program Director at Alonsera, where I design and run large-scale AI training and enablement programs for governments and institutions. I’m best known for driving responsible AI adoption, data governance, and digital transformation across public-sector ministries and investor ecosystems. I’ve led 30+ years of investment and project leadership at organizations including Morgan Stanley and Hensel Phelps, directed international project development for state and defense projects, and currently direct the Korean AI Training Program at Oxford.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help leaders/clients:Move from AI concepts to operational training programs that build internal capability and accountability
Establish transparent, auditable ESG and data-governance standards that investors and regulators can trust
Align policy, technology, and practitioner training to scale sustainable digital transformation across ministries and regions
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about responsible AI, sustainability, data transparency, and capacity building in government. I teach and run AI training programs (e.g., Oxford’s Korean AI Training Program), lead the Finance Working Group at the Oxford Commission on Sustainability Data, and collaborate with institutional investors and major software companies on standards.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I’ve worked across finance, defense, and international development over a 30‑year career, and I hold degrees from UC Berkeley (BA), University of Chicago (MBA), and Oxford (MSc).
Chairman – ASEAN Economic Forum
Executive Director – OpenGov Asia
Strategic Partner – 3A Ventures
Cyrus Daruwala
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Bringing clarity, structure and alignment to complex business and technology challenges so organizations can make confident, data informed decisions.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: As Founder and Managing Director of Blue Acumen, I am known for building and leading high‑performing, outcome-oriented teams. Although my work centers on innovation, I am known for relationship development, executive governance and authentic communications to effectively solve challenges while reducing risks.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help clients:Establish business vision and capabilities roadmap around shared objectives in dynamic, high‑risk environments
Align teams on an enterprise solution that drives significant value creation and business impact
Create actionable recommendations and roadmaps, provide support implementing business recommendations and technology solutions and designing change management strategies to ensure and measure adoption of new capabilities.
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about entrepreneurship and leadership development. I dedicated significant time mentoring and helping current and future leaders build the judgment and resilience needed in a rapidly shifting threat landscape.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I’m deeply committed to community development through education. I started my career as a Math teacher in an urban school and have continued to advocate for education reform to provide fundamental capabilities for our future generations.
Kim Pham, CISSP
Chief of Staff
Information Security & Privacy Officer
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Creating impact by translating complex ideas into actionable strategies — and building the people, programs, and infrastructure that actually hold up at scale.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I've built award-winning security teams and initiatives from the ground up across 30+ countries, with honors from the European Parliament and the National Endowment for Democracy. As a CISSP-certified practitioner with 15+ years of experience, I bring deep expertise across risk management, governance, and security for healthcare, government, and professional services — and I've done it at every level, from hands-on program builds to board-level advisory.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help organizations turn complexity into clarity — and clarity into action:Translate technical challenges into language boards and executives can act on
Build the teams and infrastructure that sustain high performance over time
Design security and risk programs that are practical and built to last
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I'm passionate about mental health and resilience for mission-critical teams. High performance isn't just about talent and execution — it's about building the human infrastructure that lets people show up fully, consistently, and sustainably.Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: My dog, Lil Man, is an award‑winning surf dog—and I like to say if I can teach a dog to surf, I can pretty much do anything.
Judy Tsuei
Identity & Performance Coach
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: I help high-capacity leaders identify the unconscious patterns running their decisions, relationships, and behavior under pressure, and rewire them at the identity level. Not mindset. Not motivation. The actual internal code.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I'm an award-winning identity and performance coach and published author with Simon & Schuster, working with founders, executives, and high-capacity leaders who are hitting invisible ceilings around money, visibility, and self-trust. I'm a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumna and speaker, a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, and recognized by San Diego Magazine as a Pioneer in Media and Marketing. I also facilitate professional development programming for the New York Public Library. My clients include directors and leaders at global organizations. I'm the creator of the Inner Blueprint Assessment, a proprietary diagnostic that maps the unconscious patterns shaping how a leader operates, decides, and grows.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: My clients learn to:Identify and dismantle unconscious patterns of over-giving, over-functioning, and self-erasure that have been running quietly for years.
Recalibrate identity, not just mindset, so their behavior under pressure actually changes instead of reverting.
Build the kind of confidence, presence, and capacity for visibility that holds when it's tested.
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: Surfing, raising my daughter, and finding the best outdoor adventures in whatever city I land in. I also host a podcast (with an expletive in the name!), which means I am probably always in the middle of at least three paradigm-shifting conversations, one of them recorded.
Dr. Anita Polite-Wilson
Founder & CEO
Dr. Anita Enterprises
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Transforming C‑Suites into elite teams by shifting high performance from “harder and faster” to “smarter and more human.”
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m a founder, CEO, and scholar‑practitioner with over 20 years of experience in human and organizational systems. I help executive teams across corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors move from passive “check‑the‑box initiatives” to proactive “change‑the‑culture behaviors.” I hold a Ph.D. and M.A. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University, an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Biola University, and a B.S. in Management from Pepperdine University. I’m also a certified Psychological S.A.F.E.T.Y. Practitioner, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and iPEC Certified Professional Coach.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help leaders and teams:Align people, roles, culture, and organizational dynamics for sustained success
Build agile, inclusive teams that thrive in today’s diverse workforce
Reframe performance and culture in ways that actually stick
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about helping leaders show up differently—creating workplaces where people can bring their strengths, be seen, and contribute at their highest level.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I love seeing the lightbulb go on in a room full of executives—when they realize culture isn’t a side project, it’s their most strategic advantage.
Jacob Lai
Digital Experience & Tech Consultant
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: I help brands cut through the noise and actually stand out in the digital space. My sweet spot is building impactful digital experiences backed by smart automation and AI workflow. A pretty website without results is just an expensive art project.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’ve spent the bulk of my career delivering technology solutions for major enterprise brands across APAC and the U.S., with over USD $10 million worth of digital projects delivered to date.What I’m probably best known for is being the person who gets things done and getting difficult projects across the finish line, especially when business, marketing, and IT teams are stuck in a deadlock. One particular enterprise implementation is still talked about today because it finally went live after months of internal friction that seemingly had no end in sight. Turns out patience, translation skills, and a little diplomacy go a long way — skills that I’m sure all married men would understand.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: Over the years, I’ve developed a very specific skill set: I operate at the intersection of business and technology. I can speak the language of both sides: strategy, growth, ROI, customer experience on one end; systems, architecture, implementation, and delivery on the other.That “translator layer” is often the difference between a digital project that stalls and one that actually delivers results.
A simpler illustration would be:
(Business / Strategy / Product) ← me → (Project Managers / Architects / Developers)
I help businesses:
Identify gaps in digital experiences and translate them into measurable business objectives
Translate business ambition into technically executable digital roadmaps
Architect scalable digital ecosystems across CMS, CRM, CDP, and API-first platforms
Bridge the gap between executive stakeholders and technical delivery teams
Implement AI-assisted workflows that reduce operational overhead and improve delivery speed
Improve discoverability across both Google and AI-driven search experiences (SEO, AEO, GEO, performance optimization)
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: Too many things to list, but lately I’ve been especially interested in sustainability-focused technology. The world needs fixing, and technology should play a role in that.Since 2026, I’ve been acting as an advisor to a startup born out of Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) that has developed a scalable pyrolysis solution capable of turning waste into useful products.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I have absolutely zero interest in watches… but I do own 20 solid guitars.
Marketing Consultant
Leila Pflager
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: I help high-growth startups and global enterprises bring their stories to market.Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m a strategic, commercially-driven B2B marketing leader who has worked across SaaS, Adtech, and Martech companies such as Salesforce and Google as well as high-growth startups leading to acquisitions. I build scalable marketing programs, events, and communications that elevate brands, deepen engagement, and influence growth and revenue.Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help leaders/clients drive visibility, growth and revenue.I design scalable marketing programs that deliver business results
For Salesforce, I built partner marketing programs that drove 60% year-over-year increase in partner-influence ACV
I led marketing initiatives for an adtech startup, leading to a Google acquisition
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about advancing women’s leadership, having served as both mentor and mentee. Outside of work, I love to travel, read and cook.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I love building strong partnerships that lead to great work. Some of my best work has come to life from casual conversations that turn into actionable plans.
James Jang
장종근
Business Development Advisor - APAC Region
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Making complex cross‑border deals feel simple—connecting the right people, capital, and opportunities across Asia‑Pacific.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m Alonsera’s APAC Business Development Advisor, with extensive experience in cross‑border M&A, private equity, secondary transactions, and fundraising. I also work with Hanwha Investment & Securities, leveraging deep industry knowledge to build strategic partnerships and unlock value for clients in highly competitive markets.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help organizations:Navigate cross‑border M&A and complex financial transactions
Build strategic partnerships that accelerate growth in APAC
Translate regional market dynamics into actionable deal strategies
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about shaping the next wave of growth in APAC—especially through thoughtful investment, collaboration, and long‑term relationship building.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I enjoy the art of a good deal as much as the numbers behind it—some of my best work starts over a simple conversation and a shared meal.
Delivery Excellence
Executing Integrated Responsible AI: Delivering Trusted Real World Value
Business Analyst
Brian Lin
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Blending creativity and analysis—using research, structure, and storytelling to help teams make smarter, more human‑centered decisions.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I’m a Business Analyst at Alonsera, supporting strategic decision‑making through research, process evaluation, and cross‑functional collaboration. I contribute to project management, operational analysis, and client‑facing initiatives that drive growth and efficiency. Born in Southern California and raised in Taiwan, I studied at a German Waldorf School and later at the Orange County School of the Arts as a cellist. I’m currently a Music major with a Business minor at UC Irvine, combining artistic training with business thinking. My experience spans social media advertising, accounting, and consulting, including roles at a social media advertising firm and Experience for Mankind Advertising Agency.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help organizations:Turn qualitative and quantitative insights into clear recommendations
Analyze processes and operations to find opportunities for improvement
Bridge creative, technical, and business perspectives on projects
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about entrepreneurship, data‑driven problem‑solving, and building thoughtful, scalable systems—shaped by growing up in a business‑oriented family and being immersed in the arts.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I bring a cellist’s mindset to consulting—balancing structure, precision, and creativity in everything from slide decks to strategy discussions.
Connor Ruffalo
Business Analyst
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Q: What’s your superpower?
A: Translating AI and data into clear, practical actions that help growing companies move from ideas to measurable results.
Q: What’s your street cred – what are you best known for?
A: I support client management, growth marketing, and business strategy for AI-driven transformation projects. I'm best known for bridging the gap between data, technology, and real business outcomes for middle-market and emerging clients. I recently graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Business Economics and a Management minor in just two years, and I'm a SIEML full-tuition MBA scholar. I led brand marketing for UCI's Rocket Project Liquids Team, one of the most cutting-edge programs in collegiate rocketry, producing content around Methalox propulsion testing and launch. I also served on the executive board of Manifest, UCI's undergraduate entrepreneurship club, where I helped support early-stage startups and bolster the entrepreneurship community on campus. I additionally built a social commerce venture on TikTok Shop.
Q: What kind of impact do you help clients create?
A: I help teams:Turn AI‑centric strategies into concrete campaigns and workflows
Connect brand, operations, and technical teams around shared growth goals
Use experimentation and data to drive conversations on improvement
Q: Outside of work, what are you passionate about?
A: Rooted in my Latino heritage, I’m passionate about expanding economic opportunity for underrepresented communities and first‑generation students.
Q: Fun fact – what might surprise people about you?
A: I spent nine years as an orchestral violinist, and if there's one thing the stage teaches you, it's that the show must go on.