Event Planner | Creator

 We all know, even if we won’t admit it, that when moving to New York City, everyone is excited at the possibility of running into celebrities. I never imagined it would happen on my second day in Manhattan, or that it would jump-start my career. In 2012, after a chance NYC run-in, I began working for award-winning fashion designer Betsey Johnson, executing public appearances, sample sales, and six New York City Fashion Week shows.

The events world can take you anywhere. After a few years in the fashion industry, I joined Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, planning events for the Brooklyn Nets, New York Islanders, and partner events at Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum. I planned the inaugural 500-guest Barclays Center Cares Gala, managed VIP experiences for 40+ clients during Grammy’s Weekend, and supported venue openings, player appearances, and corporate sponsor events.

Three years and a promotion later, I joined FIRST Global Events Agency, planning exclusive experiences for Bank of America, from VIP dinners with celebrity chefs to theater events with private receptions and backstage tours. I was then promoted to Event Manager on the Google account, planning speaker talks, conferences, celebrations, and more. During the pandemic, I expanded my expertise in virtual event technology and strategy. When Amazon Ads reached out to me on LinkedIn, I knew I had to explore it. After four and a half years with FIRST, it was a bittersweet goodbye.

I joined Amazon Ads in 2022, preparing approximately 150 internal and external speakers for the first live Amazon Ads unBoxed flagship conference. Since then, my role has evolved from event execution to building and scaling the Amazon Ads Speaker Program. Today, as Senior Speaker Program Manager, I run the Speaker Program, a center of excellence for developing and preparing public speakers across Amazon Ads. I’ve supported speakers at global events including unBoxed Flagship, Cannes Lions Festival for Creativity, UK and US Upfronts, and unBoxed Regionals.
I’m proud to have grown our certified speaker database from 500 to nearly 800 Amazonians, redesigned our certification model, created a Speaker Development Program for Ads leaders, and expanded professional coaching.

What started as a passion for events has evolved into building programs and helping leaders tell their stories on the world’s biggest stages. Looking back, that chance encounter with Betsey Johnson in 2012 truly shaped the event professional I am today. Sometimes, the most unexpected moments really do change everything.