Business systems designer · Data & process consultant

I turn messy, manual processes into systems people can actually run.

For associations, nonprofits, and small businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets, sticky notes, and tribal knowledge. I find what is really causing the friction, then design practical systems that make the work faster, clearer, and more reliable.

Data, automation, and AI are tools I use — clear thinking about your process is the real work.

Associations Nonprofits Leadership programs Universities Small business & e-commerce
Approach

A systems thinker — not a generic AI consultant.

My greatest strength is understanding a messy process, identifying what is actually causing the friction, and designing practical systems that help people work more effectively. Technology is in service of that — never the other way around.

I help mission-driven organizations and small businesses replace fragile, manual processes with systems they can trust — so the right work happens automatically, decisions are based on data, and the knowledge doesn't live in one person's head.

What that looks like in practice:

Business process analysis Workflow design & optimization Data architecture & migration planning Decision-support systems Association management systems Automation & integrations Airtable & Make.com AI-assisted operations Reporting & analytics Documentation & training
Two ways I work · one way of thinking
Associations & Nonprofits

Data Readiness & Systems

Get your data and processes ready for the systems you're moving into — or already struggling to run. Data-readiness assessments, migration preparation, decision-support tools, and process redesign built for member- and volunteer-driven organizations.

Best for: state & regional associations, professional societies, chambers, foundations, leadership programs, and nonprofits — especially lightly-staffed or volunteer-led teams facing a software change or a process that's drowning in spreadsheets.
Small Business

Operations & Automation

One connected operating system instead of ten disconnected tools. Workflow design and automation — Airtable, Make.com, AI-assisted where it earns its place — that runs quietly in the background so your team can focus on the work that matters.

Best for: owner-operated and small service or e-commerce businesses running on a patchwork of tools, spreadsheets, and "the way we've always done it" — ready for systems that scale without adding headcount.
Why clients choose to work with me
01

A systems thinker, not a software salesperson

Tool-agnostic by design. The process comes first; the technology is chosen to fit — not the other way around.

02

At home in the messy middle

Volunteer boards, limited staff, legacy data, "we can't even export it." This is exactly the gap I've built a career closing.

03

Decision-support, not just dashboards

I build tools leaders actually use in the room — turning complex, multi-factor decisions into a clear, real-time picture.

04

End-to-end and built to last

Design, build, document, and train — so the system keeps working long after the engagement ends, without depending on me.

05

AI used responsibly

One tool among many, plugged in where it genuinely helps — and left out where it doesn't. No hype, no dependency on the trend of the month.

06

Fluent in operations and people

Systems only work if people use them. I design for the humans doing the work, then document and train so adoption sticks.

Services

Engagements with clear scope and outcomes.

Every engagement starts with understanding the real process. Most begin with a short diagnostic that locks scope before any build — so you know what you're getting, and the work stays focused on what actually moves the needle.

Associations & Nonprofits

Data readiness, migration prep, and decision-support for member-driven organizations.

Data Readiness Assessment

Fixed fee
Before you migrate or buy: a clear-eyed audit of your data, relationships, and gaps — with a prioritized roadmap to get implementation-ready.
  • Data inventory across every system, spreadsheet, and inbox
  • Quality & risk findings: duplicates, gaps, inconsistent definitions
  • Relationship & field-mapping plan for your target system
  • Readiness scorecard with a prioritized "fix-first" list
OutcomeWalk into your AMS/CRM project knowing exactly what you have and what to fix first.

Migration Preparation & Data Mapping

Fixed / phased
Hands-on preparation to get legacy data clean, mapped, and export-ready — so your new platform launches on data you can trust.
  • De-duplication, standardization, and archiving of dead records
  • Field-by-field mapping to the new system's data model
  • Test-migration support and validation checks
  • A documented migration plan your vendor and team can follow
OutcomeA smoother implementation and reliable data on day one — not months of cleanup after go-live.

Decision-Support System Design

Fixed-fee build
Custom tools that turn complex, multi-factor decisions — selection, scoring, allocation, representation balance — into a clear, real-time picture.
  • Multi-factor modeling (scores, demographics, geography, goals)
  • Real-time scenario analysis as decisions change
  • Executive-ready views the whole committee can read at a glance
  • Reusable, documented, and built to run year after year
OutcomeBetter decisions made faster, with everyone looking at the same numbers.

Process & Systems Consulting

Project / retainer
Map and redesign the workflows behind membership, events, applications, reviews, and reporting — reducing manual effort and the errors that come with it.
  • End-to-end process mapping and friction analysis
  • Workflow redesign and automation opportunities
  • Reporting and analytics that leadership can rely on
  • Documentation and staff/volunteer training
OutcomeOperations that run on systems and standards, not on one person's memory.
Small Business

A connected operating system: source of truth, automated handoffs, documentation, training.

Operations Diagnostic

Paid discovery
Map how work really flows through your business, find the friction, and leave with a prioritized plan for systems and automation.
  • Workflow mapping: how leads, orders, and work move today
  • Friction & bottleneck analysis with root causes
  • Tool audit — what to keep, connect, replace, or retire
  • A prioritized roadmap with quick wins and bigger bets
OutcomeA clear, low-risk first step — and a plan you could hand to anyone.

Operations System Build

Fixed-fee project
Design and build your connected operating system — a central source of truth, automated handoffs between the tools you use, and the documentation to run it.
  • Airtable as the structured single source of truth
  • Make.com automations that remove manual handoffs
  • Catalog, inventory, fulfillment, and reporting workflows
  • Process documentation and hands-on team training
OutcomeA complete, working system your team will actually use — and understand.

Workflow Automation & Integration

Fixed per build
Targeted automations that remove repetitive work and connect the tools you already rely on — with AI plugged in where it genuinely helps.
  • Repetitive-task automation and data sync between systems
  • AI-assisted steps (drafting, classification, enrichment)
  • Error handling and alerts so automations stay trustworthy
  • Clear documentation for ongoing maintenance
OutcomeHours of manual work disappear — quietly, reliably, in the background.

Fractional Operations Support

Monthly retainer
Ongoing design, automation, and optimization as your business changes — a dedicated systems partner without a full-time hire.
  • A defined set of monthly improvements and priorities
  • Maintenance and evolution of your systems and automations
  • New workflow design as the business grows
  • A standing partner who already knows your operation
OutcomeYour operating system keeps improving instead of quietly decaying.
How I work

A repeatable path from friction to finished system.

The same disciplined sequence whether it's an association data migration or a small-business operations build. Each step de-risks the next.

01

Discover

Understand the real process — and the people running it.

02

Diagnose

Find the root causes of friction, not just the symptoms.

03

Design

Map the better workflow and the system that supports it.

04

Build

Build it practically — data, automation, AI where it helps.

05

Document & Train

Capture how it works so the team owns it.

06

Support

Refine and evolve as the organization changes.

Case Studies

Real problems, designed away.

A pattern runs through every project: a complicated, manual process; a careful read of what's really going wrong; and a practical system that makes the work easier, faster, and more reliable.

Decision-Support · Leadership Program

The selection committee that ran on paper and stick figures

A statewide leadership organization selected its class through a complex, committee-driven process — balancing application scores, references, geography, gender, age, industry, and diversity goals, all at once.

Decision-support designMulti-factor optimizationData modelingExecutive reportingStakeholder workflow
The friction

Committee members tracked demographic balance on large paper charts with stick figures posted around the room. As applicants moved between Accepted, Hold, Alternate, and Declined throughout the day, every board had to be updated by hand — slow, error-prone, and impossible to see clearly in the moment.

The system

A real-time decision-support tool, built in Excel, that tracked applicant status, calculated demographic balance, displayed geographic representation, and supported live scenario analysis — updating the full class composition instantly as decisions changed.

The outcome
  • Eliminated the manual tracking process entirely
  • Gave the committee real-time visibility during selection meetings
  • Supported more informed, more confident decisions
  • Adopted as the standard process — reused year after year
Operations Platform · E-commerce

Etsy Command Center: many shops, one operating system

Running multiple e-commerce shops meant juggling disconnected processes — listing creation, AI artwork, mockups, inventory, fulfillment, analytics, and publishing — each in its own place.

Systems architectureWorkflow orchestrationAPI integrationsAutomation designInventory systemsProduct design
The friction

Every shop ran on a different technical architecture and a stack of repetitive, manual steps. Work was duplicated across tools, consistency was hard to maintain, and scaling the catalog meant scaling the busywork right along with it.

The system

A custom desktop operations platform that unifies product catalog management, AI-assisted artwork, Photoshop mockup automation, inventory and bin tracking, order management, fulfillment document generation, analytics, and publishing — presenting multiple shops through a single operational interface.

The outcome
  • Centralized business operations in one place
  • Cut repetitive work and improved workflow consistency
  • Created scalable, repeatable operational processes
  • Made large product catalogs genuinely manageable
Process Automation · University

Billing that stopped depending on manual effort

A university's billing and tracking ran on manual processes that demanded significant administrative time and left room for errors and inconsistencies.

Process automationWorkflow redesignData managementOperational systems design
The friction

Billing-related work was repetitive and hands-on. The manual approach consumed staff hours and created openings for the kind of small errors that compound over a term.

The system

A billing automation system that streamlined the billing-related workflows end to end — reducing the manual touchpoints and standardizing how the work got done.

The outcome
  • Improved operational efficiency
  • Reduced manual processing and administrative load
  • Increased consistency and reliability across the process
Data Readiness · Association Software

Bridging the gap between legacy data and a successful go-live

Across many association software implementations, the same onboarding pattern kept appearing — and it almost always traced back to data the organization wasn't ready to move.

Data extraction planningData mappingReadiness assessmentLegacy system analysisMigration preparation
The pattern

Organizations couldn't export their legacy data. Critical information was missing. Data relationships were poorly understood. Volunteer-led teams with limited capacity got overwhelmed — and quietly cut migration scope just to get through it, losing history and value in the process.

The expertise

Deep, repeatable capability in the part most vendors don't own: data extraction planning, data mapping, readiness assessment, legacy system analysis, and migration preparation for association management systems — closing the gap between a client's current data environment and a successful implementation.

The result
  • Helps organizations arrive at implementation already data-ready
  • Protects historical data instead of abandoning it under pressure
  • Turns a high-risk migration into a planned, validated transition
Free resource

Is your association data-ready?

A 10-point checklist to gauge whether your data, relationships, and exports are ready for a migration — before you start one on a hope and a spreadsheet. Pop in your email and I’ll send it right over.

  • Spot the gaps that quietly derail go-lives
  • Know what to fix before you migrate or buy
  • Walk into your AMS/CRM project prepared
Let's talk

Tell me about the process that's driving you crazy.

I'll tell you how I'd untangle it — and where a system would do the work your team is doing by hand. No pressure, no jargon.