Hi, I’m Helen.

I’m an L&D consultant based in NYC.

I help organizations develop people, strengthen programs, and deliver better culture-building and learning experiences.

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Areas of Expertise

  • I design and execute learning strategies and programs that connect employee development to organizational priorities. My experience includes developing and executing:

    • Instructional programs (curriculum design).

    • Onboarding processes

    • People management programs

    • Customer experience training

    • Rotational programs

    • Learning technologies and LMS implementation

    • L&D impact evaluation

    Impact Example:

    I designed and helped to implement a $1.2 million, three-year learning strategy at Braven, a national non-profit. It integrated onboarding, professional development, leadership development, and performance systems for almost 200 employees.

  • I create systems that strengthen employee growth, accountability, manager effectiveness, and organizational culture. My work includes:

    • Developing performance processes aligned to clear competency models

    • Leading 360-degree feedback cycles

    • Coaching through employee and manager development plans

    • Analysis of organizational culture and employee engagement

    • Management and execution of culture-building initiatives

    Impact Example:

    I led three annual performance and growth cycles for a >200 employees organization, achieving 100 percent completion of 360-degree reviews and mid-year development conversations .

  • I turn complex initiatives into structured programs by coordinating budgets, timelines, logistics, vendors, communications, technology, and cross-functional stakeholders.

    Impact Example:

    At Braven, I planned, project-managed and executed three organization-wide retreats with a combined budget of $1.6 million. Attendees reported an average of 98% satisfaction in terms of belonging, relationship-building, inclusion, and alignment with strategic priorities.

  • I build systems, content, and processes that prepare employees, managers, facilitators, and frontline teams to perform consistently across fast-moving and distributed environments.

    Impact Example:

    I helped scale training operations at Managed by Q. We hired, onboarded and trained >800 employees and service providers across New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco in just 4 years.

    I helped launch the company’s first learning management system, reducing onboarding costs by 60 percent while improving speed to productivity.

  • I am interested in how sports organizations use programs, people, and community relationships to create meaningful impact. My experience combines community-based work, sports management, entrepreneurship, and coaching development.

    Impact Example:

    • I founded Laidback Soccer, a grassroots soccer community offering friendly, noncompetitive pickup games for beginner and intermediate adult players in New York City. The community is built around accessibility, respectful play, gender and age inclusion, and participation without the pressure of traditional leagues.

    • I also founded Rise & Rep, a women-owned business focused on increasing visibility and representation in women’s sports through community experiences and merchandise.

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Work & Impact

  • Large group of diverse people gathered outdoors in front of a large water feature sculpture with tall glass structures, city buildings, and a blue sky with clouds in the background.

    Building an Org-Wide Learning & Culture Function

    As Braven’s Founding Director of Learning and Culture, I established the vision, strategy, systems, and programs needed to support employee growth, strengthen organizational culture, and connect people development to Braven’s priorities.

  • Redesigning a Large-Scale College Learning Experience

    Redesigning a Large-Scale College Learning Experience

    As Braven’s Manager of Instructional Design, I led the redesign of the Braven Accelerator, a 15-week, credit-bearing college course designed to help first-generation, minority, and underrepresented students build the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks needed to secure strong first jobs.

  • Scaling Training Operations Across Four Cities

    At Managed by Q, I helped build and scale the training systems that supported the company’s rapid growth from approximately 30 to more than 800 employees and service providers across New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.

  • Group of diverse people posing together inside an indoor sports facility. They are smiling and making cheerful gestures, with some wearing sports jerseys and athletic clothing.

    Laidback Soccer: Creating a More Welcoming Way to Play

    I founded Laidback Soccer to create a more accessible and welcoming alternative to traditional adult soccer leagues and highly competitive pickup games.

I bring more than 10 years of experience designing programs, developing people, and building systems that help organizations grow.

Testimonials

  • “Helen was a key architect of the people and culture strategy that helped us grow with excellence and heart."

    Edward Herrera, COO at REFORM Alliance (prev. COO @ Braven)

  • "At Managed by Q, Helen played an invaluable role in creating and implementing training programs that impacted thousands of service workers."

    Jordan Runge, Principal Director, Accountability and Reporting at the Texas Education Agency

  • "Helen is very thoughtful & creative in her approach to training. She truly understands building program around the audiences needs."

    Priya Sodha, CEO at Innergem.

Ways We Can Work Together

  • I design and build learning programs from the ground up, from onboarding and compliance courses to leadership curricula and eLearning modules, without the cost of a full-time hire.

  • When your organization launches a new system, I create the training materials and lead end-user sessions so your team is confident and productive from day one.

  • I lead engaging workshops and training sessions that keep participants involved and leave them with skills they can use right away.

  • I help you identify skills gaps, assess what your people need, and build a learning strategy that ties directly to your organizational goals.

  • I serve as your part-time head of learning, building and guiding your L&D function for a set number of hours each week until you're ready for a full-time leader.

  • I step in while your L&D team member is on leave, keeping programs running smoothly so nothing stalls and they come back to a function in good shape.

Contact me!
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