Intellex Acquires Expert by Big Village

We're thrilled to announce that Intellex has acquired Expert by Big Village, effective March 22, 2024. This strategic move enhances our capabilities and strengthens our commitment to delivering exceptional solutions to our customers.

Stay tuned for more updates on how this acquisition will benefit our clients and experts.

For inquiries or more information, please contact us at info@intellex.com.

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Expert Details

Organizational Development, Leadership Development, Creativity & Innovation, Diversity & Inclusion

ID: 720465 Maryland, USA

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Expert specializes in diversity consulting, training, coaching and speaking. She also conducts cultural competency assessments.

She applies the theory and methods of anthropology to practical real world problems, both for business and non-profits. Specifically she specializes in unstructured and semi-structured ethnographic and qualitative approaches to understand people, organizations and programs. The understandings can involve behavior, habits and rituals, values, beliefs and perceptions as well as the context and systems that humans are immersed in (Industrial, institutional, social, cultural).

ETHNOGRAPHY. Expert uses qualitative research methods derived from anthropology. These approaches, known as ethnographic methods (participant observation, observation, formal and informal interviewing, and focus groups) are used to understand customer, consumer and user needs, problems, and desires. Ethnography helps to understand the context of customer problems and to understand the meanings and behaviors of customers, whether they be individuals or businesses.

Expert facilitates collaborative and group approaches to creating or revisiting the strategic vision and direction for the organization. She has lead these processes for both corporate and non-profit clients. Outcomes include clear strategic direction, new vision and mission statements, clear priorities for setting the next goals and objectives. She helps groups reach consensus and to make decisions. She also helps groups shift their perspective and thinking to catch up with current dynamics in the environment and market. This enables the groups to respond proactively to the changing context.

As a facilitator trained in group problem solving and appreciative inquiry processes, Expert has led cross-functional teams in activities ranging from deliberate team building sessions for new teams to project-focused sessions for existing teams. She has consulted and provided advise in team formation and member selection. The objectives of these sessions have included creating vision and mission statements; defining team goals, objectives, roles, and responsibilities; developing rules, norms of behavior, or values within the team; setting expectations; and agreeing to measurements of success. She also uses various exercises to build relationships and to help teams bond.

Expert has facilitated numerous ideation sessions, ranging in length from a half day to three days, for the purpose of generating and developing new product or service ideas for profit and nonprofit organizations. She has worked with groups in the pharmaceutical, credit card, art gallery, food, toy, cosmetics, insurance, banking, telecommunications, utilities, film, and airlines industries. The sessions Expert facilitates not only shorten and compress the time of early-stage product development, but also result in new strategic directions and new business opportunities. For example, one highly successful project in the beverage industry resulted in a turnaround for an existing business that was experiencing a decline in sales. Ideas for line extensions, new packaging, and promotions were generated and agreed to by decision-makers on the team. This led to rapid implementation and momentum for continued action over a period of years.

Expert has worked extensively in the "fuzzy front end" of product development on processes the initial stage of a phase gate process. She has facilitated processes that use combinations of both internal and external experts and customers to develop strategic directions for product development, understand customer needs, examine trends and market changes for anticipating new opportunities, develop multiple methods for idea generation, plan for the iterations necessary for idea development, and for screening and evaluation of ideas.

For a regional utility company, Expert developed, screened, and evaluated ideas using a stage gate process. This effort included building business cases or kill recommendations for individual concepts and recommending modifications to the stage gate process as needed.

Expert has conducted short seminars and extended training sessions in the areas of creativity enhancement and creative problem solving. These sessions require the use of actual business problems so the training can be used immediately to generate creative or innovative solutions to current issues. She is experienced with helping individuals learn the techniques of "thinking outside the box." This includes understanding the concept of whole brain thinking and learning methods such as Six Hats, image streaming, and improvisational theater techniques. Expert is trained in the co-active coaching method of the Coaches Institute. Coaching helps individuals attain personal and professional goals, remove creative blocks and achieve greater success. She coaches in areas such as professional and personal growth, mentoring or managing others, career transitions, and enhancing creativity.

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 2000 Degree: MAA Subject: Applied Anthropology Institution: University of Maryland
Year: 1990 Degree: BS Subject: Economics Institution: The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2010 to 2013 Employer: Booz Allen Hamilton Title: Associate Department:
Responsibilities:
Government facing consulting to IRS, FDA, EPA, DHS in areas of change management, communications, strategic change.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2007 to 2010 Employer: Center for Leadership and Organizational Change Title: Organizational Development Department:
Responsibilities:
The Center for Leadership and Organizational Change is an internal, self-supporting consulting group serving academic and administrative units with strategic planning, coaching, training and conflict resolution.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1998 to 2006 Employer: Innovation Focus Title: Principal Department:
Responsibilities:
Aha Solutions, a sole proprietorship (Maryland MBE certified) focused on diversity consulting, training and coaching. Clients include FDIC, USDA, FDA, Gillette, Landmark Society of NY, Barr Foundation.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2002 to 2010 Employer: Korn Ferry Title: Diversity & Inclusion Trainer and Coach Department:
Responsibilities:
Formerly Global Novations, a global talent development firm serving Fortune 500’s for the development of a high performance workforce. Clients include Capital One, Entergy, Procter & Gamble, Deloitte, GSK, Freddie Mac, PepsiAmericas. Designed and delivered diversity programming. Coached high potential women and people of color
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2013 to 2018 Employer: Lockheed Martin Title: Leadership Development Program Manager Department:
Responsibilities:
Available upon request.

Government Experience

Years Agency Role Description
Years: 2003 to 2009 Agency: USDA Role: Speaker Description: Has presented numerous keynotes and workshops for diversity and civil rights conferences
Years: 2006 to 2006 Agency: FDIC Role: Keynote speaker Description: Keynote for Asian Heritage Month

International Experience

Years Country / Region Summary
Years: to Present Country / Region: Summary: While living in Shanghai, China, Expert owned and managed a furniture/carpentry business targeting foreign consulates and businesses.

Career Accomplishments

Associations / Societies
Expert is a member of many associations including the AAA - American Anthropological Association, NAPA - National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, International Coaches Federation, and the National Speakers Association
Licenses / Certifications
PCC (International Coach Federation)
Mindfulness Facilitator
Certified Master Facilitator
Awards / Recognition
Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards: Gold Medal Best Use of Blended learning Category
Chief Learning Officer Learning in Practice Award: Bronze Medal Excellence in Blended Learning
Drylongso Award from Community Change for her diversity efforts.
Publications and Patents Summary
Author, two chapters of Handbook of Practicing Anthropology, "Ax the Bamboo Ceiling, Build a New Base" Boston Women Business; “Busting the Model Minority Myth,” Sampan

Additional Experience

Training / Seminars
Has provided training on understanding cultural differences, diversity, cultural competency, facilitation.
Other Relevant Experience
Certified coach and has been trained by the Coaches Training Institute and the Center for Right Relationship

Language Skills

Language Proficiency
Mandarin
German Understands basic German.

Fields of Expertise

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