Meet our team of operations experts and nerds

Christina Salerno is a serial entrepreneur and systems builder with nearly two decades of experience founding and scaling businesses. Known for her ability to quickly diagnose operational gaps, she designs high-impact solutions that teams can sustain long-term. She brings a sharp eye for structure, efficiency, and execution, with a strong focus on aligning people, process, and outcomes. Christina is also deeply committed to identifying and developing high-potential talent within growing organizations.

Alex Canedo is a senior operations strategist with nearly two decades of experience in high-growth environments. She's scaled customer experience and global teams across SaaS, tech, and service-focused companies. She’s known for being a strategic integrator for mission-driven founders, turning messy ideas into systems that focus on sustainable profit.

Mercedes Ballard is a people operations strategist focused on building high-performing, values-aligned teams. With experience spanning startups and her own co-founded venture, she brings a strong bias for action and a collaborative leadership style. Mercedes specializes in aligning people, process, and culture to support sustainable growth. Her work centers on empowering teams while optimizing the systems that support them.

Cara Katz is a growth and revenue executive who has helped scale over 40 companies across multiple industries as an operator, founder, and early-stage investor. A five-time founder, she has led global go-to-market and revenue strategy from early traction through scale, including category creation and monetization design. Cara is known for her data-driven approach and her ability to identify, sequence, and execute the highest-leverage growth opportunities for scaling businesses.

Fun and spreadsheets are not mutually exclusive, and if you ever thought so, I am deadset on proving you wrong.

After a stint in corporate as a Chartered Accountant, I traded high heels and pencil skirts for backpacking my way through South America. Along the way, I started a consulting business and helped dozens of entrepreneurs “lift the fog” when it came to business finances.

I’m a certified Director of Operations, which means my advice is grounded in the day-to-day of running your business – not as solely an accountant behind a spreadsheet.

From working in the intelligence community to over a decade in Silicon Valley to somatic coaching to master certified BBQ judge… I’ve been told by folks they never know what I will get into next. I’m a deep generalist. I believe what matters most is kindness, playfulness, good food, nature, and movement. I’m passionate about building teams with sustainable longterm strategy so they can be great without me.

I’ve combined a decades-long (and seriously fun!) career leading finance, accounting, and operations for Fortune 500 companies, like NBC, CBS, and FOX, with a New York State CPA license and the belief that any business owner can be equipped with the tools and support necessary to take ownership of their own success journey. I've founded two companies, all while being a single mom of 4 sons (no, I'm not totally gray yet!).

Pravesh Dookun is a technology and AI strategist who designs human-centered systems across startups and enterprise environments. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has led architecture, accessibility, and platform design in complex, high-stakes contexts. For the past few years, his work has focused on responsible AI adoption, connective & collective intelligence, and neurodivergent-friendly UX. Pravesh is known for translating complex technology into clear, scalable systems with strong governance and human oversight.

Chrissy Sambursky specializes in bringing clarity, structure, and calm to fast-moving organizations. Her work sits at the intersection of operations, project management, systems design, and human behavior, where she helps teams reduce noise, sequence work effectively, and create sustainable operating rhythms. Chrissy is known for strong pattern recognition, clear prioritization, and translating strategic intent into practical execution across cross-functional initiatives. She brings a steady, human-centered leadership approach that supports focus, trust, and long-term sustainability as teams scale.

I aim to bring organization, order, and optimization to our daily operations. My passion for people and processes led me to a career in operations, specifically working with small, purpose-driven businesses.

As a generalist, new challenges are my jam — I can't stay in one place for too long! My diverse experience in the real estate, hospitality, health and wellness, and customer service industries allow me to help small businesses thrive, from the inside out.

Ryan Nawal is a finance professional with over seven years of experience in bookkeeping and accounting. He is a CPA in the Philippines and holds multiple internationally recognized accounting certifications. Ryan specializes in turning raw financial data into clear insights, accurate reporting, and reliable financial foundations for growing businesses.

I call myself the “Money Queen” for a reason! With over a decade of accounting experience, and a lifelong passion for entrepreneurship, I’ve gained a ton of traditional accounting experience in the back end of 7, 8 & 9-figure companies. Then, I was able to learn business management and entrepreneurship from top online professionals, which allows me to excel in both areas. My expertise in scaling online companies over the past eight years comes from combining both experience and passion. I love using creative problem solving to help businesses grow globally.

When I’m not working, you can find me holding down the fort as a single mama of two. We homeschool, spend time in nature, and have the chance to build on our curiosities as they come.

I thrive at the intersection of technology, people, and process, where complex technical goals transform into clear, human-centered operational plans. Throughout my career, I’ve balanced being a methodical planner with a creative problem-solver, equally at ease designing detailed systems or unblocking teams with inventive workflows.

I am an IT wizard with a knack for turning tech challenges into triumphs. With a background as an IT Business Analyst, I've navigated the realms of both enterprise giants and nimble small businesses. Specializing in software builds, platform migrations, and data management, I'm the go-to problem solver for identifying bottlenecks in processes and workflows.

I've spent the last decade building thoughtful, people-first systems inside creative, fast-moving companies. With a background in psychology and a career in HR that has spanned agencies, retail, and hospitality, I bring a grounded, strategic lens to every phase of growth. Whether scaling a team from 5 to 50 or tightening the foundation of a brand in transition, I thrive in the in-between - where a little structure and a lot of empathy go a long way.

Hey there! I'm Mark Anthony Omagtang, and I prefer to be called by my nick name “Ton”. I’m a passionate team player with a knack for driving success. With expertise in quality analysis and team management, I bring a unique blend of skills to the table.

Nikia McCoon is an operations and executive associate with experience supporting administrative, operational, and marketing workflows across multiple industries. She is highly adaptable, detail-oriented, and known for stepping in quickly to support time-sensitive needs. Nikia brings a flexible, solutions-focused approach to
operational support.

I’m Arbesa, an Executive Assistant and Operations Manager with over five years of experience supporting 6-figure companies, coaches, and creative teams. My background spans operations, marketing, and psychology — which means I bring both structure and intuition to every role I take on.
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I’ve managed systems, projects, and people for fast-moving businesses, helping CEOs stay focused while making sure every detail behind the scenes runs smoothly. I approach my work with empathy and awareness, understanding that great operations are built not just on systems, but on people.
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I’m a person who genuinely loves learning and creating structure that supports growth and flexibility, rather than getting in the way of it.

I am a Communications, Operations & Strategist and Talent expert whose career has spanned industries and roles, from digital marketing for large corporations to managing operations of nonprofit organizations. I am passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technology, authentic communication, and team collaboration to optimize processes, manage complexity, drive efficiency, and amplify results. When I’m not using these skill to help organizations thrive and become more efficient, you can find me enjoying motherhood with my two young boys, live music with my husband, or by the water.

I’m a third-culture kid who’s been a non-conformist since I remember. This approach has led me to work with innovative companies all around the world… literally! I’m passionate about people, intercultural communication and designing unique working environments in both start-ups and corporations. My keyword is always “people-centric”. I hold a legal degree, specializing in employment law and an MBA in Intercultural Managerial Communication. I also speak 5 languages and I travel the world… extensively!

I am a scientist turned operations strategist with over a decade of experience working with early stage start ups. I am inspired by companies with groundbreaking ideas that are on a mission to positively transform the world, and thrive on bringing these visionary concepts to life. As a mom of 3 young kids, chaos, constant change, and Murphy’s Law are simply part of my everyday reality - so rest assured I am well equipped to navigate those challenges within your organization!

Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than a master of one. As a continuous learner who thrives in a dynamic environment, I find bliss in learning new things. From discovering new places to travel, new cuisines to eat, new games to play, to discovering new tools and technology, I always dig into whatever I can learn from those and enjoy them to the fullest. I am more of a generalist than a specialist, embracing a wide array of interests and skills that enable me to adapt and grow continuously. My journey has been marked by a diverse range of experiences that have shaped my multifaceted skill set.

I'm a Certified Human Resources Professional (CPHR) with a strong foundation in generalist work and a passion for building efficient, people-focused HR operations. I’ve supported teams across a range of industries, including hospitality, retail, biotechnology, and media, which has given me a well-rounded perspective on how to tailor HR solutions to different team dynamics and business goals.
I specialize in developing and fine-tuning HR programs that make things run more smoothly, whether that’s onboarding, performance reviews, or day-to-day policies. My focus is always on improving the employee experience while helping teams work more efficiently and effectively.

A certified Project Management Professional and Operations leader with experience managing $150M+ operations, leading large-scale implementations, and delivering a wide range of projects. I specialize in building strong teams, applying Lean Six Sigma, and driving change management to achieve business objectives. With a proven record of delivering projects on time, under budget, and aligned with strategic goals, I combine cross-functional leadership, data-driven insights, and process improvement to drive growth, reduce costs, and increase profitability.

I am a strategic startup operator that rocket fuels your company. Being a 2x entrepreneur, I enjoy building creative + sustainable solutions for maximum impact. I began my career building a bootstrapped fine jewelry company from the group up. Since then I have closely partnered with mission-driven founders to help bring their vision to life. I have 10+ years of experience building successful businesses in various industries from fashion to tech.

Driven by curiosity and growth, I’m a collaborator, connector, and problem solver with an eye for the big picture and constant desire to better understand the “why” for everything. I consider myself a joyful generalist and take pride in my ability to learn new skills and adapt to challenging situations. My background is in cyber security R&D, where I’ve spent the last ten years working in various roles across research, engineering, and product teams, focused on finding new and creative ways to level up teams and products. I am a systems thinker and believe strongly in the importance of creating organizations and systems that respect and nurture the humans interwoven within them.

I love figuring out how to make systems work for people, which I’ve done in some very disparate environments. This includes helping train classroom facilitators and build engaging community ESL programs, working with nonprofits, faith organizations, and immigrant communities. I also have experience in more structured settings, such as learning the intricacies of insurance as a dental admin and being a Chief of Staff for an innovative, fast-paced small startup. Being a part of small, mission-led teams is where I have built my career and what I love to do.

Hey hey! I'm Renata and I'm a generalist through and through - I can trace my generalist roots back to high school and college where I took classes in as many different disciplines as I could. After working in the corporate logistics and supply chain industry for 5 years (working 3 different jobs, of course), I pivoted to working with startups. CPG startups are my absolute favorite, especially those that go out of their way to be weird and funky. I like to joke that CPG startups are my bread and butter (sometimes literally!). As a certified Chief of Staff, I'm obsessed with learning new things and taking all kinds of tasks off of founders' plates from operations to marketing to supply chain to sales to customer service. My scrappiness knows no bounds!