Marketing & Communication Portfolio

Laena is a multidisciplinary entrepreneur and marketing consultant based in NYC, described as "extraordinary" by the New York Times. Since founding Anarchy in a Jar in 2009, she has played a pivotal role in launching over a dozen startups, serving as a communication manager, marketing director, growth strategist, and consultant.

Her diverse client roster spans industries such as education, food, fashion, wellness, social media, nonprofits, lifestyle, and hospitality. Laena also specializes in managing website content and social media for influencers and small businesses, constantly expanding her expertise through teaching and presenting. Most notably, she shared her insights on AI for marketing and UX design at the 2024 AI User Group Conference in San Francisco, where her presentations highlighted the intersection of technology and creative strategy.

Known for her attention to detail, organization, and team-oriented mindset, Laena brings a positive attitude to every project. She thrives in helping clients succeed, balancing her time efficiently while delivering exceptional results.

As a true believer in the power of innovation to make the world a better place, Laena is passionate about creating business-changing solutions through branding, design, and creative storytelling. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Martha Stewart Show, New York Magazine, Food & Wine, and more. Her cookbook, Jam On: The Craft of Canning Fruit, was published by Penguin Random House in 2012.

Laena graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College, received an MS in Information Science from Pratt Institute, and was awarded the United States Antarctica Service Medal by the Department of Defense for her work with the National Science Foundation.

As a lifelong educator and entrepreneur, Laena provides teams and individuals with a playbook to communicate their essential values and navigate the pain points of growth, so they can realize their potential and solve real problems through innovation.

Laena teaches and consults through a number of platforms and with an array of fantastic clients, from Fortune 500s like Meta, Google, and Deloitte, to small brands like 27th Letter Books, Pop Art Tarts, and Chaat Dog.

Case Studies

CONTENT MARKETING

Video Scripts, Content Strategy Documents, Tutorials, Email Marketing, and more for clients.

Logo design

Laena designs beautiful, modern logos for her clients.

Facebook, Instagram, and email marketing ads

Laena gets her clients exposure, sales increases, and clicks.

VIDEOS MADE FOR THINKFUL IN 2020:

Laena wrote the scripts, hired and directed the production studio, edited and managed content, and directed and managed SME actors.

MARKETING & DESIGN SKILLS

Laena has been a CEO, CMO, and marketing tech nerd for over a decade.

MARKETING TOOLS:
Google Analytics, Salesforce CRM, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Salesforce Pardot, Mailchimp, Hootsuite, Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, HubSpot.

DIGITAL MARKETING & STRATEGY

  • Social Media Management (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube)

  • Content Creation & Ad Campaign Management

  • AI Content Creation & Strategy

  • Creative Strategy for Luxury & Lifestyle Brands

  • Marketing Automation & Email Campaigns

  • Brand Storytelling & Development

  • SEO & Analytics

  • Project Management (Asana, Monday)

  • Creative Design & Aesthetic Consistency

  • Trend Analysis & Audience Engagement

EDITING PROGRAMS:
Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, Apple iMovie, Canva

WEB DEVELOPMENT:
Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress, Wix

PR: Articles, Podcasts, Video Interviews, and More Press.

Writing

Meet Laena

Let’s talk about….

🍽️  Anything food-related

I love everything food from cooking to history, and especially hot sauce. You can find some of my musings on my blog.

🏫 Teaching design

I'm passionate about design education and mentorship, as you can see from my work teaching at Pratt Institute and Thinkful. Reach out to me if you're looking for someone to teach a workshop or give a talk! 

📚 Reading books

I'm a certified book nerd with a MS in information science. Most recently, my favorite read was Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

🎈  Creating Piñata sculptures

What?! Performative piñata art is a thing? YES, and it's amazing. If you're new to it, you should checkout Justin Favela’s sculptures.

🌶️ Transforming a tennis court into a farm

Some people have a green thumb, but I definitely think mine is red. As in, red hot spicy peppers. Checkout Pepper Court, my Hudson Valley Farm project.

Client Feedback & Reviews

“I GAINED MORE CLARITY AROUND THE WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE OF MY BUSINESS (THE NUTS AND BOLTS) AND HOW TO REACH MY AUDIENCE.”
— Michelle Gage, Hela Wellness
“IN JUST 3 MONTHS WE SAW HUGE GAINS IN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING AND THE CLICK RATE ON OUR REVAMPED EMAIL CAMPAIGNS WAS AMAZING. WE SAW A NOTICEABLE AND MANAGEABLE GROWTH. LAENA TRAINED US TOO! WE WANTED TO KEEP HER FOREVER. ”
— J.H., Integrated Therapy Practice in NYC
“WE NEEDED A CONSULTANT WHO WOULD UNDERSTAND OUR CLIENTS AND THEIR NEEDS AS WE BUILT OUR TEACHING PLATFORM. THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL WAS MUCH APPRECIATED.”
— K. Brogan, ID client
“I WAS ABLE TO REALLY ITERATE ON THE PLAN THAT I WAS TAKING FOR MY BUSINESS. THROUGH THEIR GUIDANCE I LEARNED A LOT MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TACKS I COULD TAKE, AND WHICH ONE WAS BEST FOR ME. THEY ALSO GAVE ME MOTIVATION TO KEEP GOING FORWARD, WHICH IS ALWAYS VERY HELPFUL.”
— Michael Krulwich, Beverage Entrepreneur
“EXCELLENT (QUALITY), SUPER VALUABLE AND LOTS OF FUN!”
— Samantha Razook, Founder of Curious Jane
“WE NEEDED TO REDESIGN AND STRATEGIZE OUR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION, AND LAENA AND HER TEAM WERE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL AT PRIORITIZING WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AND GETTING IT DONE EFFICIENTLY.”
— Joan S., Women-Focused NGO
“WITH SALES DOWN AND AN EXODUS OF CLIENTS IN 2020, LAENA AND HER TEAM BROUGHT THE SUNSHINE AND HELPED US TURN AROUND OUR STRATEGY. MARKETING GURU AND ALL-AROUND CHEERLEADER FOR OUR BUSINESS!”
— M.K., Small Business Owner in NYC
“THIS CLASS WAS SO FUN! IT WAS THE PERFECT BALANCE OF LEARNING AND TEAM BUILDING. THE KIT CONTAINED EVERYTHING THAT I NEEDED, SO IT WAS EASY TO SET UP AND COMPLETE THE PROJECT WITHIN THE TIME ALLOTTED, WHILE CREATING A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE. SUPER FUN! I AM RECOMMENDING IT TO OTHERS AS WELL.”
— Whitney, Stripe
“...THEN CAME @BROOKLYNJAM, THANK GOD.”
— Questlove, via Twitter