Profile: Entrepreneur, educator, and strategist working to connect people and improve culture through design and communication. Over a decade of experience working in education, technology, design research and entrepreneurship. Proven ability to work with multimodal teams and deliver results through collaborative visioning, problem solving, and project implementation. Analytical, results-driven designer with a commitment to promoting equity through innovation.
Professional Experience
Thinkful, Remote
Design Curriculum Writer, 10/2019 - present
As design curriculum writer, I am part of a team creating the backbone of a new immersive program that propels people into a new, impactful career in product design. I produce written content, lesson plans including instructor notes and student activity descriptions, presentation decks, and design assets.
Key contributions:
Consistently innovate and deliver quality content
Design and write presentation decks for instructors
Develop code design assets to support lesson plans, student activities, and written curriculum content
Write code for mockups, and clickable prototypes
Iterate on deliverables based on user feedback
Integrated Hustle, Brooklyn, New York
Co-Founder, 2018 - present
Co-founder of a coaching and consulting firm with a mission to help women entrepreneurs step into leadership positions. I design and facilitate training, and develop strategic partnerships.
Key contributions:
Innovate a successful firm from the ground up
Coach, train, and mentor successful women leaders
Design curriculum focused on leadership
Design and implement assessments to measure student and client mastery
Anarchy in a Jar, Brooklyn, New York
CEO & Founder, 2009 - 2019
As owner and founder of Anarchy in a Jar, I built a dynamic product based company from the ground up. As the leader of my team, I developed an understanding of our clients, our competition and the marketplace, on-boarded and trained teams, and created an EQ-driven culture.
Key contributions:
Grew the business to net gain within first two years
Developed national and global partnerships
Employed, trained, and mentored staff
Educated and supported new entrepreneurs in panels, workshops, and classes
Designed and built digital instructional systems and supporting materials for new employees
Developed discovery and product development initiatives across platforms
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York
Assistant Professor & Image Cataloger, 2007-2012
Provided design research instruction while developing digital image databases for Pratt Institute. Fulfilled the demands of tenure through service, fundraising, and academic publishing.
Key contributions:
Designed learning experiences for in-person and online education platforms
Taught art, architecture, and design research
Innovated a class series “Touch, See, Find” to teach art and design students research acumen
Collaborated with professors, managers and stakeholders to identify new program opportunities and high-level outcomes
Developed UX and IA for new library LMS Expression Engine
New York University, New York, New York
Adjunct Faculty, Researcher, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, 2007
Created full level original records for the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, while cataloging and developing research modules for scholars and postdoctoral researchers.
Key contributions:
Created records for the unique research collection
Concept testing for databases
Usability testing of research modules
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of research systems
Raytheon Polar Services, McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Science Support, United States Antarctic Program/NSF, 2001-2004
Coordinated and supervised team of ten Logistics personnel assisting with the construction of remote, mobile science labs.
Key contributions:
Trained staff and coordinated logistics
Worked directly with science construction to support adaptive, mobile science labs
Managed and updated inventory databases
Curated an art gallery and created a functioning virtual catalogue for the community library
Volunteered in the hydroponic greenhouse to learn about their innovative growing systems
Laena Mira McCarthy
465 Herkimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11213
(917) 699-6392 | laenamira.com
laena@laenamira.com
Twitter: anarchyinajar | Instagram: @integratedhustle @anarchyinajar
“In Laena McCarthy’s hands,
chaos is sweet.”
— Rebecca Flint Marx, Tasting Table
Areas of Expertise
Curriculum Design
Content Production
Partnership Development
Marketing & Promotion
Program Design
Strategic Planning
Research & Writing
Fundraising
Business Growth & Logistics
Education
Pratt Institute
Brooklyn, NY
M.S., Information Science
May 2007
Outstanding Achievement Award Honors with DistinctionConcentrations: UX design, Information Architecture
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA
B.A., Visual Studies
May 2000High Honors and Magna Cum LaudeConcentrations: Fine Art, Film, Cultural Studies
Awards
2007 Seoud M. Matta Award for Outstanding Achievement in Information Technology
Pratt Institute
2004 National Science Foundation’s Antarctica Service Medal for valuable contribution to exploration and scientific achievementU.S. Department of Defense
1999 LITS Mellon Grant Student
Web Technologist
Mount Holyoke College
Press
A shout-out in the New York Times
Accolades in the Wall Street Journal
Recipes in Food & Wine Magazine
Technology
Programs: Luna Insight, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, FMP
Web: create/design wikis, blogs, RSS
Presentation: Apple Keynote and Google Drive (G Suite)
OS: Windows, MAC OSX, UNIX
Languages: SQL, PHP, Ajax, Expression Engine, HTML, XML
Service
Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs Program, LEAP: Guest Speaker, PS 93, 2016
Continuing Education Instructor
Brooklyn Brainery, 2012 to present
Museum of Food & Drink
Corporate Sponsor, 2015
Brooklyn Grange
Green Roof Installation, 2010
Pratt Board of Trustees
Student Affairs Faculty Representative, 2007-2012
Pratt Institute Academic Senate Representative, 2009-2012
Website Redesign Committee Member Pratt Institute, 2011
Publications
McCarthy, Laena. Jam On: The Craft of Canning Fruit. New York: Penguin Random House, 2012. Print.
McCarthy, Laena and Wilson, Holly. “Touch, See, Find: Serving Multiple Literacies in the Art Library.” Handbook of Collegiate Art and Design Librarianship. London: Facet Publishing, 2010.
Conners, David & McCarthy, Laena. “The Jobs Can Be Found.” Library Journal, 132 (14), 44-5. September, 2006.
Professional Affiliations
Ellevate Network
Seven Sisters Alumni Network
Disabilities Network of New York City
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Toklas Society