About Me

Roma G. Velasco | ᜇ᜔ᜋ ᜄᜇ̢ᜐᜌ ᜊᜒᜎᜐᜃᜓ

MARKETING & PRODUCT OPERATIONS | Inclusive & Human-centered Design

🧘🏽‍♀️ 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher [Yoga Alliance], cert. Yoga Nidra + Trauma-informed Yoga

🤎 Unlicensed Psychotherapist: NLC.0107754

🧘🏽‍♀️ Pranayama Student

Kablaaw [Hello]! I am Roma, or in Baybayin [Filipino Indigenous script], ᜇ᜔ᜋ.

Born and raised in the Philippines 🇵🇭 [of Northern & Southern Luzon ancestry] and currently enjoying the opportunity to live and work in the Land of the Arapaho, Ute, and Cheyenne Peoples [Boulder, Colorado] while exploring other parts of the world.

Quick story...

Whenever someone asks me about the best decision I've ever made, I love sharing a story that would make financial advisors and money gurus cringe.

"Once upon a time, almost a year after my divorce from a 5-year marriage, I found myself in a tough spot. I had given up my share of the house I co-owned, took over $20K in credit card debt, had zero savings, and was barely making ends meet. But then, something incredible happened. I received a $5K bonus from work that completely changed my life. And guess what I did with that money? I didn't put it in the bank, invest it, pay off my debt, or even use it to stay ahead of my bills. Nope, I did something wild. I SPENT IT ALL in just one month!"

Here’s what I did…

I reached out to one of my childhood best friends and convinced them to go on a two-week trip with me to Europe. To make things even more adventurous, I invited my new boyfriend, whom I had only known for less than a year, to join us for another two weeks. I took a whole month off from work and made it clear that I didn't want to be bothered while I was away. And so, I embarked on an unforgettable journey across Europe. I explored ten incredible countries, chased waterfalls and witnessed the mesmerizing northern lights in Iceland, climbed the boulders in the enchanting forest of Fontainebleau, dreamt about living in the vibrant city of Copenhagen, relaxed in the famous baths of Budapest, and breathed in the fresh air of the Scottish Highlands.

I believe that the best success stories are not the ones measured by numbers or placed on a plaque. The best success stories are the ones that you feel within you and others feel from you!

And you know what happened after I returned from that trip?

When I returned from that incredible adventure, something inside me had changed. I finally had the confidence to leave my old job, which had been draining me day in and day out. I took a leap of faith and joined a human-first organization where I thrived for the next five years. Not only did my career flourish, but my intimate relationship with that same guy I dragged along on my European "shenanigans" blossomed as well. I managed to pay off all my credit card debts, and co-owned a house once again. And I am proud to say “NO REGRETS!”. Don’t worry, I will not get that tattooed on my chest.

So many great things have happened since I made that decision to let go of the largest money I could have ever seen in my bank account during that time. Because I’d rather say yes to adventures. I’d rather say yes to ME! Then I found passion in life, work, sports, and in my relationships. I realized that with determination and a whole lot of heart, I COULD MAKE ANYTHING HAPPEN. I wanted to qualify for USAT Nationals someday. One year of triathlon and learning how to swim, done! I wanted to climb frozen waterfalls but the gears are expensive. It’s an investment, do it! Done! I want to travel outside the country 2x a year. We’ll make that money somehow. And sure enough, we did!

I did not invest that $5k in the bank, instead, I invested it in ME. The ROI of that spend, to this day, is endless. The experiences, learnings, relationships, joy, and growth that I gained from that investment will never depreciate in value. Never.

This is the principle that I want to bring when I work with any person, team, or organization: Treat your energy at work and in your personal life as an investment. You have to invest in your own WEALTH-BEING before you can gain from it and do something awesome with it.

I have been working on my “Lead your life: From a Triple F leader to a TOP Leader” guide. And I can’t wait to share it with you!

So, how about you? What is one of the best decisions you’ve made in your life?

...I invested it in ME. The ROI of that spend, to this day, is endless. The experiences, learnings, relationships, joy, and growth that I gained from that investment will never depreciate in value. Never.

Professional Qualification

Where do I see myself in the next 3 years?

My goal is to grow teams and organizations to lead and operate independently with or without me and my role. This allows me to become available to tackle new challenges and opportunities, and find novel ways to create new value, within or outside the organization.

Read: Staying Relevant by Becoming Irrelevant: An Unconventional Approach to Career Growth

Here's how I do it:

- I help teams achieve success by optimizing their cost and operational efficiency, making a significant impact within the organization in a short amount of time.

- I help streamline operations, eliminate waste, improve productivity and profitability, and help teams achieve their goals.

- I bring in sustainable and lasting change that benefits the organization in the long term and empower teams to continue these improvements independently.

I achieve these milestones within a 2-year timeframe or less. If this is the type of leadership you are looking for, let’s connect!

Key skill areas:

- Marketing campaign development & execution

- Marketing collateral design & production

- Campaign performance monitoring & reporting

- Market research & analysis

- Performance metrics monitoring & analysis

- Product development & launch

- Product lifecycle management

- Product presentations & demos

- Cross-functional collaboration

- Operations management (systems, inventory, logistics, vendors)

- Training program development & delivery

- Sales enablement material development

- Budget management

Outside of work, I enjoy activities that challenge my body and mind such as rock and ice climbing, gravel cycling, triathlon, sport shooting, and yoga. All these and my formal training in Human Performance Psychology, contribute to my understanding of human performance, motivation, and drive when working with teams and on projects.

DISC assessment: Promoter
Enneagram Type 8: The Challenger
Human Design profile: Manifesting Generator 4/6, Right Angle Cross of Planning [40/37 | 16/9]

Career Type: Express Builder
Assimilation: Synthesizing
Public Role: Influencer/Leader
Life Work: Planning [Personal Focus]

Education

Behavioral Economics & Design | Irrational Labs [Bootcamp]

Professional Certificate: Product Management | University of Maryland - A. James Clark School of Engineering

Master of Arts in Human Performance Psychology | Graduate Honors [Cum Laude] | Regis University

Certificate in Peace Officer Standard Training | Lake Region State College

Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Secondary Education Major in Values Education | University of the City of Manila

Key Specialties & Work Experience

Product Operations + Project Management

Integrated Work | Boulder, CO| May 2018 - May 2023 | Product & Marketing Lead

Key contributions:

Launched the company’s first set of service-based products. Productizing programs & services increased staff capacity and return clients by 50%
Launched the company’s first physical product and delivered 300+ units in 6 months
Led the development and launch of the company’s online marketplace, membership program, learning management system, events functionality, and redesigned website
Improved the website’s SEO, placing the company as a top result in industry search in Boulder, CO
Promoted 3x in the span of 5 years
Spearheaded the company’s POC Affinity Group and have been actively involved in culture change and improvement
Defined strategy and roadmap for products, services, and marketing
Successfully led and implemented organic marketing strategies with gradual increase in followers, brand awareness, request and inquiry from new customers
Led and launched the two successful phases of company rebranding
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure product and marketing efforts are aligned with business goals resulting in successful launch of new products, programs, and website features and functionalities
Managed the product lifecycle, including researching and analyzing market trends, customer needs, and competitor offerings to inform product development and launch decisions
Improved day-to-day operations of the company, through new tools, templatization, workflow automation, inventory management, logistics, and vendor relationships resulting in above 40% increased capacity, productivity, and efficiency
Prototyped and launched two simple mobile apps for as part of our Facilitator’s toolkit that are highly used and requested by consultants
Created and launched training programs for our customers and internal teams and streamlined onboarding

I was also a Project Coordinator for numerous Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-sponsored Peer Learning Team including Primary Care Association (PCA) CEOs, Value-Based Care, Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) Leaders, Health Center Leaders, Quality Improvement, Communicating Health Center Value, Health Center Practice Transformation, Health Center Finance and Reimbursement, and Workforce Development.

Current Projects & Recent Products Developed:

JEDI Journey Cards: An easy-to-use card deck to create a safe and brave space for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion conversations. [Prototype: Mobile/web app version]
VIABLE Strategy: VIABLE™ strategic plan will help provide clear organizational direction aligned with the organization’s purpose, and serve as a compass for its board, staff, and key stakeholders.
SUCCEED: The SUCCEED™ Academy is an executive leadership program for senior leaders who are invested in building leadership capacity for diverse populations and developing inclusive leadership skills.
Online Training Courses: Leading Virtually, Internal Staff Onboarding Courses, SUCCEED™ Executive Search Committee Course.
Integrated Work’s Community Membership: Developed, designed, and lead the organization’s first membership program.
JEDI Gym: A membership- and cohort-based program for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Integrated Work’s People-of-Color Affinity Group: Initiated our organization’s POC Affinity group as a safe space for JEDI-related conversations to help grow and improve our organization’s culture, structure, and processes.
The Carbon Almanac: Part of the 300+ people who contributed and collaborated in developing and launching this resource tool on climate change.
Visual Inspiration Cards [mobile/web app]: Converted the physical cards that we use during in-person facilitations into a mobile/web app for virtual and hybrid engagements, meetings, and convening.

Marketing Communications + Branding

Most recent Marketing Lead experience [as Product Lead] with Integratad Work from May 2018 - May 2023

TetroPerformance | Broomfield, CO | January 2016 - May 2018 | Marketing & Web Consultant + Success Coach

Led and implemented the company's rebranding and logo redesign
Built the company's new website
Spearheaded and implemented the company's social media and online presence increasing company presence and recognition organically by 20%

ExtractCraft | Longmont, CO | February 2015 - June 2015 | Marketing Communications Consultant

Jumpstarted the company's marketing research, strategy, and social media presence
Built and designed the company's first website and online presence
Spearheaded the list-building and increased product awareness organically within 4 months of starting the company
Worked closely with founders and brought their marketing vision into reality

TinkerMill - Longmont Makerspace | Longmont, CO | June 2014 - June 2015 | Marketing Communications Manager

Built and redesigned the organization's website
Spearheaded the organization's social media presence increasing their reach by 60% organically
Led the organizations marketing initiatives increasing the number of memberships by 30%
Successfully organized and held the city's first Electric Vehicle event in partnership with the City of Longmont with $100 budget, sponsorships, and donations from green technology companies

Sacred Heart School-Sunvalley | Paranaque, Philippines | January 2016 - May 2018 | HR & Marketing Coordinator

Improved administrative processes and operations by 80% resulting in streamlined processes and efficiency
Spearheaded the use of social media channels as a marketing tool and communication tool with customers [parents and students]
Led the the branding, graphic design, and marketing initiatives, allowing the company to allocate third-party marketing expenses to service improvement
Increased the number of enrollees and school revenue by 60% through guerrilla marketing and low marketing budget
- Built and designed the school's first website and online presence increasing their brand awareness and recognition by 80%

Education, Teaching, & Training

IBMC College | Fort Collins, CO | August 2014 - June 2017 | Adjunct Faculty

Worked with adult learners and students who just completed their GED
Taught college-level courses in general education and business such as General Psychology, Psychology of Success, Advanced Business Computer Applications, and Marketing Awareness
90-100% student attendance from beginning to end of semester

Sacred Heart School - Sun Valley / Galileo Enrichment Learning Program | Paranaque, Philippines | May 2008 - March 2010 | Teacher-Facilitator

Increased the number of enrollees by 50%
Enhanced the learning experience of students through improved academic performance. Implemented and directed the curriculum based on the learning needs of every student. Teacher-Facilitator for the after-school program Galileo Enrichment Learning Program teaching English / Reading and Mathematics to students ages three to 12

Other work experience:

Pahingalay | Boulder, CO | November 2022 - present | Yoga Facilitator & Founder
Primrose School of Longmont | Longmont, CO | June 2013 - August 2014 | Assistant Preschool Teacher
Colegio de Sta. Rosa – Manila | Manila, Philippines | May 2007 - March 2008 | Guidance Counselor

Operations & Customer Success

Longmont Housing Authority | Longmont, CO | August 2014 - May 2018 | Community Manager

Key contributions:

Successfully led a $5M construction and renovation project of an 82-unit, 3-level occupied building with 0% resident displacement and 90% resident satisfaction
Successfully maintained 100% occupancy rate of an 82-unit Low-Income Housing Tax Credit property; two 60-unit Low Income Housing Tax Credit, senior housing; and a 30-unit Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, multi-family housing
Renewed and revived the trust of clients and residents in management & service providers
Brought in resource speakers and agencies that can provide support, resources, and services to clients/residents and increased resident success and engagement by 50%
Above average success rate in keeping residents homed and reduced resident turnover by 60%. Residents who have faced homelessness, challenged with various disabilities, and other serious challenges that prevent them from being successful in life

Managed an 82-unit Low-Income Housing Tax Credit property; two 60-unit Low Income Housing Tax Credit, senior housing; and a 30-unit Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, multi-family housing. Qualified and processed Section 8 Vouchers and Project-based Vouchers. Followed and maintained compliance with Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Fair Housing Act. Led the construction and renovation projects of an 82-unit, 3-level occupied building working closely and coordinating with vendors, contractors, and the construction team. Managed logistics, scheduling, and resident-related activities during the construction project. Qualified all residents as the campus became a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit property in November 2016 and complied with the investor deadline.

Other work experiences:

Lockheed Martin | Boulder, CO | September 2014 - August 2015 | Security & Surveillance Officer [Secret Clearance]
Borg Pioneer Memorial Homes | Mountain, ND | April 2012 - May 2013 | Medication & Nurse Assistant

JEDI [Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion]

Integrated Work | Boulder, CO | January 2020 - May 2023 | Facilitator

Co-created and co-facilitated various JEDI programs such as Amplify Your Impact, JEDI Gym, and the JEDI Journey Cards. Design and develop products, programs, and marketing campaigns that are JEDI-focused.