Hi, I'm Grace, economist, connector, policy nerd.
I'm an Economics & Policy graduate who translates technical sustainability and policy analysis into decisions institutions can actually act on. I do it by building real relationships with the people who have to say yes. I've advised a $3.7B apparel company on circularity strategy, represented Appalachian State at COP30, and led a B Corp-aligned impact assessment for a footwear company. Now I'm looking for a policy, advocacy, or economic development role in North Carolina.
Economics gives me the framework. People are the reason I use it.
I'm a recent Economics & Policy graduate from Appalachian State (Environmental Economics & Policy focus, minor in Sustainable Business), and I genuinely light up around people, whether that's negotiating alongside delegates from 200 countries, mentoring incoming students, or presenting a strategy proposal to a room of executives. I care about sustainability and policy, but I care just as much about the relationships that make good ideas actually happen.
I'm at my best translating complex, data-heavy problems (climate finance mechanisms, corporate governance, disclosure policy) into something a room full of different stakeholders can rally around. Give me a hard problem and a group of people to solve it with, and I'm in my element.
What drives me
Tackling policy and sustainability challenges that create real, measurable impact, and doing it alongside people who care as much as I do.
How I work
Out loud, with people. I think best in conversation, build trust fast, and love connecting people, ideas, and resources that wouldn't otherwise cross paths.
My sweet spot
Standing at the intersection of policy analysis and people, where good research meets the relationship-building it takes to actually get it adopted.
Where I've put this into practice
A snapshot of my resume. Full details in the downloadable PDF above.
B.A. Economics: Environmental Economics & Policy
Minor in Sustainable Business. GPA 3.9/4.0. Chancellor's List (Fall '22, Spr '23, Fall '23, Fall '24, Spr '25); Dean's List (Spr '24, Fall '25). Brashear Research Prize, 1st Place: "Fire in the Fine Print: The Effect of California's AB 38 Wildfire Risk Disclosure Requirement on Residential Property Values."
Impact Clinic Participant
Partnered with Caleres Footwear through an experiential consulting course to conduct a B Corp-aligned Impact Assessment. Applied CSRD and B Corp Standards to assess initiatives and recommend improvements aligned with the company's environmental, social, and financial goals.
Research Analyst, Beans2Brew
Lead research and analytics for a student-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit coffee shop, including ROI analysis on capital investments. Develop data-driven proposals that inform strategic decision-making for the leadership team.
Holland Fellow
Selected as 1 of 12 students for a competitive sustainable consulting program; developed and presented a strategy proposal in Asia on business design and growth in the apparel industry. Advised Kontoor Brands (parent of Wrangler, Lee, Rock & Republic; $3.76B market cap) on circularity strategy using IRO and Double Materiality Assessment frameworks.
Truist Immersive Learning Experience
Selected as 1 of 16 students to represent Walker College of Business at Truist's annual Case Study Experience. Collaborated with the City of Charlotte and Amazon Web Services to design an AI-powered digital solution for municipal services.
Student Delegate, COP30 UN Climate Negotiations
Selected as 1 of 6 students representing Appalachian State at the UN Climate Change Conference, among 60,000 delegates from 200 countries. Analyzed just-transition policy and climate finance mechanisms, evaluating how social safety nets and worker retraining programs support economic security during energy transitions.
Chief Operations Officer, ICBSC
Directed production scheduling, R&D investment, and operational capacity planning for a simulated firm in the International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition. Worked cross-functionally with finance, marketing, and strategy leads to build formal business plans and benchmark performance each quarter. The team won 1st place for presentations and finished runner-up overall.
Things I've built, studied, and argued about
Full write-ups are PDFs for now. Case study pages for each are coming soon.
Holland Fellowship: Kontoor Brands
Team consulting engagement through Appalachian State's 2025 Holland Fellowship: a circularity and sustainability strategy for Kontoor Brands' (Wrangler, Lee) denim supply chain, using IRO and Double Materiality Assessment frameworks. Presented the final strategy proposal in Asia.
Caleres Governance & Impact Assessment
Team project (Impact Clinic) analyzing corporate governance at Caleres Footwear, applying CSRD and B Corp Standards to a B Corp-aligned impact assessment and recommending improvements across environmental, social, and financial goals.
Sustainability Profile: IKEA
Solo report profiling IKEA's sustainability performance and strategy, completed for MGT 3300 (Dec 2024).
Experimental Design: Policy Mechanisms
Behavioral economics experiment testing how price-based vs. quantity-based climate policy instruments change consumption behavior.
Climate Policy Brief: COP30
Policy brief on climate finance and accountability, written for the Walker College of Business UN Climate Negotiations cohort. Covers the 30% green financing gap, the 73% loans-vs-grants debt trap, and Global North/South priority conflicts.
The People's Bag
Product concept and sustainability case for a protective gear bag: "guarding your gear, preserving the planet."
STITCH Sustainability Transformation
Two-part consulting engagement: a full sustainability transformation workshop plan, plus a companion ideation workshop ("Profit Meets Purpose") for a client project.
Social Media Strategy: 7 Brew
Competitor analysis and social media marketing recommendations for 7 Brew Coffee.
Brashear Research Paper
🏆 1st Place, Brashear Research Prize, Department of Economics. "Fire in the Fine Print: The Effect of California's AB 38 Wildfire Risk Disclosure Requirement on Residential Property Values." A difference-in-differences analysis of all 58 California counties (2013–2024) finding that high-wildfire-hazard counties saw ~3.9% larger home value declines after the state's mandatory fire-risk disclosure law took effect.
Where I show up outside the classroom
Vice President, Alpine Ski Team
Manage communications, travel, and event logistics for a 40+ member club team. Previously served as Secretary.
Women of Walker Mentor
Mentor incoming students through a professional development program for women in the Walker College of Business.
GreenBiz25 Student Representative
Selected as 1 of 2 students (of 4,200) to represent the university at GreenBiz, a 3,000+ attendee sustainability conference.
What I bring to a team
Relationship Building & Leadership
Policy & Analysis
Frameworks
Technical Tools
How I actually operate
Input
I have a need to collect and archive: information, ideas, and relationships that turn out to be valuable later.
Belief
I have core values that don't move. They give my work a defined sense of purpose.
Strategic
I spot the relevant patterns quickly and create alternative ways to get where I'm going.
Learner
The process of learning excites me more than the credential at the end of it.
Arranger
I like figuring out how people and resources fit together for maximum productivity, and helping people click with each other.
Let's talk
I'd genuinely love to hear from you: about a role, a project, or just to swap ideas about policy and sustainability. Based in Charlotte, NC. Coffee's on me.