Hi, I'm Grace, advocate, connector, policy nerd.
I graduated from Appalachian State with a degree in Economics, concentrated in Environmental Economics & Policy, and a minor in Sustainable Business. I've advised a $3.7B apparel company on circularity strategy, represented Appalachian State at COP30, and authored award-winning research on wildfire risk disclosure and home values. Now I'm looking for a policy, advocacy, or economic development role in North Carolina.
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. Graduated summa cum laude, 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).
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, International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition
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
Case study pages are rolling out one at a time. Entries without one yet link straight to the source PDF.
01
Fellowship
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.
02
Research · 1st Place
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.
"I fully endorse Grace's submission for the Brashear Prize. She undertakes a very careful difference-in-differences design to examine the impact of fire risk disclosure on home values. Grace goes well beyond what one might expect from an undergraduate study, carefully going through the necessary diagnostics (e.g., an event study analysis) to assess the plausibility of a causal interpretation of her results. The analysis is thorough and well-written."
Faculty endorsement, Department of Economics
03
Global
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.
04
Technical
Life Cycle Assessment Models & Graphs
Life cycle models (LCMs) mapping raw materials, transport, use, and disposal across six products and scenarios: a cotton-blend hoodie, a campus building renovation, and a single-use vs. reusable cup comparison for stadium concessions (paper, PET, and polypropylene across 150 uses).
05
Research
Experimental Design: Policy Mechanisms
Behavioral economics experiment testing how price-based vs. quantity-based climate policy instruments change consumption behavior.
06
Consulting
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.
07
Consulting
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.
08
Research
Sustainability Profile: IKEA
Solo report profiling IKEA's sustainability performance and strategy, completed for MGT 3300 (Dec 2024).
09
Product
The People's Bag
Product concept and sustainability case for a protective gear bag: "guarding your gear, preserving the planet."
10
Strategy
Social Media Strategy: 7 Brew
Competitor analysis and social media marketing recommendations for 7 Brew Coffee.
What I bring to a team
= certified, click to view. Everything else is a skill I'm actively building toward certification in.
Strategic Analysis & Problem-Solving
Sustainability & ESG Knowledge
Client Service & Relationship Management
How I'm wired
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.
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.
Volunteer, Beans2Brew
Serve coffee and pastries day-to-day at the student-run nonprofit coffee shop, handling typical service and food-industry tasks and building relationships with faculty and staff across departments.
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.
Member, Omicron Delta Epsilon
International Economics Honor Society.
Dean's Club Strategic Business Competition
Served as project lead for our team's entry in the 2026 Dean's Club Strategic Business Competition, recruiting and assembling the team and leading our analysis of "Meals, Markets and Metrics: A Campus Dining Strategy," a case on Appalachian State's campus dining operations.
Awarded Best Presenter, "for demonstrating exceptional communication, confidence, and leadership in presenting a business case with clarity, insight, and persuasive impact at the 2026 Dean's Club Strategic Business Case Competition."
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.