• Boglárka Kiss, D.M.A., M.B.A.

    Values-driven leader and consultant | Project manager | Coach

    Human-centered designer | Musician

    Welcome to my e-portfolio! As a collaborative and strategic leader and consultant, my aim is to empower people and organizations to reach their goals. With a deep commitment to inclusion, my work centers on co-creating customized approaches that catalyze positive change.

  • About me

    My professional journey so far

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    Introduction

    My path as a creative and collaborative problem solver

    As the subsequent pages illustrate, I have a diverse background, and I have worn many professional hats. The underlying constant in my life, aside from my values, has been my work as a professional musician. Music has taught me (almost) everything: From disciplined and methodical hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit, to collaborative, presentation, problem-solving, and leadership skills, being a classical flutist has provided me with many tools demanded in today's workplace.

     

    Acquiring solid musical skills requires dedication and perseverance. Musicians are natural conceptual thinkers: We recognize patterns, distill complex ideas, and make decisions, be it in the practice room, while teaching, or on stage.

     

    Music is our tool for communication, and our effectiveness depends on how well we listen, react to, and collaborate with others, and how well we present ourselves on stage.

     

    Musicians work well alone as well as in teams: Ideally, we practice on our own, and come together in rehearsals and performances. In the latter two settings, we collaborate, lead, and follow one another, depending on what the musical moment demands.

     

    Music keeps me humble: As a musician, I am but a conduit in a long tradition, passing on the art form to the next generation to the best of my abilities. Music has been the constant companion in my life, even if it is sometimes not as visible as my other activities. What remains visible are the skills honed in music that I use every day in my other professional endeavors:

     

    As a leader, manager, and designer, I work with individuals and teams to co-create effective strategies and programs, optimize communication, enable continuous improvement, and streamline operations. I am guided by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), human-centered design (HCD) and Agile approaches.

     

    As a supervisor, trainer, facilitator and coach, I recruit, develop, and lead professionals, deploying adult learning theories, As an educator, I accompany students on their intellectual and personal journeys, empowering them along the way, ensuring they are served equitably and with a social justice orientation.

  • Projects

    Work I am proud of

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    Strategy, leadership, coaching, inclusion and human-centered design

    Skills used: Collaborative, management, conceptual, leadership, organizational, research

    Workforce Development Staff DEI training

     

    Engaging youth and students equitably and authentically

     

    Structural transformation of community colleges: Strategic support for eight community colleges to improve student outcomes. Outcomes have included the creation and implementation of a Sustainable, Equitable Student Engagement model at scale that gathers robust student input to inform strategic decisions.

     

    Strategy development for nonprofit performing arts organization to forge closer ties with k12 institutions

     

    America's Job Center lobby redesign HCD sprint

     

    Community-engaged learning: program vision and strategic plan development, budget forecasting, program expansion, faculty training

     

    Professional development for varied stakeholders

     

    YouTube Channel in collaboration with Bernard Gibson, Ed.D.

     

    California community college civic stewardship initiative

     

    College curriculum management: oversight of all transferable courses at a college, data system redesign, campus-wide curriculum-related professional development design and deployment, redesign of public communication channels; co-development of programs such as music entrepreneurship; development and deployment of course curricula

     

     

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    Research, publications, instruction

    Skills used: Research, collaborative, conceptual

  • Skills and Values

    Expertise I have developed over the years | Ideas I cherish

    Leadership, management

    Manage and design programs, make decisions

    Build relationships

    Empower and supervise others

    Provide direction, model commitment

    Facilitate group work, delegate tasks
    Work as part of a team

    Teach and share knowledge

    Advise, train, facilitate, mentor, coach

    Projects: Program design and oversight, strategy

    Conceptual

    Think across and align systems

    Recognize patterns, think analytically

    Connect ideas and people

    Distill complex issues

    Design data-informed strategies and processes

    Teach and share knowledge

    Projects: Research, strategy, program design and development, teaching

    Skills

    Human-centered design

    Consulting: tech, project mgmt, change

    Training, coaching, facilitation

    Data analytics

    Communication

    Pure and applied research

    Projects: Research and publications

    Organizational

    Strategize and identify alternatives

    Implement strategies, reach goals

    Lead projects

    Solve problems

    Develop and implement programs

    Turn thoughts into action

    Projects: Strategy, program design, coaching

    I value...

    Integrity

    Curiosity

    Empathy

    Honesty

    Cooperation

    Thoughful innovation

    I'm happy...

    ...when my work and beliefs are in harmony.

    ...in flexible settings where I have autonomy.

    ...when I learn and grow personally.

    ...around creative, sincere, and reliable people,

    ...to be led by inspiring and expert leaders.

    ...when we act for justice.

  • Organizations

    ...where I've had the privilege to work

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    Calbright College

    Director, Economic and Business Development

    Lead a team that directs, plans, and coordinates the college’s economic development strategies to increase economic mobility and close equity gaps for working adults who lack easy access to traditional forms of higher education.

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    Human-Centered Designer, Strategic Thought Partner, Facilitator, Coach

    Deliver customized professional services to nonprofits, government agencies, research, and educational institutions. Provide exceptional strategic thought partnership, team development and facilitation, end-to-end project and capacity management, documentation, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting. Maintain highest levels of confidentiality and professionalism.

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    Irvine Foundation/JFF

    Fellow, Workforce Transformation Corps

    Workforce Development Board of Ventura County

    Assess organizational capacity and strategic opportunities to embed inclusive and equitable practices in programs, services, and processes. Design and deliver training, collaborate on sprints and other projects. Monitor and report project milestones to stakeholders. Infuse human-centered design in all aspects of the work.

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    McKinsey & Company

    Management consultant

    Develop strategy using business analytics in nonprofit arts, healthcare, tech sectors.

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    Terzo Technologies

    Manager, Professional Services: Consulting and Onboarding

    Oversee the design and deployment of customized, AI-driven document data extraction that unlocks financial insights, enabling clients to make data-driven strategic decisions.

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    Foundation for California Community Colleges

    Lead Regional Coordinator

    Lead a team of five, manage budget, work as part of the management team. Collaborate with a teammate to serve eight colleges in their transformational efforts to serve students equitable and to realize the goals of the Vision for Success.

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    Chancellor's Office, California Community Colleges

    Regional Coordinator

    Guide colleges to achieve fundamental transformation of mindset and operations to reach the Vision for Success using the Guided Pathways framework.

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    Stanford University

    Fellow: Projects with Stanford Live, the Haas Center for Public Service, Civic Stewardship Initiative for Community Colleges, Stanford CARTA

    Faciliate development of strategic plan, forecast and manage budget and grant awards. Deploy human-centered design elements in projects, redesign curriculum, complete research projects using qualitative and mixed methods,

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    Ventura College

    Academic Dean

    Oversee the Division of English, ESL, Communication, Math, Computer Science, Learning Resources. Develop values-based vision and strategy; manage $4.5 million budget, revitalize operations for optimal efficiency and in the service of students, using human-centered design and cutting-edge business practices.

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    Pasadena City College

    Full Professor

    Oversee all transferable courses, review and developm curriculum. Design and deploy professional development programs for faculty, participate in college governance as senator, teach classes and studio flute, mentor students and junior faculty

  • Education

    Degrees, certifications, memberships

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    Boston University

    Historical and action research

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    Boston University

    Master of Business Administration

    General Business

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    Stanford University

    Master of Arts, Education--Policy, Organization, Leadership

    Higher education policy, administration, and leadership, community colleges, k-12 linkages, nonprofit leadership and management

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    University of California, Irvine

    Master of Fine Arts, Music Performance

    Flute performance--studies with James Newton

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    Whittier College

    Bachelor of Arts, Economics

    Labor and international economics, industrial organization, strategic management

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    Lean Six Sigma (IASSC, CSSC)

    Certified Green Belt Professional

    Data-driven performance improvement, problem solving

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    Wharton Executive Education

    Business Analytics

    Descriptive, predictive, prescriptive analytics:

    Data collection methods, A/B testing, correlation and causation, forecasting, regression analysis, simulations, data visualization and interpretation, optimization, decision trees

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    Project Management Institute

    Certified Associate in Project Management

    Principles, practices, and ethics of project management

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    Acuity Institute

    Change Management

    Assess the issue, initiate action, plan the change, execute the plan, make lasting change.

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    Scrum.org

    Scrum Master

    Principles of and deployment of Scrum approaches

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    Memberships

    Professional organizations

    Association of California Community College Administrators

    American Federation of Musicians, local 47

    National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

    College Music Society

    National Association for Music Education

    International Society for Music Education

    Omicron Delta Kappa--honor society in leadership and service

    Omicron Delta Epsilon--honor society in economics

    Mu Phi Epsilon--honor society in music

    Board member, Channel Islands Rowing Club

  • Let's grab a cup!

    Let's get to know each other and find ways to collaborate