Rikki Conte

To give you a little insight on me, I graduated from the College of Charleston in May of 2015, and immediately moved to New York City to start a job at DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections, where I still work today. I began my role there as an intern and was then asked to stay on as the company’s second full-time hire to act as the Executive Assistant to our Founder & CEO. After some time in that position, the company had grown exponentially and I stepped up as the Director of Events and Operations. With almost 8 years of experience working at a start-up, I have watched my current company grow from the ground up. Working for a small company has allowed me to wear many different hats and has certainly given me a "no task is too small" mindset. I believe that my background planning and executing events, experience with customer service, and working closely with our Founder & CEO on various projects, goals and initiatives has helped me to garner a wide breadth of skills. 
 

DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections (New York, NY) 

Director of Events & Operations                                                                                                                         February 2017 - Present                                                                  

// Scaled the D2C dessert company into a diverse, 7-figure, multi-channel brand by developing and optimizing multiple  new verticals and initiatives including retail, events & catering, partnerships, licensing, classes, publishing, and  wholesale.

// Ensured daily operations across all aspects of the business were in accordance with corporate policies, programs, and  procedures, and compliant with local regulatory organizations while ensuring customer satisfaction and the  organization's profitability.

// Managed cross-function leaders and team members across production, planning, finance, design, web development,  partnerships, fulfillment, marketing, and retail operations to continually expand and execute the DŌ vision.

//  Served as the primary point of contact for all internal and external constituencies on all operational, PR, partnership,  and sales matters.

//  Reported directly to the CEO and liaised with external vendors, consultants, agencies, and strategic partners,  building and maintaining key relationships and serving as a trusted partner to help build the brand.

//  Hired, trained, and managed 300+ employees across retail, production, corporate, and online operations.

//  Coordinated all external events, catering, and gifting for corporate and private clients, managing complex logistics,  negotiating contracts, and acting as the direct contact for individual and long-term clients. Clients include Uber,  Empire State Building, Macy’s, American Express, AdWeek, Blackstone, Pepsi, Co., Chobani, PayPal, and more!

// Brainstormed, developed, executed, and optimized brand-building and revenue-driving initiatives including  in-person and virtual classes, corporate gifting programs, and pop-up events.

//  Oversaw marketing initiatives including social media strategy, influencer programs, PR initiatives, celebrity gifting,  and the annual NCDD celebration across all verticals.

// Prioritized company culture by launching internal initiatives to boost employee happiness, planning and executing  internal company-wide events, brainstorms, celebrations, and milestone moments in line with corporate values.

// Project managed large-scale launches, events, partnerships, and activations including CEO’s cookbook launch,  cookbook tour, annual NCDD activations, music festivals, NYCWFF, MSG partnership, and Citi Field licensing.

Executive Assistant to the the Founder & CEO, Kristen Tomlan                  September 2015 - February 2017

// Used excellent organizational and problem-solving skills and the ability to handle multiple urgent priorities with high attention to detail in a dynamic environment.

// Managed a complex and ever-changing business and personal calendar including coordinating daily meetings, travel, media appearances, and appointments for the CEO.

// Assisted the CEO’s personal brand-building by creating and implementing a recipe-posting schedule and social media content strategy for her personal handle @kristentomlan and kristentomlan.com.

// Managed the company’s accounts receivable and accounts payable functions, maintaining timely and accurate payments through Quickbooks.

// Served as the office manager for the corporate office, maintaining paperwork, ordering supplies, organizing and digitizing documents, and coordinating services.

// Corresponded to customers, partners, vendors, and agencies on behalf of the CEO

College of Charleston, (Charleston, SC) Class of 2015, B.S. in Sociology, Public Health Minor

Florence University of the Arts, (Florence, Italy), Spring 2014