The Setup
Built to give young dancers a real stage.
Junior dancers in the community deserved a real stage — not a recital, not a fundraiser in a gym. Quest Studio, the dance program I founded, launched Amplify as a real competition, complete with judges and media partners. It ran multiple years, and the second was better than the first. All proceeds went back to local school arts programs. The mission was the point.
The Crisis
Venue fell through with marketing already live.
The partner school filed their venue application late — after pushing us to start marketing early. By the time we found out, registration was sold out and there was no venue. Several vendors dropped out when the date changed.
The Response
Rebuilt the event, bigger than before.
Secured nationally recognized crews — the kind that signal a real competition, not a studio showcase. Called KIIS FM 102.7 directly and secured the media partnership myself. Rebuilt the vendor roster, and registration held.
My Scope
I owned the full scope — brand, marketing, and operations.
Logo, brand identity, marketing, the event website, and vendor communications were all built and running before any additional support came on. The systems were already in place by the time anyone else stepped in.
The Outcome
The event outperformed every projection.
Attendance, performer caliber, and sponsor reach all beat projections. What could have been a public failure instead became the year people still talk about — a result of the systems built ahead of the crisis, not luck.
Full event identity — marketing, collateral, and production
Registration: Sold Out
Marketing
Sold out
KIIS FM secured
16+ teams
Event shirt — designed in-house
Partnerships & talent
Vendor partnerships
Named judge panel
Event collateral
Event tickets — designed in-house, two colorways
Competitor credentials — custom for every performer
Performers
Kinjaz · Poreotics / Miniotics (nationally recognized dance crews)
Media partner (secured)
KIIS FM 102.7
Sponsors
Blood+Platelets · Salita PL&C (my own publishing company)
Venue
Jordan High School Theater, Long Beach
Bolsa Chica Conservancy — Systems & Program Design
Bolsa Chica Conservancy
The volunteer program had outgrown what it was running on. Bloated database, donors mixed with volunteers, manual coordination eating up time nobody had. The contract was to fix it — and fix it without spending money.
The Problem
A paid platform too expensive for the database it had built.
CharityProud had become more problem than platform. Nobody had cleaned it up because nobody had the bandwidth.
The Solution
Migrated to a free platform stack that didn't depend on any one person.
The team moved to Jibble for self-managed hour tracking, Band App to replace scattered email threads, and a newsletter as the single communication hub. Platform cost dropped to zero.
The Outcome
A pipeline that feeds itself.
Cleanup events grew to 300+ volunteers. AmeriCorps and university intern pipelines were formalized, and two California Naturalist cohorts ran — many of those graduates became returning volunteers.
Scope
I owned systems, programs, communications, and partnerships.
Redesigned the check-in system, coordinated large-scale cleanup events, and launched nature journaling and painting workshops. Formalized intern pipelines with AmeriCorps, UCI, Chapman University, and Vanguard University, and ran two California Naturalist certification cohorts.
Systems built
Jibble — volunteer + intern hour tracking
Admin view. Volunteers and interns clocked their own time, tagged by activity. No staff involvement required.
The full stack
Jibble — hour tracking (self-managed)
Band App — real-time communications
Newsletter — central hub, replaced email flood
Replaced: CharityProud (paid subscription)
$0
platform cost
after migration
Professional Experience
The roles that built the range.
Most recent full-time role: Bolsa Chica Conservancy, through May 2025. Salita and Quest Studio are mine — built and run alongside full-time work, not instead of it. Right now that means building Salita full-time. I'm open to the right creative or program leadership role.
$20M+Annual venue revenue directed
400%Revenue increase — Grand Event Center
$125K+Grant funding secured
Details Manager (Creative & Production Operations)
The Grand Event Center
2017 – 2023 · Long Beach, CA
- Directed operations for a $20M+ annual venue running 150+ events per week
- Led cross-functional teams across operations, culinary, and service
- Increased revenue 400% through strategic event programming
- Managed events with up to 5,000+ attendees
Events & Outreach Coordinator
Bolsa Chica Conservancy
Nov 2024 – May 2025 · Huntington Beach, CA
- Migrated volunteer system to free platform stack; eliminated subscription cost
- Improved volunteer onboarding and long-term retention by 25–30%
- Coordinated 300+ volunteer beach cleanup events
- Built intern pipelines with AmeriCorps and universities including UCI, Chapman University, and Vanguard University
- Ran California Naturalist certification cohort; graduates fed directly into volunteer program
Founder & Creative Director
Salita Digital Publishing
2011 – Present · Los Angeles, CA
- Lead development of books, games, and narrative podcast
- Built scalable workflows for creative production and prototyping
- Developed brand identity across print, digital, and audio
- Integrated AI tools to streamline content development
Owner, Lead Designer
Elle + Ink Events
Nov 2015 – Jan 2026 · Los Angeles, CA
- Event designs featured in New York Fashion Week 2018, WSJ Magazine, and Modern Luxury Magazine
- Designed custom branding and print materials via Adobe Suite
- Designed the Modern Calligraphy workshop curriculum, event kit, and branded gift box
- Managed client relationships, timelines, and creative direction
Founder & Program Director
Quest Studio
Apr 2011 – Aug 2019 · Cerritos, CA
- Built Quest Studio from 2 weekly classes to 12 daily — 200% enrollment growth
- Designed and executed productions with 3,000+ attendees
- Featured by ABC and World of Dance
Educator & Grant Program Manager
California Educational Centers
Apr 2014 – Dec 2017 · Cerritos, CA
- Secured and managed $125K+ in grant funding serving 1,500+ students across multiple school sites
- Coordinated grant-funded educational programs aligned with partner school requirements and timelines
- Implemented tracking systems ensuring compliance, audit readiness, and funder reporting
Director of Visual & Performing Arts & Dance Teacher
ABC Unified School District
Jun 2005 – Feb 2016 · Cerritos, CA
- Expanded visual and performing arts programs from 1 to 4 schools, serving 500+ students annually
- Managed budgets, fundraising, and resource allocation in compliance with public-sector requirements
- Built partnerships with district schools, charter schools, and external arts organizations
- Maintained classroom teaching responsibilities — Science and Dance — alongside district leadership duties
Web & Digital
Four brands, built from the ground up.
Same hand, four completely different voices. Salo Salo Sabotage is playful and product-forward, built to sell a physical game. Quest Dance is editorial and dark. Barre Vivre is bold, direct, fitness-forward. Ren DLC is warm, cultural, built around a specific kind of storytelling. You wouldn't know they came from the same place. That's the point.
Author Platform
Ren DLC
Author and illustrator site — books, cultural storytelling, Baybayin-integrated design.
rendlc.com →
Dance Studio + Event Brand
Quest Dance Studio
Full studio site — class listings, events, brand presence. Featured by ABC and World of Dance.
View site →
Fitness Sub-brand
Barre Vivre
Fitness branch of Quest — separate identity, tone, and audience. Built to stand alone.
View site →
Brand Collateral — Quest Studio & Barre Vivre
The full brand system extended well beyond the website.
Tri-fold Brochure
Dance · Fitness · Education — print-ready membership brochure
Membership Keycards
Dual-branded scan-in cards — Quest + Barre Vivre
Preferred Member Cards
Two colorways — geometric and galaxy — for tiered membership
Summer Campaign
Quest Summer 2018 — promotional design with live photography
Graphic Media Design
Client brief. Clean execution.
Each piece was designed against a real brief — art director notes, actual constraints, production specs. The Pinponpan identity and Bolsa Chica Conservancy signage shown elsewhere were real client work. The rest were designed for a program that used genuine art director scenarios.
Featured piece
Project — Full Brand System
Cincinnati Zoo Grand Reopening
Client brief
"Our facility received a significant grant to update everything — we've rebuilt from the ground up. The previous logo was designed more than 20 years ago. We want something fresh that works on a 15-foot sign or embroidered on the pocket of a T-shirt." Client brief (Graphic Media Design coursework)
Deliverables: Logo rebrand · 7 habitat icons · Grand Reopening invitation · T-shirt merchandise mockup
Logo + Habitat Icon System
New logo with 7 section icons: Arctic, Forest, Sky, Tropics, Desert, Ocean, Kids Kingdom
Grand Reopening Invitation
Print-ready mailer incorporating the new logo and brand system
T-Shirt Merchandise Mockup
Logo applied to apparel — tested at small scale per client spec
Additional work
Illustrator · Print-Ready Product Label
Triumph Energy Water — Label Design
Client brief
"Create a label design for a new energy water called triUMPH. Create a compelling type treatment. Include nutrition information, barcode, package size, recycle logo, and state CRV text. Must meet all food packaging requirements for US retail sales."
Full bleed label · CMYK print spec · Nutrition facts panel · Barcode · Crop marks
Illustrator · Nonprofit Print Collateral
The Painted Turtle — Donor Brochure
Client brief
"The Painted Turtle is a camp for children with serious medical conditions, run entirely by donations. The camp was damaged by fire. Create a letterfold brochure that can be mailed, placed in rack-card holders, and handed out at events. Include a Donate Now section."
Tri-fold front & interior · Donation form · Mail-ready format · Both sides shown
Illustrator · Event Poster
Barking Mad for the Masquerade
Brief
Annual masquerade ball and fundraiser for the Seal Beach Animal Care Shelter. Required a theatrical, high-impact poster balancing formal event details with the "Barking Mad" theme.
Typography-driven layout · Victorian illustration style · Dark field composition
InDesign · Data Infographic
Renewable Energy Resources
Brief
Data visualization of renewable energy source comparisons presented as a 3D isometric layered infographic with editorial copy.
3D isometric illustration · Data visualization · Editorial layout
Illustrator · Packaging Design
Organic Popcorn — Miso Caramel
Brief
Product packaging for an organic snack brand. Required bold shelf presence, clear flavor communication, and a design that stands out in a competitive retail environment.
Package wrap design · Retail-ready composition · Bold typographic hierarchy
Illustrator · Brand Identity · Client Work
Pinponpan Artisan Bakery — Logo & Brand
Brief
Warm enough for a neighborhood shop, polished enough for a premium shelf. The botanical illustration wraps the wordmark like something grown, not assembled. Required an elegant wordmark with warmth and character — sophisticated enough for high-end positioning, approachable enough for a neighborhood shop. Botanical illustration elements reinforce the handcrafted ethos.
Custom wordmark · Botanical illustration integration · Terracotta & cream palette · Print & digital ready
Client Work — The Grand Event Center
Feed the People.
Typography-driven ad campaign
Ad for the Grand Event Center's catering division — designed from inside the organization. The headline does the work.
Event Design & Curriculum — Elle + Ink
Modern Calligraphy Workshop Kit
Gift box, workbook curriculum, event kit — all original — for a fundraiser workshop series at Quest Studio.
Workshop in Session
Workbook featured Kayla's Cakes Bakery — advertising their macarons. Complete branded experience from invite to take-home kit.
A Second Run — Romeo Chocolates, Long Beach
The kit, styled for the collab
Same curriculum, hosted again — this time for the holiday opening of Romeo Chocolates' Long Beach shop. A full table of guests, most of them picking up a calligraphy pen for the first time, left with a chalkboard piece of their own.
Guests with their finished pieces, Romeo Chocolates opening
As Featured In — Modern Luxury Brides California
Spring/Summer 2018 issue — Follow the Script
One of four California calligraphy studios profiled in a feature on the all-calligraphy invitation trend — die-cutting, handmade paper, and custom rose-gold ink, all done by hand.
Adobe Illustrator · InDesign · PhotoshopGraphic Media Design Certification — ABC Adult School (WASC accredited)
Salita — Books, Games & Podcast
Started small. Still going.
Started as a Saturday language class in 2011 — a small room, a feeling the language was slipping through the generation gap. Thirteen years later it's a publishing imprint, a card game company, and a podcast. The books, the art, the card illustrations — all of it made in-house, by hand.
When Lola Speaks
2021 · Written & Illustrated by Ren Dela Cruz
A boy, his lola, and the gap between the language she speaks and the one he knows. Published 2021.
Interior spread
Whispers in the Wetlands
Free ebook · Bolsa Chica Conservancy
Written for the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, distributed free. Kids who walk through a wetland should know what they're standing in. California Naturalist stewardship in picture book form.
Field reference & finished illustration — marsh pennywort
Interior spread
Latest publication
For All You'll Become
Published · Written by Ren Dela Cruz
A new illustrated children’s book under Ren DLC. About becoming. A binturong as guide. Published independently.
Interior spread — Procreate illustration
In progress
What Stays
A full-length nonfiction book about what forms when two people stay with something longer than feels necessary. Entry point: nature journaling with Ethan. In progress.
Podcast
Salita Sessions
Ep. 1: "The Words That Stayed Anyway." For Filipino families who kept the language — and for the ones finding their way back.
Est. 2011
Filipino School
Over a decade of heritage language education — the foundation everything else was built on.
Salo Salo Sabotage — Product Design
Collect the food, the family, the fun. Survive the tsismis.
Filipino family gatherings have a specific, recognizable energy — the lechon at the center, the tita who's got the latest gossip, the godfather who shows up late but still controls the room. Salo Salo Sabotage turns that into nine cards: collect three Food, three Family, and three Fun before Bagyo, Brownout, or somebody's Tita's Tea takes them back. Every counter in the deck is a real cultural value, not just a rule — Kapwa, Utang na Loob, Mano Po. Designed, illustrated, and taken all the way to manufacturing.
Made for my son, the same reason I wrote When Lola Speaks. Culture doesn't pass down by accident — it gets played at a table until it sticks.
Feast — Lechon
Counter — Mano Po
Sabotage — Tsismis
Guest — Ninong the DJ
The illustration system
Every guest card is framed the way you'd actually see them arrive — on the walkway, at the gate. The borders trace the geometry of Filipino tribal tattoo. Every description sits over a woven banig pattern. Banana leaves stretch behind the food cards, and the same eight-ray sun from the flag rises behind every guest. None of it is labeled — but the first time someone flips a card and says wait, my lola has that placemat, it's already working.
Packaging & production
The box went through a full concept round before landing on the direction that shipped — then had to survive being turned into an actual print-ready file, with fold lines, bleed, and a barcode that scans.
Production dieline — the file sent to the printer
Early concept — jungle & sabotage-pot direction
Final direction — the lockup that shipped
Languages
English + Filipino
Status
Manufactured
Shipping delayed — tariffs
Rules in English and Filipino. If you grew up at those tables — recognition. If you didn't — introduction. Printed in Richmond, CA on FSC-certified recycled paper with soy-based inks.
Visit salosalosabotage.com →
See the site build ↑ Web & Digital
Curriculum & Learning Design
Built to be taught, not just read.
Design work isn't only brand and event work. These are two pieces of instructional design, built for two very different audiences — a heritage language classroom and a volunteer conservancy program. Both start from the same place: a clear goal, a structure that gets people there, and enough scaffolding that someone else could pick it up and teach it.
Case 1 — Salita! Filipino School
Filipino Language Workbook
A lesson on Filipino articles, built for a mixed-level classroom. Stated learning goals up front. Bilingual instruction throughout. Activities move from guided recognition to open translation, so learners build confidence before they're asked to produce language on their own. A "Teacher Notes" callout flags a mistake most learners make — ay vs. ang — and corrects it in plain language, the kind of thing you only add once you've watched people make that exact mistake in the room.
Lesson opener — goals & vocabulary
Teacher Notes — the ay / ang correction
Case 2 — Bolsa Chica Conservancy
Biodiversity Week Workshop
A nature journaling workshop for CA Biodiversity Week, built and facilitated for volunteers and families. The session opens with why the practice matters, not just what to do, then sets clear group norms before anyone picks up a pencil — no judgment, no rushing, no comparing journals. A guided hike leads into open studio time, closing with a think-pair-share discussion tied to a real question about the site's biodiversity. Built so someone with zero teaching background could run it.
Group norms — the Do's / Don'ts slide
Closing discussion — Think-Pair-Share
Part of the Bolsa Chica Conservancy program ↑
"Lauren held students to high expectations while providing the encouragement, structure, and guidance necessary for them to succeed."
— Dr. Crechena Wise, Principal, Cerritos High School
Lauren is Ren's full first name — from her time teaching dance and science at Cerritos High School.
Credentials & Education
The credentials.
Certifications
Project Management
Project Management Professional (PMP)
PMI · 2024–2027
Process Improvement
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
IASSC
Intellectual Property
Certificate in IP Law
WIPO · December 2024
Graphic Design
Graphic Media Design & Adobe Certification
ABC Adult School (WASC accredited)
Environmental Education
UC Certified California Naturalist
UC Davis / UC ANR
In progress — grant application
Focus Moments Nature Journaling Club
Wild Wonder Foundation Micro Grant applicant · 2026
Nature Journaling
Certified Nature Journal Educator
Wild Wonder Foundation (John Muir Laws)
Learning & Development
Curriculum design across three programs
MA TESOL · UC Certified Naturalist · Certified Nature Journal Educator
Filipino heritage language curriculum, a bilingual nature journaling program, and a Modern Calligraphy workshop series.
Full case studies ↓
Education
Graduate
Master of Arts — TESOL
University of Southern California
Undergraduate
Bachelor of Science — Biological Sciences
University of California, Irvine
Languages
EnglishNative
FilipinoHighly proficient
SpanishConversational
JapaneseJLPT N3
MandarinNovice
