It's been a rapid season of growth to start the new year with many new faces joining our team. We're so proud to welcome the following individuals to our team and have already begun to see the impact they will have on our agency. Read on for a bit of background on each person, and be sure to reach out to congratulate everyone on their new roles.
New Additions to the SimpScar Team
Khooshali Magoo (she/her) joins SimpsonScarborough as a Junior UX Strategist. She has an extensive background in hospitality and sales, with a B.Sc. in hotel management from the Institute of Hotel Management India and a Bachelor's in Tourism Management from The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Khooshali will use her design mindset to develop and deliver strategies and bridge the gap between user needs and the needs of the client with a focus on empathy and accessibility.
Khooshali is located in Bellevue, Washington. In her free time, she loves to read about mythology, cook, and practice the art of reiki healing (and hopefully impart some relaxation tips on us, too.)
Kelsey DiNardo (she/her) is our newest Senior Research Analyst and will support client analytical needs through survey design, data analysis, visualizations, and reporting. Prior to joining SimpsonScarborough, she worked at Vista Communications as a Research Analyst where she supported federal research projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Kelsey holds a BA in Psychology from Wittenberg University and an MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University. In college, Kelsey had the opportunity to work closely with professors on research projects, one of which was for a national marketing research firm. At that time Kelsey did not know what she wanted to do after college and had no idea how those experiences would greatly impact her future.
In her spare time, Kelsey enjoys baking and crafts in her Wesley Chapel, FL home. She also considers herself quite competitive and loves board and card games. Game on, Kelsey!
Safaniya Stevenson (she/her) is our new Associate Director of Media & Marketing Strategy. She will lead integrated marketing projects and bring omnichannel strategies to life for clients. Safaniya comes to SimpScar from omnichannel strategy in the agriculture and advanced manufacturing industries. Prior to her role in strategy, Safaniya worked in-house with a university's marketing team that SimpScar served - this is where she learned about the amazing work the agency produces and wanted to be a part of the team.
Safaniya graduated from the University of South Carolina where she majored in Broadcast Journalism. Higher education was pivotal in expanding her access to a diverse set of people, further deepening her desire to work in communications and marketing. In her free time, she enjoys food styling and food photography and, interestingly enough, has never had a Whopper or Big Mac!
Fatima Ahmed (she/her) is our new People & Culture Coordinator. A graduate of George Mason University, Fatima has more than three years of experience supporting all aspects of human resources including recruitment, benefits administration, and the employment lifecycle in various industries. She will use her passion for creating relationships and positive work environments to assist in the continual improvement of SimpsonScarborough’s people-oriented culture.
In her free time, Fatima loves to create. She can be found crafting yummy health-based desserts, Arabic calligraphy, spoken word poetry, and various DIY projects for her Alexandria, VA home.
Kelsi Kao (she/her) joined us as a Project Coordinator, where she'll provide valuable project management support for our growing analytics team. Her previous work experience focused on the health and recreation industry, specifically coaching, facility operations, and marketing. Kelsi is excited to dive in at SimpScar and bring her perspectives to a new industry.
Kelsi holds a B.S. in Sport & Recreation Management from James Madison University and an M.S. in Sport Business from Temple University. She currently resides in Ridley Park, PA.
Shannon Berg (she/her) joined SimpScar as a Research Project Coordinator after previously serving as a Market Research Intern during her undergraduate career at Christopher Newport University. After completing her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Johns Hopkins University, Shannon found herself gravitating back towards SimpsonScarborough, and the spark of curiosity for innovation and research she cultivated during her internship.
As a Research Project Coordinator, Shannon will be coordinating research projects for our clients using intentional resourcing, strategic planning, and open communication through the project lifecycle.
Outside of work, Shannon loves to volunteer with the Big Brother Big Sister program in her local community of Baltimore, MD. She also enjoys a good game night with friends, especially if the game is Scrabble, Clue, or anything puzzle-related.
Connor Phillips (he/him) also joins us as a Research Project Coordinator where he'll support research efforts, strategic planning, and resourcing on client projects. He comes from UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business where he worked as a Community Health Program Researcher, specializing in smoking cessation research.
Connor holds a B.A. in Public Health and a Masters's in Urban & Regional Planning, both from the University of California at Irvine. He loved working in a university setting and was able to witness SimpsonScarborough’s impact firsthand.
In his spare time, Connor is an avid hiker and tries to visit as many national parks as he can. He also loves to travel to southeast Asia and spent 3-4 months each year in Bali growing up. Currently, Connor is working and living on the road with his fiancé, Vinisha, and dog, Teddy.
Carrie Barnett (she/her) is our new Content Marketer where she'll help advance the agency by amplifying our industry research, thought leadership, and client work in our digital communication channels. Carrie comes to us from California Lutheran University where she served as the Director of Advancement Marketing and Digital Philanthropy.
Outside of work, you'll most likely find Carrie watching movies with her unlimited movie pass. She even co-hosts a movie podcast where they specifically set out to watch movies they don't really want to. She and her husband once rented out an entire theatre for a date night where they watched Beverly Hills Cop (that's not a typo.)
Carrie holds an M.A. in Public Policy & Administration and a B.A. in Political Science both from Cal Lutheran. She credits the relationships she forged there as a student worker and peer mentor for providing her with a transformational learning experience. Carrie lives in Thousand Oaks, CA with her husband and their 4-year-old son.
Be sure to reach out and congratulate the newest members of our team. And check out our careers page for our latest career opportunities (remember, we're a fully remote agency) — we currently have eleven openings!