New York City Metropolitan Area
I’ve never been one to take the easy path. From academia to industry, from food to beauty, from corporate to startup, my career has always been driven by curiosity, courage, and the belief that real growth happens when you challenge the status quo. To me, building this brand is more than just a business; it’s a reflection of the journey that shaped me. DPhiant (pronounced “defiant”) was born from my own story: pushing back against bias, stepping outside the mold, blending science with purpose, and staying grounded in what’s real. DPhiant is more than skincare. It’s about resilience, authenticity, and rewriting what confidence looks like. My vision is to support people with science-powered solutions for skin and wellness, but also to show up emotionally: as a reminder that it’s okay to experiment, to stumble, to grow. Today, I’m building at the intersection of science, storytelling, and community. This is me putting myself out there, welcoming the challenges ahead, seeking like-minded collaborators, and inviting you to hold me accountable. Let’s connect.
DPHIANT (pronounced as "defiant") is the expression of quiet defiance, a skincare and wellness brand that speaks through purpose, not noise. Its identity bridges science and emotion, precision and resilience. Minimal yet bold, it stands for those who challenge conventions with intelligence and intent. Because true strength doesn't conform. It creates its own frequency. dphiant.com
[] Mitigated compliance risk of 2100+ raw materials, safeguarding $3.9B revenue in the China market, and expedited business integration of Deciem acquisition, by enabling agile decision-making processes, negotiation with vendors and spearheading cross-functional/regional collaboration [] Optimized vendor/raw material qualification processes and achieved 60% improvement in efficiency by defining and tracking KPIs and upgrading digital tools and systems [] Devised the Department’s Vision and convinced the leadership to expand the team with 10 new hires. Enhanced team (9 direct reports) capability and engagement through coaching and performance management
[] Enhance business visibility and streamlined processes by creating dynamic tracking and business planning tools, optimizing cross-functional communication and reducing overall expenses [] Generate analytics & insights on product sell-in/through data, travel exclusive set assortment mix and unit allocation to optimize marketing strategy, including pricing, product mix and trade promotions timeline for a two-year product/campaign launch calendar [] Conduct analysis and construct product portfolio mapping to identify whitespace and oversaturation, contributing to an improved product launch strategy (Proactively pursued this role as a stretch assignment while balancing full time R&D operation leadership role and excelling in the rigorous Executive MBA program)
[] Chairing and supporting projects that fulfill international regulation requirements and corporate strategic/sustainability goals [] Defining and optimizing organizational processes, policies/procedures that enable agility, efficiency and data integrity [] Coordinating efforts across the organization (R&D labs, regulatory, toxicology, supply chain, audit & QA teams) to qualify new raw material and vendors [] Analyzing and reporting on raw material information to substantiate product registration and claims [] Managing and coaching direct reports, cultivated a collaborative and engaging team environment
[] Spearheading company’s key applied research program on clean-label functional ingredients - Overseeing experiments testing emerging functional ingredients in savory, dairy and bakery formulations - Established Intellectual Properties (IP) strategies with patent attorney and Submitted Invention Disclosures for patent applications - Developed strategic technical road map to build a robust new product development (NPD) project pipeline that broadens company’s portfolio - Influenced stakeholders and secured cross-functional resource (including internal technical/business teams and external academic research groups) to fast-track innovation towards commercialization - Collaborating with Process Engineers to define commercial process for new ingredients [] Leading Savory Applications Team in the Global Applications Group - Challenged status-quo and expanded team’s capabilities in formulation and process know-how - Lead Savory Global Expert Team to share best practices with global R&D community - Managing project portfolio of team and facilitating cross-functional team collaboration - Utilized ingredient know-how to support global account customers - Grew team by hiring and Fostered team members’ career development through coaching, mentoring and advocating
Lead and support projects to create clean label ingredient solutions to food manufacturers