This week, SnowShoe welcomes MBA candidate Kira Cleveland to the team. Kira is in her first year of Portland State University’s School of Business MBA program. She will graduate in June 2022 with a Masters degree in Business Administration with a certificate in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Kira says that the pandemic had a strong influence on her choice of certification, as adaptability and innovation have become crucial skills for success in this new landscape.

Kira will work directly with SnowShoe CEO Ned Hayes to identify growth opportunities and new market segments for the company. She brings with her a decade of experience as a business owner and consultant, specializing in microbusiness strategy and positioning. She helped compression sock company Swiftwick International increase their trade show lead generation by 300% through identification and implementation of new technology solutions. Similarly, Kira worked with retail shop Neukomm Rock & Gem to expand beyond their lapidary business into a new market of customers interested in the metaphysical use of rocks, gems, and minerals. Through the introduction of five new products, Kira helped the company double their trade show sales and increase annual sales by 30%.

Kira is also an experienced leader in project and change management. She facilitated the digitization and organization of 20,000+ files for Sorenson Insurance and selected the web-based storage service that met the company’s high security standards. She also worked with the company’s developers to create a streamlined workflow process using cloud-based systems, her expert timing providing for a much easier transition to remote work in 2020.

Growing up in a family of innovators and engineers, Kira developed a lifelong passion for technology. She thrives on creating solutions to address problems, and she loves the “instant manifestation of an idea” afforded by technology. This passion has helped lead her to SnowShoe, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her join our team.

Welcome Kira!