Project Scope

End-to-End

Role

Project Management

Event Coordination

On-site Moderation

Project Duration

5 months

Beyond Borders LA

BBLA (Beyond Borders LA) was a multi-day immersive event bringing 40 Japanese professionals to Los Angeles to hear from world-class speakers, including Alli Webb (founder of Drybar) and Shivani Siroya (CEO of Tala). The event included Fireside Chat interviews, workshops, a Narrative Trip, Pitch Presentations, and networking. My role spanned end-to-end project management, vendor coordination, budget negotiation, and on-site moderation.

Project TimeLine

Month 1 → Guest Speaker/ Vendor research & Negotiation

Month 2 → Team coordination & Orientation prep

Month 3 → Participant support & Logistics

Month 4 → Final adjustments & On-site prep

Month 5 → Event execution & Post-event follow-up

The Problem

This was a dynamic, first-of-its-kind event — ambitious in scope, lean in budget, and built on the energy of a passionate, mission-driven team. Operating in a fast-moving environment where structures were still taking shape, I stepped in to provide clarity and maintain momentum.

Key challenges included:

Navigating a fluid organizational structure by proactively mapping stakeholders and establishing clear communication channels

Delivering a high-quality experience within a lean budget through strategic vendor negotiation

Coordinating multiple US-based vendors

Keeping a distributed, part-time team aligned and moving forward

The Approach

The Insight

Rather than waiting for organizational clarity from above, I created it myself. I've always been someone who works best when I can see the whole picture — so I proactively mapped out the stakeholder landscape, identified who needed to be consulted on which decisions, and built my own operating structure to keep the project moving.

On budget, I recognized that the initial vendor quotes were built on assumptions — not actual program needs — and that there was room to negotiate based on revised scope and competitive pricing.

The Action

Researched and evaluated approximately 30 speaker candidates, providing recommendations that informed the final selection of world-class speakers for the event.

Negotiated with all major vendors (venue, AV, transportation, accommodation) to reduce costs, using competitor pricing as leverage and eliminating unnecessary line items as the program was finalized

Developed a third-party solution when leadership directives conflicted, escalating decisions to the appropriate person while maintaining team trust

Coordinated pre-event orientation sessions (5 sessions total) for participants, managing all communications and follow-ups — including guidance on passport, ESTA, and flight & hotel reservations, with individualized follow-up to ensure each participant completed all necessary preparations prior to departure

Moderated live Fireside Chat sessions with Alli Webb and Shivani Siroya, preparing questions in advance to draw out insights relevant to the Japanese entrepreneurial audience

Managed on-site logistics in real time via WhatsApp with venue and transportation vendors to ensure smooth execution

The IMPACT

Reduced overall vendor costs by an average of 43.5% (AV: 77.9%, transportation: 42.1%, venue: up to 39.5%)

Successfully supported 40 participants through the pre-departure process, ensuring 100% attendance at the event

Post-event survey (over 65% response rate) showed overwhelmingly positive feedback on operations, with multiple participants citing smooth logistics and pre-departure support as key to their ability to focus on learning

Successfully moderated high-profile speaker sessions, receiving direct positive feedback from participants

takeaways

This project taught me that ambiguity isn't a blocker — it's actually where I do my best work. And vendor negotiation, which was never my strength going in, became one of my most confident skills through this project. I simply got more comfortable asking — asking questions, asking for better terms, asking for what the project needed.