CURRICULUM VITAE
kate@cmky.org www.katelesta.com
SKILLS
Bookkeeping: Quickbooks Online & Desktop
• Full Charge Bookkeeping including general ledger, payroll, budget management, accounts payable, accounts receivable, reporting, preparation for CPA tax filings, client on-boarding, maintaining financial records
Project management: Asana, Basecamp, Teamgantt, Zendesk, A.Boss
• Project scheduling, strategic planning & analysis for interdepartmental deadlines, goals & resources
Administration: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Airtable, When I Work, Shiftboard, FilemakerPro
• Calendar management & scheduling, office correspondence, digital & physical filing, typing 45 WPM
Communication: Proficient in all communication platforms including Slack, Zoom, Discord
• Excellent interpersonal communication, critical thinker, problem solver, compassionate team player
EDUCATION
Quickbooks Certified ProAdvisor
Financial Accounting Fundamentals - Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
Morna International College - Ibiza, Spain
Bookkeeping: Quickbooks Online & Desktop
• Full Charge Bookkeeping including general ledger, payroll, budget management, accounts payable, accounts receivable, reporting, preparation for CPA tax filings, client on-boarding, maintaining financial records
Project management: Asana, Basecamp, Teamgantt, Zendesk, A.Boss
• Project scheduling, strategic planning & analysis for interdepartmental deadlines, goals & resources
Administration: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Airtable, When I Work, Shiftboard, FilemakerPro
• Calendar management & scheduling, office correspondence, digital & physical filing, typing 45 WPM
Communication: Proficient in all communication platforms including Slack, Zoom, Discord
• Excellent interpersonal communication, critical thinker, problem solver, compassionate team player
EDUCATION
Quickbooks Certified ProAdvisor
Financial Accounting Fundamentals - Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
Morna International College - Ibiza, Spain
SELECTED WORK EXPERIENCE
Full-Charge Bookkeeper & Consultant 2021 – Current
Certified Quickbooks ProAdvisor
Bookkeeping for small, independent businesses, non-profits and impact-based organizations, including general ledger, payroll, budget management, project tracking, accounts payable, accounts receivable, reporting, end of year preparations & maintaining financial records
Freelance Creative Producer & Project Manager 2006 – Current
Remote
Finance & Administration Manager 2020 - current
Board Member 2009 - current
The Bunker New York, NYC
Festival & Event Operations Manager / Curator 2006 – 2020
Frameline Film Festival San Francisco, CA
Interdimensional Transmissions Detroit, MI
Biennial of the Americas Denver, CO
Noise Pop Industries San Francisco, CA
Decibel Festival Seattle, WA
Communikey Boulder, CO
Gays Hate Techno Northern California
Unsound New York, NY
Recombinant Festival San Francisco, CA
Program Manager 2016 – 2017
Gray Area Foundation for the Arts - Oakland Fire Fund, San Francisco, CA
Creative & Managing Director, Co-Founder 2003 – 2016
Communikey Boulder, CO
Project & Operations Manager 2015 – 2016
Meow Wolf Santa Fe, NM
General Manager 2003 – 2010
Espresso Roma Cafe, Boulder, CO
Full-Charge Bookkeeper & Consultant 2021 – Current
Certified Quickbooks ProAdvisor
Bookkeeping for small, independent businesses, non-profits and impact-based organizations, including general ledger, payroll, budget management, project tracking, accounts payable, accounts receivable, reporting, end of year preparations & maintaining financial records
Freelance Creative Producer & Project Manager 2006 – Current
Remote
- Project management, production & consultation, from concept to completion & everything between
- Self-managed multiple, simultaneous contracts across various time zones with quality & integrity
Finance & Administration Manager 2020 - current
Board Member 2009 - current
The Bunker New York, NYC
- Collaboratively formed 501c3 status for established community music & arts organization
- Cooperated on regular artistic exchange, co-designed programming in NYC, Boulder, Krakow and Montreal
- Joined staff in 2020 to support long term growth and sustainability
Festival & Event Operations Manager / Curator 2006 – 2020
Frameline Film Festival San Francisco, CA
Interdimensional Transmissions Detroit, MI
Biennial of the Americas Denver, CO
Noise Pop Industries San Francisco, CA
Decibel Festival Seattle, WA
Communikey Boulder, CO
Gays Hate Techno Northern California
Unsound New York, NY
Recombinant Festival San Francisco, CA
- Successfully implemented finance management systems for festivals, programs & events, empowering managers & teams to shift from “shoebox bookkeeping” with ease
- Managed all box office & ticketing operations with $500K income, tracked sales, prepared deposits including cash with multiple venues operating simultaneously for 30K person audience
- Created production documents, oversaw & scheduled staff, volunteer & artist teams, managed calendars & pre production meetings across multiple time zones, all from a remote office
- Curated interdisciplinary programming, spotlighting emergent, cutting edge creative practitioners, developed in both collaborative & independent situations, while keeping programs within budget
Program Manager 2016 – 2017
Gray Area Foundation for the Arts - Oakland Fire Fund, San Francisco, CA
- Collaboratively designed & executed an unprecedented disaster relief qualification plan for disbursement of $1.3M, ensuring funds reach marginalized, at-risk & under-represented individuals
- Managed 200+ cases in Zendesk while assessing needs of affected community & strategizing funds
- Created secure filing system for claimants in Dropbox, processed / prepared receipts of donation & tax documentation for donors, & tracked income & expenses in Xero
- Allocated $250K in seed funding & recruited leadership for long-term, grassroots resiliency program
Creative & Managing Director, Co-Founder 2003 – 2016
Communikey Boulder, CO
- Managed all festival & event production functions including budgets, general ledger, accounts payable & receivable, payroll, reconciliation, reporting, tax preparation with CPA
- Succeeded in grant writing, strategic & sponsor partnerships as well as proposal development
- Cultivated a happy, resilient, & inspired non-hierarchical team of 80 volunteers who co-created community focused arts projects, encouraging collaborative decision making, skill sharing & individual career or personal development
- Provided full service processing for performing artist visa applications, streamlined bureaucratic procedures to ensure work permits for countless traveling musicians
Project & Operations Manager 2015 – 2016
Meow Wolf Santa Fe, NM
- Managed $440K material & labor budget & 75 person team, tracking expenses, submitting payroll / accounts payables to CPA while coordinating timeline of changing deadlines with construction contractors & city inspectors to complete project to building code
- Upon opening of the new facility, established operating staff schedule, set up point-of-sale, payroll & record keeping of 100+ employees, vendors, accounts payable & receivable, worked directly with the CPA to maintain accounting in Quickbooks Desktop & filing tax credit applications
- Implemented the first health benefits package offered to employees
General Manager 2003 – 2010
Espresso Roma Cafe, Boulder, CO
- Oversaw inventory, ordering, stocking, controlled food & labor costs, submitted payroll to corporate office, processed accounts payable & all staff management
- Managed cash register & credit card system including merchant service provider relations, reconciled sales daily & prepared bank deposits
- Maintained an inclusive, welcoming environment for staff & customers alike