What I Do


  1. Strategy
  2. Research
  3. Financial Analysis


What I Like To Make

a work in progress


Bio & CV



©2024 Mag-Ex

A longer introduction


Hey, hello. 
  scroll to the bottom of the page for my CV.
Reach out if you’re looking for someone to:

  • make surprising connections
  • advocate for the value of unconventional and honest expertise
  • create space for exploration and structure
  • bring a no nonsense attitude on sticking to your values. 

I am currently Senior Cooperative Business Consultant on ICA’s dedicated conversions team -- helping businesses become worker-owned. My job is to help worker cooperatives thrive by facilitating working buyouts, supporting existing co-ops, and designing resources to strengthen the sector. I also love facilitation and getting people to discuss and be creative together. 

Technically speaking, I have a background in strategy and business consulting for cultural, consumer and nonprofit clients. I have worked with major cultural institutions, local government and national public bodies in the UK, and commercial clients in the US. 
I grew up in Hong Kong and then spent most of the past decade in and around London, and have fallen into Queens, NYC. 

I hold degrees from the University of Cambridge and University College London in History and History of Art respectively. The rigour that graduate school has given me is part of all of my work, but I also think that impact, like real, true, impact, can also be through fun, care, and not being afraid to say what needs to be said. 

I like to make other things too, like pottery, zines and music - I’m a mezzosoprano currently singing with The Choral Society of Grace Church, an amateur harpist / pianist, and a wavering pescatarian.

Download my CV as a PDF.
Authorized to live and work in the US + UK

The ICA Group

Senior Cooperative Consultant, New York
September 2024 - present
  • Support small businesses and worker cooperatives with technical assistance, including financial analysis, business valuation, and worker buyouts
  • Conduct strategic consulting projects to strengthen the employee-owned sector: focusing on strategy development, market research, organizational research and planning.

Freelance Practice

New York
July 2023 - present
  • Conduct workshops to uncover and synthesize new ideas and strategic opportunities. 
  • Develop go-to-market strategies, business plans, and market positioning to support clients in startup mode. 

B+A

Strategist, New York
November 2022 – December 2023
  • Executed business planning, product design and brand strategy projects for fast-moving consumer goods clients 
  • Conducted primary and desk research to develop understanding of competitors and audiences, using focus groups, interviews, and quantitative surveys
  • Used creative frameworks such as Theory of Change, and methods such as human centered design to synthesize and unify recommendations
  • Created clear and compelling deliverables in both written and visual form
  • Served as primary client liaison and presented findings to C-suite


AEA Consulting

Research Analyst,  London + New York
March 2020 - October 2022
  • Developed business strategies including market strategies, pro forma financial models, and operational assessments exclusively for clients in the creative industries
  • Implemented mixed-method research across global markets
  • Analyzed outputs and financial data with Excel
  • Produced deliverables optimized for each client, ranging from media organizations, cultural organizations, to government agencies and real estate developers.
  • Represented the organization in public forums and pitches, presenting white papers and research
  • Monitored industry trends and collected them to develop thought leadership
  • Chaired internal DEI working group and facilitated first DEI plan

EDUCATION

University College, London

M.A. History of Art, with Distinction
  • Dissertation: “Hung Liu’s “Chinese Prostitutes” and (inter)mediating history” 
  • Specialisations: Weimar Germany Art & Architecture; Fin-de-siècle French painting; Contemporary South African Photography & Video.

University of Cambridge, Robinson College, UK

B.A. History (Hons), 2.i
  • Dissertation: “Everyday Life in London’s Chinatown, c. 1960-1990” (Oral history project)
  • Specialisations: South & East Asian Modernities, Gender in Republican China.  



Conversational Cantonese, Mandarin, French (and English, obviously!)