We’re growing our company to support new work in education, health, and science.
At Luminary Labs, we develop groundbreaking programs to address important and thorny problems. Our work on behalf of global corporations, nonprofit foundations, and federal agencies spans a broad cross-section of topics across three focus areas: the future of work and education, scientific breakthroughs, and the future of health. It is the people at the heart of our company who allow us to successfully develop strategies, accelerate innovation, build ecosystems, and bring new products to life. We are so proud of our incredible and diverse team of consultants, who bring their backgrounds in research, strategy, design, technology, and innovation to our work. Today, I am truly delighted to announce five promotions and four new additions to our team over the past year. If you are also inspired by our people and our work, please check out several new opportunities to be part of our growing team.
Recently promoted
Emily Hallquist, who first joined Luminary Labs in 2015, was promoted from Communications Manager to Head of Communications. Emily leads the development of communications strategies and execution of multichannel outreach programs on behalf of our clients. In her six-year tenure, she has provided digital marketing expertise for a wide range of projects and currently leads our communications strategy for our portfolio of work that includes open innovation programs for the U.S. Department of Education and through the NASA Tournament Lab.
Mercedes de Guardiola joined Luminary Labs in 2019 as Communications Associate and was promoted to Senior Communications Associate. Mercedes identifies creative opportunities to amplify our work and helps our clients develop new audiences. Over the past three years, she has supported outreach and digital marketing for competitions including the Rethink Adult Ed Challenge, the KidneyX Artificial Kidney Prize, MagQuest, and CTE Mission: CubeSat.
Eden Baker joined in as a Senior Associate in 2019 and was promoted to Engagement Manager. She manages the strategy and execution of complex programs, develops insights, and works cross-functionally to establish meaningful relationships with our team and our clients. Eden led the Rethink Adult Ed Challenge and the KidneyX COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge, and currently leads research, strategy, and prototyping initiatives for a global pharmaceutical.
Alex Leader joined in 2020 as a Senior Associate and was promoted to Engagement Manager. He manages rapid research and synthesis of complex topics and collaborates with stakeholders to design programs for impact. Alex led CTE CyberNet and CTE Mission: CubeSat, and currently leads the Rural Tech Project and a prize competition for the National Institutes of Health.
Julia Key also joined Luminary Labs in 2020 and was promoted from Associate to Senior Associate. Julia has balanced strategy and execution to conduct analysis, deliver insights, and manage complex programs. She led key workstreams for Phase 1 of the KidneyX Artificial Kidney Prize and is now conducting research and developing strategies for digital health solutions on behalf of a global pharmaceutical.
New hires
Karen Wong joined Luminary Labs as Head of Business Operations. Karen serves as a thought partner to Luminary Labs’ leadership while ensuring a high standard of operational and financial integrity. She has full oversight of all back-office functions — including finance, human resources, facilities, technology infrastructure, and legal — and has managed Luminary Labs’ transition to hybrid work.
Naomi Naik joined Luminary Labs as a Senior Communications Associate. With a background in business and public health, Naomi is passionate about helping organizations pursue innovative digital strategies while mitigating risk. She is currently helping a Fortune-500 health company navigate risks and opportunities across digital channels, and is also supporting outreach and communications for open innovation programs.
Shivani Bhatia joined Luminary Labs as a Senior Associate. Shivani also has a background in public health; her previous work was nationally recognized for using innovative strategies to address the structural and social determinants of health. She is currently leading the design of a diagnostic moonshot for LymeX.
Rhea Bhandari joined Luminary Labs as a Designer. She brings human voices to the decision-making table, collaborating with clients, experts, and end users to simplify and customize experiences. As a multidisciplinary designer, Rhea contributes to product design, strategy, systems design, and experience design across a range of engagements, including design research and prototyping for a global pharmaceutical.
New roles and opportunities
Our company is growing, and we’re creating new roles to support an expanding slate of clients and projects. Please share these job openings with someone you know. We’re hiring for the following roles in New York:
A Director, Future of Health to lead our portfolio of engagements in the health sector. This role will engage with private-sector and public-sector leaders at the forefront of health and technology, and lead multidisciplinary teams to accelerate innovation and launch groundbreaking programs.
A Director, Future of Work and Education to lead our portfolio of open innovation engagements in the education sector. This role will engage with federal and foundation leaders at the forefront of secondary and postsecondary education, lead multidisciplinary teams, and launch groundbreaking programs that meet the demands of the economy and prepare students for the 21st-century workforce.
Engagement Managers to lead teams in the development and execution of highly innovative education and health programs. These are ideal roles for people with consulting or client services experience who are equally passionate about strategy and making it real. Experience with design research, rapid prototyping, and/or open innovation is a plus.
A Senior Open Innovation Associate to manage open innovation programs — which include strategy, communications, visual design, web development, outreach, judging, and events. This is a role for someone who is equal parts thinker (strategy) and doer (air traffic control), especially if they are a believer in the power of inducement prizes to stimulate markets.
Associates and Senior Associates to support and lead key workstreams for highly innovative programs. They quickly ramp up on any subject and can synthesize large amounts of information to tell a story. Those who are new to consulting will get an opportunity to learn from experienced, thoughtful leaders.
