Systems Builder. Operator. Strategic Architect.
I build structured systems that help ambitious ideas survive contact with reality.
Open to senior operating and strategic leadership conversations.
For more than two decades, I’ve operated at the intersection of strategy and execution - inside startups, national campaigns, institutional settings, and fast-scaling companies. My work consistently centers on one objective: translating vision into operational infrastructure that holds under pressure.
I specialize in moments of inflection - regulatory transitions, emerging markets, cultural shifts, and institutional transformation. Where others see ambiguity, I design structure.
That has meant:
Scaling experiential and revenue programs during California’s cannabis regulatory transition
Advising national political conventions on sustainability integration
Auditing and rethinking land-use strategy across one of the largest property portfolios in the U.S.
Building marketplace platforms, live-event infrastructure, and operational systems in unstructured environments
The pattern is consistent:
Recognize the shift.
Design the structure.
Translate values into operational strategy.
Execute before the market catches up.
Across contexts, my craft remains the same:
Understand the system.
Clarify the objective.
Design the architecture.
Execute with discipline.
Adapt in motion.
The Carson Paradox is my working archive - a transparent look at the strategy, infrastructure, friction, and lessons behind the work.
Let’s build something that holds.
Select Operating & Strategic Leadership Roles
Across two decades of building systems in emerging markets, institutional settings, and regulatory transitions.
Director of Experience & Partnerships — Flow Kana
Built and scaled a statewide experiential program into a $2M annual operation, delivering 150+ events annually during California’s transition to a regulated cannabis market.
Fractional COO — Marin Estate Management
Built the operational backbone for a high-net-worth estate management firm, implementing CRM architecture, vendor systems, company-wide SOPs, and a proprietary client portal.
National Sustainability Advisor — U.S. Political Conventions
Led sustainability strategy engagements for both major U.S. political conventions, integrating environmental frameworks into large-scale event operations.
Sustainability Consultant — Boy Scouts of America
Conducted national sustainability audits across 45+ properties and authored strategic land-use optimization reporting across one of the largest property portfolios in the U.S.
Founder & Architect — Nature Partners
Designed and launched a two-sided digital marketplace platform activating underutilized nature-based land assets, securing national institutional partnerships across major U.S. property portfolios.
Founder & Executive Director — Sustainable Living Roadshow
Built and led a national sustainability tour spanning 5 national tours, 8 regional tours, and 2 international tours over 8 years, mobilizing sponsors, partners, and municipal infrastructure across multi-market activations.
Director of Sustainability & Partnerships — Inner Mission SF
Opened one of the first B Corp-certified music venues in the U.S., embedding operational sustainability into venue infrastructure and programming.
Founder & Operator — Experiential F&B Company (The Detour)
Built and operated a profitable festival-based F&B company for six years, developing scalable forecasting, staffing, and operational systems.
Executive Producer — GMO Right2Know March
Directed experiential strategy and logistics for a 16-day, 300-mile national advocacy march, engaging communities, media, and policymakers around GMO transparency prior to mainstream regulatory adoption.
CEO — Imaginal (Strategic Advisory Agency)
Advised founders and mission-driven companies on systems architecture and operational positioning during periods of transition and scale.
Brands & Institutions
Over two decades, I’ve worked with global brands, institutional partners, and early-stage ventures - building strategy, operational structure, and partnerships designed to hold under pressure.
Contact
If the work here resonates, let’s talk.
Open to senior operating and strategic leadership conversations.
Email is best.