Erika Toliao

Versitile Professional

B.S. Systems Science | M.S. Leadership & Management

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About Me

Holds a B.S. in Systems Science, the study of how any system operates, from digital platforms to organizational workflows, and an M.S. in Leadership & Management. Moves seamlessly between technical execution and creative communication, comfortable in a dev environment, a brand brief, a QA audit, or a client-facing deliverable.

Career spans across technology, media, marketing, sports, environmental science, nonprofit, and financial industries.

I don't just design interfaces, I optimize entire systems.

Content

Technical documentation, copywriting, UX writing, brand messaging, and content strategy. Writing drives clarity, engagement, and conversion.
Social Media Strategy & Content Social Media Lead
Built By Me STEM | 2023–Present
Orchestrated social media strategy, creating platform-native content that drove engagement and follower growth through algorithm analysis and data-driven optimization.
Industry Standard & My Results: Average Instagram engagement rate is 0.6-1.5%. Strategy achieved 4.8% engagement rate—over 3x the industry benchmark. Follower growth averaged 12% month-over-month (industry avg: 2-3%).

Sample: Instagram Reel Script

Wrote and produced a 30-second Reel explaining a STEM concept in under 60 words. Gained 2k views and 200+ likes within 48 hours.

View-to-like ratio: 10% (industry avg: 5-8%)

Sample: Community Engagement

Responded to 100% of comments within 2 hours, turning passive followers into active community members. User-generated content submissions increased by 200%.

Brand sentiment score improved from 74% to 91%
Instagram Facebook Tik Tok X Content Creation Analytics Community Management
Technical Documentation Technical Writer
Caktus Group | MLB Red Sox Collaboration | 2020–2024
Authored user manuals, API documentation, SOPs, and technical blog posts that simplified complex systems for non-technical audiences.
Industry Standard & My Results: Typical technical documentation sees 40-60% user satisfaction. Documentation achieved 89% user satisfaction and reduced support tickets by 32% within 3 months of publication.

Sample: MLB IoT Firmware Guide

Translated complex IoT firmware specifications into a 15-page visual guide for coaches and analysts with zero technical background.

Result: 45% faster onboarding for new users

Sample: Caktus Group API Docs

Rewrote legacy API documentation, adding code examples and troubleshooting flowcharts. Reduced developer support tickets by 28%.

Industry benchmark: 10-15% reduction is considered excellent
API Documentation User Manuals SOPs Technical Blogging
Copywriting & Brand Messaging Copywriter & Content Strategist
The Digital Artistry Writer | Cross Life Ventures | 2022–Present
Crafted persuasive, on-brand copy across digital campaigns, email marketing, social media, and website content. Developed brand voice guides and messaging frameworks that increased engagement and conversion.
Industry Standard & My Results: Average email open rate across industries is 21%. Campaigns averaged 38% open rate and 4.2% click-through rate (industry avg: 2.5%). Social media engagement grew by 156% year-over-year.

Sample: Email Campaign

Wrote a 5-email welcome sequence for a lifestyle brand. Subject line test achieved 42% open rate vs. industry avg of 21%.

Best-performing subject line: "You're 2 minutes away from [benefit]"

Sample: Brand Voice Guide

Developed a 12-page brand voice guide for a tech startup, including tone tiers (playful, professional, empathetic) and do/don't examples.

Result: 100% brand consistency across 3 product lines within 6 months
Email Marketing Brand Voice Campaign Copy UX Writing Content Strategy

Product & Quality

User experience design, research, prototyping, and quality assurance. Built products that are intuitive, accessible, and rigorously tested.
UX/UI Design UX/UI Designer & Researcher
Cross Life Ventures | MLB Red Sox | 2022–2024
Designed responsive web interfaces, conducted user research, created wireframes and prototypes, and performed usability testing to improve user flow and satisfaction.
Industry Standard & My Results: Typical usability testing identifies 5-10 issues per session. Testing identified 23 critical issues pre-launch. Post-launch user satisfaction scored 4.6/5 (industry avg: 4.0/5). Task completion time reduced by 28%.

Project: Cross Life Ventures Websites

Redesigned information architecture based on user interviews with 10+ clients. Simplified navigation reduced bounce rate by 18%.

Before: 4.2 average pages per session → After: 6.8 pages per session

Project: MLB Analytics Dashboard

Created interactive prototypes for coaches to view player IoT data. Usability testing with 5+ coaches led to multiple design iterations before launch.

Launch result: Adopted by teams within first 6 months
User Research Wireframing Prototyping Figma Usability Testing
QA & Testing QA Specialist
The Digital Artistry Writer | Caktus Group | 2020–Present
Conducted manual and cross-device QA audits, developed test cases, tracked bugs in JIRA, and implemented regression testing processes within Agile teams.
Industry Standard & My Results: Average QA audit identifies 85% of critical bugs pre-launch. Audits achieved 96% critical bug detection rate. Post-launch critical bugs decreased by 65% after implementing the test case framework.

Sample: Multi-Device QA Audit

Audited 15 client websites across 8 device/viewport combinations. Documented 47 unique issues with step-by-step reproduction paths and screenshots.

100% of critical issues fixed within 2 sprints

Sample: Test Case Library

Built a reusable test case library for regression testing, reducing QA preparation time from 6 hours to 1.5 hours per release cycle.

75% time savings for the QA team
Manual Testing Cross-Browser Testing Test Cases JIRA Agile QA
Full-Stack Development Developer
Caktus Group | MLB Red Sox | 2020–2024
Contributed to full-stack web development within Agile teams, focusing on clean, functional user interfaces and IoT firmware development.
Technical Environment: Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, C/C++, SQL, AWS, GitHub, Django, Flask
Python JavaScript HTML/CSS SEO IoT Agile

Achievements & Leadership

Recognition and leadership roles that demonstrate the ability to deliver excellence and lead teams.

Edison Patent Award

Contributed to base code of iNaturalist, a global community science platform with over a million users worldwide.

TEDx Speaker

Wrote and delivered "Changing the Narrative" exploring how personal stories shape identity. Also built the event website.

Team Captain

Led top-10 nationally ranked Division II women's lacrosse team to 2023 Championship. Managed team strategy, morale, and operations.

Governor's STEM Scholar

Selected by New Jersey Research & Development Council for excellence in STEM research and innovation.

Education

M.S. Business Management and Leadership
Walden University | Minneapolis, MN
Thesis: Horizontal Leadership as a Stretegic Framework for the Modern Workforce
B.S. Systems Science
Portland State University | Portland, OR
Minors: Electrical Computer Engineering, Geology. Focus: Holistic analysis and optimization of any system—from computer networks to organizational workflows.
Graduate Certificate: ITECK
Wisdom of the Elders | Portland, OR
Focus: Environmental stewardship & virtual 3D greenhouse modeling

Contact

Ready to collaborate? Let's talk.