Open to opportunities

Elaina Cho

@elainacho

Message

I design brand, web, menu, and visual experiences for food, climate, and community-focused organizations.

Zimbabwe

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm looking to create meaningful brand, web, product, and experiential design work, especially for food, sustainability, climate, community, and mission-driven organizations. I value collaborative projects where I can combine visual design, storytelling, project coordination, and hands-on problem solving.

I've created visual and digital experiences for Hana Farms, PerkinElmer, Fourth Power, Crop Roasting Shop, Culinary Eye, Spice Specialist, Taza Chocolate, and Wagamama through freelance work on Upwork.

My work spans brand discovery, color systems, UI design, wireframes, prototypes, web design, SEO, content management, menu engineering, food photography, photo editing, infographics, data visualization, and product animation. For Hana Farms, I'm designing a botanical garden and food experience, including menus and a web redesign.

I've also managed a pre-war Boston apartment building, coordinating renovations, maintenance, tradespeople, tenant needs, service calls, scheduling, invoicing, and interior restoration.

Beyond design, I facilitate inclusive community experiences at RealRoots, create inline-skating video series, teach digital imaging, and bring a strong background in events, food, photography, and outdoor community building.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Face Painter

Current

Freelance

Jan 2012 - Present (14 years 7 months)

Provides professional face painting services for events, interacting with clients in a friendly and hygienic manner, and markets services through social media.

Face Painting Social Media Marketing

Current

Freelance Graphic and Web Designer

Current

Upwork

Provides freelance graphic and web design services including branding, UI design, prototyping, and project management for various clients.

Branding User Interface Design Prototyping Wireframing Project Management SEO Content Management Systems

Current

Community Engagement Specialist and Guide

Current

RealRoots

Leads bonding experiences and facilitates deep conversations to foster meaningful connections among participants, designing engagement curricula and creating inclusive environments.

Community Engagement Facilitation Curriculum Design Interpersonal Skills Event Planning

Current

Manager of Pre War Apartment Building

Current

Glenville Estates

Oversees maintenance, renovation, tenant relations, and building operations for a pre-war apartment building, including coordinating trades and enforcing Boston housing standards.

Project Management Customer Service Problem Solving Interior Design Scheduling Invoicing Maintenance Coordination

Team Member

CAVA

Jan 2020 - Dec 2021 (1 year 11 months)

Worked as a team member in a fast-paced food service environment, handling customer orders and maintaining food quality standards.

Customer Service Food Preparation Teamwork

Associate

Panera Bread

Jan 2014 - Dec 2015 (1 year 11 months)

Developed multitasking and interpersonal skills working in drive-thru, cashier, and food preparation roles, adhering to food safety standards.

Customer Service Cash Handling Food Preparation Multitasking

Bakery Associate

UMass Amherst Bakery

Jan 2012 - Dec 2014 (2 years 11 months)

Prepared over 3,000 pastries daily for a campus of 28,000 students, practicing food sanitation and safety, and learning industrial bakery processes.

Baking Food Safety Sanitation

Digital Imaging Instructor

College Academy, Stonehill College

Jan 2013 - Dec 2013 (11 months)

Taught digital imaging techniques and Photoshop to students in grades 5-10, designing hands-on lesson plans and guiding camera use.

Teaching Photoshop Digital Cameras Lesson Planning

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Skillshare

Certification, Artificial Intelligence

2024 -

Currently learning AI foundations and project management through Google Certification.

CG Master Academy

Certificate, Illustration

2020 - 2021

Studied drawing, illustration, and character design.

Flux Academy

Certificate, Presentation Design

2022 -

Completed a presentation design course.

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Bachelor of Arts, Media Arts and Communicative Design

Earned a Bachelor's degree in Individual Concentration with a major in Media Arts and Communicative Design and a minor in Food Science.

University of Montana

Semester Study, Media Arts

Activities and societies: Leave No Trace Certified

Studied Media Arts courses related to audio, animation, and film. Participated in immersive learning at Glacier National Park and a Wildlife Refuge, becoming Leave No Trace Certified.