Profile
My name is Stephen Nomura and I am a creative professional with a knack for balancing big picture perspective with attention to detail. My diverse education grants me the perspective necessary to exploit relationships between traditionally unrelated disciplines. I strongly believe that hard work is the key to success.
Hard work is important, but I also believe in spending quality time with friends and family. In addition to my academic interests, I enjoy gardening, running, and traveling. I was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad three times—twice in Japan and once in Hawaii. During my travels, I was immersed in a rich and diverse cultural soup. My time abroad fostered a cultural perspective that I believe helps me communicate with, understand, and relate to people more effectively.
Education
- Iowa State University, Ames, IA — B.L.S. Liberal Studies m. Design (cum laude), 2010
- Aoyama Gakuin, Tokyo, Japan — Japanese Studies, 2009
- University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI — National Student Exchange, 2008
- Kansai Gaidai, Osaka, Japan — Japanese Studies, 2007
Skills
- Technical Writing
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- Trained in both business and promotional communication.
- Software: Microsoft Office, Adobe InDesign, Pages
- Typing Speed: 60+ wpm @ 95% accuracy.
- Writing Portfolio @ scribd.com »
- Design
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- Specialties: usability, page layout, web design, data visualization
- Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Cinema4D
- Design Portfolio »
- Development
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- Systems: Windows, Mac, Unix
- Languages: PHP, XHTML, CSS, JS, Bash, Applescript
Languages
- English
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- Native.
- Trained in technical writing.
- Experienced in public speaking.
- Japanese
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- Casual Fluency.
- Experience living in Japan.
- Education in-progress.
- French
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- 5 Years of training in high school.
Experience
- Online Marketing Coordinator for Bridgevine Inc. in Vero Beach, FL 2010-Current
- Bridgevine is a marketing and ecommerce solutions provider that pairs SEM with optimized buyflows to deliver high-quality customers. I lead the user experience and technical deployment of several marketing initiatives.
- I optimize buyflow conversion using A/B testing, data analysis, and user feedback.
- I design the aesthetics, content, and behavior of websites, emails, and other deliverables.
- I communicate with managers, clients, and our teams in India, Romania, and Atlanta.
- Web Producer / Design Consultant for Northern Pine Longboards in Eden Prairie, MN 2010-Current
- Northern Pine Longboards is a Minnesota skateboard manufacturer that builds handmade skateboards. They are locally successful and beginning to gain national attention.
- I design the graphics for their skateboard wheels.
- I manage and code their website using PHP, XHTML, CSS, and JS.
- Web Architect for Ovative/Group in Mineapolis, MN 2010-2011
- Founded by recent executives of Target and Best Buy, Ovative/Group is a marketing firm that provides retailers, media companies, and agencies access to marketing innovation.
- I designed and coded a feature for one of their sites – an intuitive backend interface that enables syncing content with Flickr. I used PHP and the Flickr API.
- Volunteer Teacher for ISU Japanese Association in Ames, IA 2008-2010
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- I held this position while attending ISU. I invested about 7 hours each week.
- I taught Japanese to classes of 10 to 20 students.
- Computer Forensics Technician for Kroll Ontrack in Eden Prairie, MN 2008
- I performed forensic-quality extraction, archival, and disposal of sensitive data from hard drives containing court evidence. Chain of custody was strictly enforced and mistakes were unacceptable. This job required both frenetic multi-tasking and keen attention to detail.
- English Teacher for Cheery English School in Kyoto, Japan 2007
- I taught English to Japanese children in a classroom setting. I was responsible for preparing lesson plans and developing creative ways to engage otherwise-disinterested youth.
- Afternoon Worker for Martinizing Dry Cleaning Eden Prairie, MN 2003 – 2006
- I appeased angry customers, worked the register, and processed orders after the manager left.