The IMPACT Collective team specializes in gorgeously designed and expertly executed weddings. Their work speaks for itself, having won Wedding Wire’s Couple’s Choice Awards seven years in row. Their teamwork makes your dream work on your Big Day! IMPACT is ready to help you with your timeline, layout, vendor recommendations, guest experience, and all the other details that goes into your wedding day.

In 1997, Eddie began his career in event management as a student at George Mason University where he booked The Roots for one of his first music festivals. In 2000, Eddie signed a local band named SEV to a major record deal with Jimmy Iovine and Geffen Records. This landed them a commercial for Pepsi Blue which aired during the MTV Music Video Awards. In 2001, Eddie helped coordinate a fundraising campaign for Coptic Orphans which generated more than $1 million dollars for vulnerable children in Egypt. In 2005, Eddie was selected for Bono’s ONE Campaign to serve as a US Delegate at the G8 Summit to promote the “Commission for Africa”.

As Eddie continued to excel in his career, he decided to create his own event production company in 2009 – IMPACT Collective. Humbly starting his business from the inside of a Panera, Eddie began managing several types of events such as weddings, galas, concerts, conferences, corporate, and non-profit fundraiser. Eddie’s greatest passion is serving as the Founder of Meant 2 Live Foundation, an organization that has impacted more than 2,000 impoverished youth in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Zambia, Africa. Eddie also launched a ministry called Splendor Productions which utilizes the universal power of music to inspire individuals living in poverty, addictions, and prisons around the world.

Christine thrives on the unequivocal pace of new ventures as well as organizing the chaos that ensues. With over 16 years of experience in business operations and human resources, she is an operational veteran. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and criminology, as well as Master’s level certificates in project management and homeland security management. As IMPACT’s Director of Operations, she is excited to use her expertise in workflow analysis and business strategy.

Christine’s motto: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:9,10) Christine uses this as motivation in her service as Operations Director of Meant 2 Live Foundation.

Tigre (pronounced like “Tiger”) graduated from George Mason University with her bachelor’s degree in Tourism & Events Management and has spent the past several years honing her skills and contributing to the events industry in various positions. Her career kicked off as an Event Associate of IMPACT Collective and Meant 2 Live Foundation where she fell in love with planning events and helping others. She has since worked for various large venues and associations to plan and manage many types of events including weddings, galas, meetings, trade shows, conferences, and more. She enjoys building a relationship with her clients and truly exceeding their event expectations. Just like her unique name, her unique talents, and creativity do not go unnoticed when she is organizing and executing events. She will go above and beyond to make her client’s special day even more special than they dreamed.

Trish started her career in meeting and event planning over two decades ago with American Express Executive Services and has since gone on to work with corporate clients such as IBM, BET and Morgan Stanley, planning everything from executive meetings to summer festivals. It was after her corporate client increasingly requested to plan more of their social events (and weddings) where she fell in love with helping couples tell their personal story through their celebrations.

Linda’s passion for wedding planning stems from over 10 years of experience in Clinical Program Management, Operations, and Project Management. Although she’s a Jersey Girl (born and raised), Linda has lived in the DMV since 2012 where she followed her passion in event design while creating and organizing social events, conferences, and fundraisers. Linda’s attention to detail, approach on logistics, and relationship building are the reason why IMPACT clients love to work with her on their big day. To her clients, peers, and vendors, she is especially known for her personal touches for she believes there should be sincerity and intention in how she serves those that entrust their special occasion in her capable hands.

Michelle, who is originally from England, moved to the Washington, DC to pursue a career in the hospitality and event industry. With more than 20 years of experience, her clients receive their own unique look for each based on her creative approach to projects and design expertise. Every event she plans is successful because of the commitment and compassion that she presents to her clients. Michelle has a passion for planning events of all kinds, both social and corporate-related. Her well-known style and dedication ensure nothing less than perfection for special occasion that she plans for IMPACT clients.

A Georgia native and a southern girl at heart, Haley has worked and excelled in the events and hospitality industry for over a decade. Her passion began at a young age as she watched her mother plan weddings. Haley began her career in Nashville, Tennessee, working on events in the country music industry with artists such as Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, and Florida Georgia Line. She was later recruited to manage events for multiple well-known venues and made a name for herself as a luxury wedding and event planner. Soon, she has recently relocated to the DMV area with her husband and puppy, Presley. From the planning stages to execution, Haley provides IMPACT clients with individualized services as she creates events that guests will be swooning over for years to come.

With over a decade of experience in event management, project management, consulting, organization and leadership, Maria utilizes these skills to deliver unmatched attention to detail. She brings an extensive knowledge of vendor options and is a fierce negotiator for her clients, ensuring they receive the best price and service available.

As an expert in event management, clients value Maria for the quality and delivery of her events. Her approach brings calmness and assurance to her clients throughout the planning and execution process. Her ability to incorporate even the smallest details enhance each event and highlight Maria’s passion for taking an event from “good” to “great.” Maria is known for her creative flair and ability to design and execute one-of-a-kind events that reflect the values of her clients. She has a passion for perfection and unique talent for creating individualized and memorable events.

Over a decade ago, an opportunity to serve as a committee chair for a conference unleashed Starvel’s passion for event planning. Since then, she has created and managed multi-day celebrations and destination events. She has also partnered with local companies to plan pop-up weddings, speed dating soirees, and New Year’s Eve celebrations. In addition to her experience with weddings and social events, Starvel has worked with non-profits, corporations and government agencies to plan and implement events that hosted U.S. elected officials, celebrities and foreign dignitaries. We call her Star because of her name and talent!

Julie has been as an event planner since 2012. From an early age, she recognized her love for creating memorable moments and experiences while playing the piano for weddings and special events. She went on to develop strong communication, project management and customer service skills in the corporate setting. She has first-hand experience with weddings, concerts and fundraisers.

Julie’s diverse background uniquely positions her to provide creative solutions and quickly address issues that may arise throughout the course of an event. Her organization and attention to detail provides a stress-free experience while her creative background ensures your day is uniquely special and exactly as you want it!

Ari’s passion for event planning was born from her personal journey as a cancer survivor. While home recovering from Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Cancer, Ari made it her mission to help other survivors by supporting fundraising events for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This work led to a six-year full-time job in event planning with a non-profit founded by Washington Redskins Coach, Joe Gibbs, called Youth For Tomorrow, a home for at-risk children. Ari soon realized that she loved the fulfillment that came from creating custom celebrations for social and corporate events. Today, Ari and the IMPACT team help clients celebrate and commemorate life’s most joyous occasions. Each event is a direct reflection of her mantra of living life to the fullest!

Throughout her career, Kadzo naturally gravitated towards opportunities in the service industry, where her passion for taking care of others resulted in an illustrious career with some of the top names in retail. She seamlessly transferred those skills into Wedding Planning & Coordination, where she has been helping couples plan and execute the wedding of their dreams for the past 7 years. Kadzo sincerely believes her calling is to be of service to others, and supporting couples on one of the most important days of their lives is truly a labor of love for her.

With just under a decade of working alongside of a full-service caterer, and organizing her own wedding, Clarice made the decision to pursue planning. As someone who loves love, her jovial personality and “can do” attitude will surely to draw you in. Clients rave about her organization skills, responsiveness, attention to detail, and her calmness that reassures the couple that “she’s got it”! Her #1 focus is managing the flow and logistics, so that the client, their families, and guests can fully enjoy such a special and unique occasion.

Keshia has more than 12 years of event/project management experience. She has successfully led the event planning and execution of countless weddings, conferences, meetings, social outings, team building functions, and formal galas. In 2017, Keshia became a licensed and certified wedding and event planner with the intent of taking her experience and expertise to the world. Keshia has also served on active duty in the Army National Guard for more than 19 years. Keshia holds professional certifications from QC Event School, Project Management Institute (PMP), Society of Government Meeting Planners (CGMP), All Seated, Timeliness Genius, and an Accredited Event Designer (AED) from the Institute of Wedding & Event Design. Keshia is best known for her meticulous attention to detail and whimsical knack for creativity.

Gloria started her career producing Pageants. After 10 years of experience, she migrated into the wedding market. Having the opportunity to be part of the most special day of someone’s life is her biggest motivation. Gloria devotes a great deal of her time to volunteering and giving back to her community in her home country, Ghana. Currently, she serves as the President of Passion for an African Child Organization, which is a Christian-based, non-governmental organization working to improve the lives of underprivileged children on the continent of Africa. Gloria serves through advocacy, funding their education, and providing their everyday needs. A philosophy she lives by, is that “there is nothing that makes one happier than to see others happy.” Gloria’s love for planning and helping her community has been in accordance with her values since the beginning of this journey and continues to transcend through her work ongoing.

Stephanie has been in the Wedding and Event Planning industry for over 20 years and has planned weddings all over the country as well as in the Caribbean. With her “bubbly” personality, she demonstrates her love for the business and adds that personal touch and expertise to every project! Her ability to manage, coordinate and multitask has afforded her the opportunity to work on both local and corporate events. She prides herself in offering the “Wow” factor and assisting to capture dreams and turning them into reality! Her philosophy is providing a “Stress-Free Experience” and well-deserved attention required for a successful Wedding or Event.

Ana graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in International Studies and Social Justice. Her love for event planning started when she was young and witnessing her parents host parties. In college, she was apart of InterVarsity’s Outreach team where she would plan and host Saturday morning Pancakes and Prayer. Her career started as an Event Planner for International Justice Mission, a non-profit that protects people in poverty from violence. Ana is known for her high attention to detail, reliability and organization. She brings fresh creativity and love to every event she manages. When she is not planning an event, she enjoys discovering coffee shops, running her photography business and traveling.

Erika is a Washington, D.C. area-based event and project management professional.  With more than ten years of experience, Erika advises clients on wedding planning, strategic event planning, program development, event branding, and on-site event management.

With experience spanning the non-profit, corporate and government sectors, Erika offers a unique approach to delivering tailored event experiences. Her professional events portfolio includes receptions, high-profile dinners, launch parties, weddings and other social events; plus she has provided event planning and execution support to two international events: the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Athens, Greece and the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games held in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea.

No detail is too large or small, and with a keen eye for approaching all events from the perspective of the client; she strives to execute seamlessly. Whether it is getting the couple down the aisle to say “I do” or adding that final perfect touch to a corporate event, she aims to impress and she always does..