We believe in the power of creativity and its transformative impact on people, businesses, and the world at large.

Matchbox Partners is the manifestation of our mission to empower organizations to build better futures through innovation, amplified by creativity.

OUR FOUNDERS

  • Kristen has spent more than half her life understanding people, creatively solving problems, and storytelling solutions. From her first career as a producer and general manager for Broadway and off-Broadway theater to then consulting for boutique and behemoth agencies, she brings a unique blend of curiosity, critical thinking, and resourcefulness.

    Kristen leverages these as a dynamic, if unorthodox(!), innovation and workplace culture strategist to harmonize human needs with business objectives, ensuring impactful and sustainable outcomes.

    SHE IS:

    •     A British-looking, but strong-blooded Italian, with a penchant for – and serious opinions about – the perfect Sunday meat sauce

    •     A credit card maximizer who travel hacks her way around the world

    •     A germaphobe who willingly chooses to live in NYC

    SHE IS NOT:

    •     A competitive tennis player anymore, but still has (delusional?) aspirations to regain her 102 mph serve from her USTA days as a junior player

    •     A winner of the Cash Cab, but does love trivia. The question I lost on: who was offered the presidency of Israel in 1952?

    •     The New Jersey-based author of steamy romance novels by the same name

  • Driven by a deep curiosity about people and a passion for improving lives, she began her career developing therapies in biopharma R&D but realized her true calling lay in more direct human impact. Blending her scientific expertise with strategy and innovation consulting, Natalia has spent over a decade and a half creating transformative products, services, and strategies while reinventing workplace cultures for clients across industries.

    When not helping clients discover uncharted territory, Natalia works to increase the power and influence of women as an Advisory Board Member for Women in Innovation.

    SHE IS:

    •     A lover of food and cooking as a gateway to culture, tradition, and stories who is always on the hunt for hidden gems in the food scene of her beloved West LA.

    •     Someone who has literally performed brain surgery… on rats—for SCIENCE to be clear.

    •     The most amateur of ceramicists, but one who loves it deeply.

    SHE IS NOT:

    •     Here for Hawaiian pizza hate. Give me that pineapple.

    •     A repeat skydiver—once was more than enough.

    •     Good at driving things other than maybe a jet ski. We will be Ubering or taking public transport together.

We have decades of combined experience in product innovation and culture transformation across sectors including Consumer Goods, Financial Services and Healthcare.

We've developed buzzworthy food and beverage products, innovative financial robo-advisors, and market-leading medtech tools. We've also revitalized innovation cultures in top banks, media companies, biopharma firms, NGOs, and beyond.