Meet THE TEAM
curious researchers and growth strategists
Research-Driven Growth Strategy
Sarah Kinard
Founder & Head Bird
With over 20 years of experience leading growth strategies and new market development, Sarah Kinard is the driving force behind The Flamingo Project, a research, strategy, and growth-focused firm. She specializes in research-first growth strategies, and market positioning to help AEC firms thrive.
Sarah is known for her ability to lead vision-driven strategies to uncover new revenue opportunities and develop market-entry strategies. Her expertise spans both horizontal and vertical markets working with firms ranging the AEC gamut—from small design studios, regional construction companies, to international engineering firms. With a passion for client-focused solutions, she ensures that strategy efforts align with business goals and generate measurable impact.
SMPS
Sarah is heavily involved in SMPS, serving as the Dallas president from 2021 to 2022. During her presidency, she worked with Fort Worth to re-envision how SMPS serves the market, and together Dallas and Fort Worth formed an SMPS North Texas chapter. She is presently serving as a trustee of the SMPS Foundation.
Interested in having Sarah speak at your event?
Planning a company retreat? Day Conference? or Education Program for your professional association?
Explore the Speaking page to learn more about her topics, or contact us to book Sarah for your next event.
Digital Flow, Delivered with Care
Suzanne King, CPSM
Marketing Connector & Digital Communicator
Suzanne brings 20 years of A/E/C marketing experience, a can-do attitude, and a whole lot of positivity to her work. At The Flamingo Project, she helps shape the firm’s digital presence through thoughtful social media, email campaigns, and website content, with an eye toward clarity, consistency, and a touch of sparkle. Suzanne loves organizing the details that bring ideas to life, whether she’s drafting a newsletter, a company event, or helping the team showcase their work through case studies and digital storytelling.
With a Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) credential and a past presidency with SMPS Boston, Suzanne brings not just experience, but heart and humor to the work.
Always exploring new ways to work smarter, Suzanne integrates tech and AI tools to streamline the process without losing the personal touch. She is a firm believer that internal marketing deserves just as much creativity and care as the public-facing kind. Her coordination supports internal momentum and amplifies the good work happening across the team.
Seeing the story inside the data
Alexandrea (Alee) Pestana
Data Analytics and GIS Intern
Alee brings a thoughtful, grounded presence to The Flamingo Project, pairing analytical skill with genuine empathy. With experience in public policy, data analysis, outreach, and team leadership, she’s comfortable navigating complex information and communicating it with clarity. Her early work in community engagement strengthened her ability to explain nuanced ideas in ways that resonate across audiences. At TFP, she focuses on uncovering the story within the data and shaping it into insight clients can use.
Her leadership style was shaped on the volleyball court, first as a player and later as a coach. That transition taught her how to read a room, calm the chaos, and recognize how small moments ladder up to meaningful impact. It also sharpened her instinct to understand what people need and guide groups toward shared success. That steady, empathetic presence shows up in everything she touches.
Alee supports research, market intelligence, and data storytelling across our client engagements. She brings focused analysis, clear communication, and a calm confidence that helps teams make sense of the details without losing sight of the bigger picture. Her gift is simplifying the complex, so clients feel grounded and supported as they move forward.
Finding clarity in the messy middle of data
Trupti Shriyan
Data Analytics and GIS Intern
Naturally curious and quietly analytical, Trupti Shriyan enjoys making sense of complex data and turning it into insights that support smarter decisions. She is a data and analytics intern at The Flamingo Project and a master’s candidate in Computer Science at The University of Texas at Arlington, where she continues to build a strong foundation in analytics, visualization, and emerging technologies.
At TFP, Trupti supports research and strategy initiatives by helping Sarah dig into data, build Power BI dashboards, and explore how analytics and AI can enhance market research and strategic thinking. From cleaning and organizing datasets to visualizing trends and patterns, she’s energized by the messy middle — where questions are still forming and the answers aren’t obvious yet.
With hands-on experience in data pipelines, machine learning models, and visualization tools, Trupti pairs technical skill with an appreciation for storytelling through data. She’s especially interested in how AI can help teams work smarter without overcomplicating the process. Thoughtful, collaborative, and always eager to learn, Trupti adds both analytical rigor and fresh perspective to The Flamingo Project team.
