Longmont, Colorado

Eric Reyes

Program design · project coordination · building with AI

I take big ideas and map them into programs, plans and products people actually use. Friends Ahoy and Acutealypse are two I took from nothing to launch.

See selected work Get in touch
5+ yrsnonprofit & community service
4×AmeriCorps alum
FounderFriends Ahoy
Portrait of Eric Reyes
Work style, DISC profile: Conscientious. Careful and analytical, favoring objectivity and accuracy. I sweat the details so the systems hold up.

Specialties

Program design Project coordination Workflow & process improvement Content creation AI-assisted development WordPress & web design Curriculum design Community outreach

Also in my toolkit

Nonprofit operations Grant reporting Vendor management Recruiting & hiring Salesforce / CRM WooCommerce Graphic design Tinkercad 3D (basic)
About

Turning good intentions into running programs, across AmeriCorps, nonprofits, and direct service.

I'm a talker and a thinker. I like understanding how a team actually works and then making it run better, which is where my strengths sit: creating content people will actually read, untangling messy workflows, and coordinating the systems and tools that hold a program together. Four rounds of AmeriCorps taught me how mission-driven work really runs, from leading VISTA teams and designing trainings to building the materials and processes that outlast any one person.

What I love most is taking something from nothing to something: a rough idea mapped into a plan, then a program or product people actually use. With WordPress and AI-assisted development I build the websites, shop and tools myself. I decide what gets built and how it should work, test it, and run the launch; AI writes the detailed code.

Friends Ahoy is the throughline. I founded it and I'm focused on growing it: a free tool that gives adults an honest read on how they connect, and the place where my content, design, research, and coordination work all come together.

Eric facilitating a workshop in front of a presentation screen
Facilitating a workshop
Eric at a community outreach and recruitment table
Community outreach
Eric installing program signage on a wall
Program setup
Selected work

Things I've made & coordinated

A mix of what I have built and what I have designed. The pieces I am proudest of are the assessments, frameworks, and programs underneath, the thinking that makes each one actually work.

Friends Ahoy logo, a compass set inside a wooden hexagon
Founder

Friends Ahoy

A free tool that gives adults an honest read on how they connect, and one small thing to try this week. I built the whole thing: a 30-page site, the Crew Role Quiz, the 5 Pillars framework, 17 hobby-based Island guides, and a research library where I checked all 35 sources against the originals and corrected 11 claims. It's strictly platonic, with no groups, matching or introductions, and it's free with no account needed. The logo and illustrations are Raven's.

  • 30 pages
  • 35 sources checked
  • 8 quiz versions
  • 20-person pilot
Visit Friends Ahoy →
Screenshot of the Connection Profile quiz introduction on friendsahoy.com
Assessment

The Connection Profile

The free quiz at the heart of Friends Ahoy. I designed the questions, the scoring and the results. Each person gets a Crew Role, a reading on which of the 5 Pillars is running thin, and one small thing to try this week. Refined through 8 versions with feedback from a 20-person pilot, who told me the results felt honest and accurate.

Take the quiz →
Screenshot of the 5 Pillars of Connection Health page on friendsahoy.com
Framework

The 5 Pillars of Connection Health

The framework behind every Friends Ahoy result. Connection health isn't one thing, it's five: Emotional Closeness, Social Integration, Identity & Belonging, Purpose & Contribution, and Digital Balance. I defined each pillar and tied it to published research on loneliness and friendship, including the 2023 U.S. Surgeon General's advisory.

See the framework →
Screenshot of the Acutealypse website homepage
Web · E-commerce

Acutealypse

The online shop for my fiancée Raven's spooky-cute art brand. I rebuilt it on WordPress and WooCommerce with AI-assisted development and launched it in October 2026, with 13 products live and checkout and shipping tested end to end. I also run the business side: print vendors, pricing and the launch plan. The artwork and logo are hers.

Visit Acutealypse →
Web · Live

Web animation

Animated, interactive pages I design and build with AI-assisted development, all live where you can see them: the hero scenes on the Friends Ahoy home and About pages, and the About page on Raven's portfolio.

See it on friendsahoy.com →
Screenshot of the Connection Resource Hub page on friendsahoy.com
Research · In progress

Research source audit

A first pass before funder outreach: I checked the 35 research sources cited on the site against the original studies and corrected 11 claims that overstated a finding or credited the wrong source. Every research item in the Resource Hub now says how strong its evidence is. A full claim-by-claim audit of every page is under way.

See the Resource Hub →
Screenshot of Raven's creative and marketing portfolio site
Web · AI-assisted

Raven's portfolio site

A creative and marketing portfolio I designed and built for Raven with AI-assisted development. The November 2026 update added her new Acutealypse product line and Friends Ahoy illustration work, and every piece opens full size with its story.

See Raven's portfolio →
Skagit Asset Building Coalition logo
Branding · Web

Skagit Asset Building Coalition

I designed the logo and the original website for this coalition while at Community Action of Skagit County. The site has since been updated, but the logo I created is still in use.

Visit the coalition →
Run-on Sentences instructional brochure designed by Eric Reyes
Instructional design

Plain-language teaching brochure

Turned a dry grammar topic into a clear, scannable tri-fold covering examples, problems, and fixes, built for a professional-communication course at CSU.

First page of the Heat Pump Resource Guide
Technical writing

Heat Pump Resource Guide

A homeowner-facing guide for Boulder County: extreme-weather operating tips, a plain-English glossary, and a vetted directory of rebates and incentives. Research distilled into something a non-expert can actually use.

Events · Coordination

AmeriCorps service events

Coordinated volunteers and community outreach for service events, including the MLK Day of Service and recurring Days of Service: lining up logistics, mobilizing people, and running the day.

More things I've made
Curriculum · Training

Financial-literacy curriculum

As an AmeriCorps VISTA with Kula No Nā Poʻe Hawaiʻi, built a financial-literacy curriculum integrated into public schools, plus a staff-and-volunteer training manual and culturally appropriate anti-poverty workshops.

3D-modeled thin drip ring for watering a garden Another small 3D-printed part designed in Tinkercad
3D / Maker

3D modeling, the basics

Working knowledge of Tinkercad. I'm no expert, but I can model and print useful small parts, like this drip ring for watering my garden, plus a handful of other small designs.

Experience

Where I've worked

Mostly Northern Colorado, with a year in Hawaii and a year in Washington along the way. All of it about coordinating, mentoring, and keeping mission-driven work on track.

5+Years in nonprofit programs
4×AmeriCorps alum
2×VISTA Leader
2Launches in 2026
Mar 2026 - Present

Founder and Program Lead

Friends Ahoy · Longmont, CO

Built and launched a free tool that gives adults an honest read on how they connect: a scored quiz, a 5-pillar framework, a research library, and a funding plan with a fiscal sponsor.

Jun 2026 - Present

Operations and E-commerce Consultant

Acutealypse · Colorado

Helped behind the scenes since the brand began, then took on operations in June 2026 to bring it back: rebuilt and launched the WooCommerce store with 13 products, manage print vendors from proofs through delivery, built the pricing model, and ran the fall launch.

Mar 2026 - May 2026

Direct Support Professional

Sample Supports · Longmont, CO

Provided person-centered direct care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, prioritizing dignity, consistency, and individual support plans.

Jan 2025 - Jun 2025

CivicSpark Fellow

Public Health Institute · Boulder, CO

Ran outreach and built contact databases; maintained Salesforce contractor records; drafted equity-centered email and call templates; documented workflows for long-term program sustainability.

Dec 2023 - Dec 2024

AmeriCorps VISTA Leader

Center for Employment Opportunities · Remote

Led and mentored a remote cohort of up to 8 VISTA members, sat on hiring interviews for new members and staff, published a monthly newsletter, streamlined internal processes, and managed data tracking and reporting against program goals.

Apr 2023 - Sep 2023

NoCO AmeriCorps Project Coordinator

United Way of Weld County · Greeley, CO

Stepped into day-to-day coordination of the NoCO AmeriCorps program, submitted quarterly, semi-annual, and annual grant reports to AmeriCorps (CNCS), and digitized program records to keep the program audit-ready.

Apr 2022 - Apr 2023

AmeriCorps VISTA Leader

United Way of Weld County · Greeley, CO

Led the NoCO AmeriCorps program: about 8 members across 5 host sites. Recruited nationally and ran professional-development trainings and Days of Service.

Earlier roles
  • Sushi Chef, Suhiro's Japanese Restaurant, Fort Collins (2021)
  • Financial Education Outreach Coordinator, Community Action of Skagit County, WA (2019-2020). Built outreach capacity, prepared radio scripts and press releases, and designed the logo and WordPress site for the local asset-building coalition.
  • Financial Aid Assistant, Aims Community College, Greeley (2019)
  • Financial Literacy Project Coordinator (AmeriCorps VISTA), Kula No Nā Poʻe Hawaiʻi, Honolulu (2016-2017). Integrated a financial-literacy curriculum into public schools and built a training manual and culturally appropriate anti-poverty workshops for the Native Hawaiian community.
  • Estate Sales Specialist, Caring Transitions, Fort Collins (2016)
  • Customer Service Representative, OtterBox, Fort Collins (2014-2015)
  • Telesales Representative, T-Mobile, Fort Collins (2013-2014)
How I can help

What I can do for you

Most of what I do falls into three buckets. Mix and match depending on what you need.

Programs & operations

Program design, planning, coordination, vendors, and the documented processes that keep a program running when people change. Five years of it across AmeriCorps and nonprofits.

Content & process improvement

Newsletters, curriculum, guides, and web copy people actually read, plus mapping how your team works and making it run smoother, with AI or automation where it saves real time.

Websites & AI builds

I design and build websites, online shops, and custom tools, using AI to move quickly from a first idea to a working product. Recent builds include Friends Ahoy, the Acutealypse shop, the Skagit Asset Building Coalition site, and portfolio sites for Raven and me.

Education & credentials

Background

Psychology coursework toward a B.A.

Colorado State University · 15 credits from finishing
2020 - 2022

Associate of Arts, Psychology

Aims Community College · Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
2018 - 2020

Certifications & tools

WordPress & WooCommerce, site building & maintenance
AI-assisted development and AI workflow design (Claude)
Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Trello, Canva
Salesforce / CRM
Grant reporting, AmeriCorps (CNCS)
Adult First Aid / CPR / AED, American Red Cross (current)
The commissioned painting the logo is based on: a chimpanzee resting beneath a bodhi tree
The story behind the mark

A chimp under a tree of wisdom

The emblem on this site comes from a painting my mother commissioned for me from a local artist. It shows a chimpanzee, an animal I have always felt represents me, resting beneath a bodhi tree, my favorite tree and one I fell for while living in Hawaii, with its long ties to Buddhism and contemplation.

To me it reads as someone sitting in quiet thought under a tree of wisdom and knowledge. The gold line art that draws itself in at the top of this page is traced directly from this painting.

Off the clock

A few things that keep me busy

I like staying busy and picking up new things to learn. I play a lot of video games with my fiancée, I keep a garden going, and I spin poi when I can. I tinker constantly and like taking on all kinds of creative projects.

Overall I'm a pretty quiet, chill guy who spends most of his time at home with his dog and his fiancée, either being nerdy or getting into a project.

Video games
Time with my dog
Gardening
Travel
Poi & flow
Tinkering & making
Craft brews
Drums & music
Eric's dog relaxing at home Eric at a lantern festival while traveling Eric performing flow arts with fire poi A craft beer at a brewery
Contact

Let's build something that lasts

Open to program and project coordination, operations, outreach, and content or web work, whether that's full-time, contract, or project-based. If it's mission-driven, I'm interested.

Email me Download resume (PDF) LinkedIn
ericreyesprofessional@gmail.com  ·  linkedin.com/in/eric-reyes-professional  ·  Longmont, Colorado