Gabriela Jachs Stepien Atwell
Business Analyst & Operations Strategist
I turn complex operations into elegant, data-driven systems that boost accuracy, efficiency, and revenue.
ABOUT
From Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil → San Diego, CA — a focused journey in tech & operations
I was born in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, and my career began in the world of science. I studied Biomedical Informatics at UFCSPA, where I spent five years researching genetic data patterns and developing a passion for solving complex problems through analysis. Working alongside researchers taught me how to connect data with real-world outcomes — and I quickly realized that I loved optimizing systems just as much as interpreting data.
In the middle of the pandemic, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life — I moved to San Diego, California. It was my first international trip and the first time I had ever traveled alone. Starting over in a new country during that period was challenging, but it taught me resilience, adaptability, and the value of building structure in uncertainty.
While in San Diego, I earned a Certificate in Information Technology Systems at SDUIS and transitioned into tech as a Data Scientist intern at INCA and later at Pistil Data. Through these roles, I combined my scientific foundation with analytics and automation to make data more efficient and actionable.
Over time, my focus evolved from data science into operations strategy. I discovered my passion for improving workflows, creating dashboards, and building scalable processes for growing teams. Today, as a Business Analyst in Operations, I merge analytical thinking with structured execution to help businesses achieve clarity, efficiency, and measurable results.
Alongside my corporate work, I’ve also developed two personal projects that reflect my passion for process design: Aqua Haven, a California-based water systems brand, and TimeWise Luxury, a curated watch and jewelry sourcing platform. Both projects were opportunities to apply my automation, operations, and branding skills — I built streamlined systems that now run largely independently. These experiences strengthened my ability to create scalable processes, allowing me to focus fully on my next challenge in business operations and analysis.
What I do
- Design lean processes and SOPs that reduce handoffs and rework.
- Build reconciliation & reporting systems that leaders actually use.
- Stand up onboarding flows that scale to 100+ reps without chaos.
How I work
- Clarity first: align on the path, then automate.
- Measure what matters: KPIs tied to adoption and outcomes.
- Ship in weeks: iterate fast, de-risk with pilots and UAT.
Toolbox
- Google Sheets
- Python
- Zapier
- Jira
- SharePoint
- Sigma
- Discord
- Asana
- Lucidchart
EXPERIENCE
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Jan 2025 – Present
Business Analyst — Operations, Strategy & Automation
Palmetto Energy Solutions · San Diego, CA
- Revamped onboarding for 100+ reps via a centralized Google Sheets tracker.
- Built a Python + Zapier reconciliation system; recovered $60K+ in previously lost revenue and prevented $50K+/mo potential losses.
- Deployed an AI-driven reporting process, saving 15+ hours weekly and improving data accuracy to 95% across units.
- Modernized internal comms via Discord, boosting response speed by ~20% and removing key bottlenecks.
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Jun 2023 – Apr 2024
Business Analyst — Operations
DUAL North America · San Diego, CA
- Administered Policy Administration System configs & security; maintained 99.9% uptime.
- Resolved 100+ tickets/week by partnering with underwriting and IT.
- Delivered Jira/SharePoint enhancements improving delivery speed by 15%.
- Cut post-release issues by 30% through UAT and functional testing; built dashboards that improved processing efficiency by 10%.
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Jan 2023 – Jun 2023; Apr 2024 – Dec 2024
Business Analyst — Operations (Consultant)
Freelance · San Diego, CA
- Streamlined solar project ops across 4 dealership partners; projects finished 15% faster.
- Built KPI reporting in Google Sheets; saved 10+ hours/week and cut rep onboarding by 2 weeks.
- Coordinated docs & install scheduling; customer satisfaction rose 12%.
- Standardized onboarding workflows and templates; new rep setup accelerated by 20%.
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Jul 2021 – Aug 2022
Junior Data Scientist
Pistil Data · San Diego, CA
- Built interactive Sigma dashboards; reduced manual data gathering by 80% for faster decisions.
- Architected Python data models revealing new segments; lifted engagement by 12%.
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May 2021 – May 2022
Data Scientist Intern — Bioinformatics
National Cancer Institute (INCA) · Porto Alegre, BR
- Audited Human Cell Atlas datasets; fixed 15 inconsistencies and reduced data errors by 20%.
- Created interactive visualizations and presented insights; identified 5 potential drug targets.
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Nov 2020 – Jun 2021
Data Scientist Intern — Bioinformatics
CEVS-RS · Porto Alegre, BR
- Refactored GAL database schema & indexing; retrieval time for 50+ researchers dropped 40%.
- Merged Python scripts into pipelines; reporting speed improved by 30% with stronger validation.
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Mar 2016 – Jun 2021
Research Assistant — Biotechnology
UFCSPA · Porto Alegre, BR
- Analyzed bioinformatics datasets (pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, Biopython); improved pattern recognition by 15%.
- Produced visualizations & co-authored outputs contributing to 5+ peer-reviewed publications.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Data Science | Arizona State University
Certificate in Information Technology Systems | San Diego University for Integrative Studies, 2022
Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Informatics | Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre / UFCSPA
SKILLS & TOOLS
Bridging analytics, automation, and operational strategy
Business Operations
Data & Analytics
Tools
Project & Product Management
Languages
FEATURED PROJECTS
Selected work in operations, automation & analytics
Palmetto Energy Solutions
Automated Revenue Reconciliation System
Centralized onboarding & data capture with Python + Zapier automations and AI-driven reporting.
- $60K+ recovered
- 15+ hrs/week saved
- 95% data accuracy
DUAL North America
Operational Dashboard Optimization
Jira/SharePoint enhancements, policy admin improvements, and dashboards to speed delivery.
- +15% delivery speed
- −30% post-release issues
- 99.9% uptime
Pistil Data
Sales Data Visualization in Sigma
Interactive Sigma dashboards and Python models to surface segments and speed decisions.
- −80% manual reporting
- +12% engagement
TimeWise Luxury
Luxury Watch & Jewelry Automation Project
Designed automated workflows for client communications, inventory sync, and Shopify operations — reducing manual updates by 70%.
Aqua Haven
Water Filtration Startup Operations Build
Built end-to-end operational and marketing systems; automated fulfillment and support through Freshdesk and Shopify integrations.