Essence Murillo is the Administrative & Project Lead Consultant for Once Upon A Preemie, Inc., where she supports initiatives focused on Black preemie families, maternal health, NICU support, and neonatal equity. She serves as the internal project lead for OUAP’s 4th Annual Fundraiser and 5th Annual Black Maternal Health + Neonatal Equity Conference. In this role, Essence leads the internal conference planning process, coordinates website, graphics, and registration updates, and drives follow-through across conference priorities, including budget and sponsor tracking.
Essence comes to OUAP with a varied background in engineering, project management, the nonprofit sector, and national labor-management organizations. She has more than a decade of experience in project management, with a primary focus on leading multi-year federal programs. She has also worked with national firms, Women-Owned Business Enterprises, Minority-Owned Business Enterprises, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, successfully maximizing productivity and handling procedures methodically and strategically.
With a strong track record in research, communications, correspondence, project controls, and contract-related compliance, Essence brings structure and strategic follow-through to complex initiatives. Her project management and stakeholder engagement experience helps connect people, priorities, and resources so important work moves from planning to execution. Essence received a Bachelor of Science from Missouri State University.