OUR TEAM

Hillary Schubach

Founder & President

HILLARY SCHUBACH is at the helm of Shine and personally works with each client one-on-one through their entire engagement.

Hillary earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BA in History from Duke University. Her background includes 20+ years of marketing and brand management at top CPG firms such as Kraft Foods and Unilever, as well as the sports and music industries—proving to be the ideal foundation to help aspiring MBAs market themselves to their schools of choice.

A successful MBA admissions consultant since 1999, she maintains an exemplary track record, helping clients attend their target schools year after year. As demand grew, she founded Shine in 2007 and is grateful to have now built an entire career from helping others achieve their dreams.

Hillary is a 12-year member of AIGAC (Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants), reflecting her commitment to the highest ethical practices, professional excellence, and collaboration with admissions officers and fellow consultants. She attends annual industry conferences and speaks internationally on MBA admissions. For her alma mater, she serves on the Board of Directors of HBSASC (Harvard Business School Association of Southern CA) and is LA Regional Chair of HBS Alumnae Circles.

Hillary is a native NYer, a long-time Coloradan, and now lives in Santa Monica, CA. When not busy fostering puppies or planning her next travel adventure, she can usually be found enjoying the SoCal outdoors with her friends and beau Rob.

Kathryn Elizabeth Gregg

Essay Coach

KATHRYN ELIZABETH GREGG is Shine’s dedicated essay coach and pre-law expert.

Kathryn received her JD from the UCLA School of Law and BA in Political Science from Duke. Starting her career in politics and moving to entrepreneurship, she has two decades of writing experience, focused on making a difference through storytelling, expressing complex matters simply, and helping leaders find their voice. Today, she is an author and founder of Amant House, an independent publishing house. Her debut novel, Paradise City (pen name K. E. Gregg), is a literary work of philosophical fiction that feels like vacation. 

Based in Santa Monica, CA, Kathryn enjoys the beach, live music, time with loved ones, and staying active. She values cool and calm as agents of change, so she practices mindfulness⁠—and finds great joy in helping people find their paradise.

Diane Hoagland

Editor

DIANE HOAGLAND has been an editor with Shine since 2019, helping clients mind their Ps and Qs, pare down word count, and review final application submissions.

She received her English degree from the UC Santa Barbara, with dual minors in Professional Writing (Editing Emphasis) and Spanish. She has more than eight years of professional editing experience and has worked with all types of content and subject matter, from business and science to lifestyle and travel. Some of her past employers include Facebook Business Education, Amgen, Robb Report, and UC Santa Barbara.

Diane lives in the sunny LA suburb of Thousand Oaks, CA. When she’s not looking at sentence structure or correcting comma splices, you can find her poring over photos from her recent nuptials, watching Gordon Ramsay cooking shows, or reading a novel with a strong cup of coffee.

Karine Bernèche

Assistant

KARINE BERNÈCHE is our team’s official French Canadian, thrilled to be joining us from her newest home of Bali, Indonesia.

Karine’s 20 years of global experience in customer service includes Euro Disney, Vidéotron, and 14 years with Air Canada as Real Time Analyst for their call center. She’ll be an invaluable asset in keeping our clients organized and tackling projects to maximize our efficiency.

In her free time, she enjoys walking Bali’s stunning beaches, discussing food and wine with foodie friends, reading Guillaume Musso and Marc Levy, and exploring the world with her partner Pierre.

Theresa Halicki

Accounting Lead

THERESA HALICKI has been Shine’s Accounting Lead since 2015 and manages client billings, book keeping and internal reporting/finance.

She studied at University of Arizona for her Accounting Associates degree. Her background includes over 28 years of accounting experience.  Theresa’s commitment to excellence is evident in the long-term client relationships that she has built throughout her career as a bookkeeper.

Theresa is from Santa Cruz, CA and currently resides in Prior Lake, MN. She enjoys sunshine, beaches, boating, fishing, family and her dogs Olive & Kona. She even enjoys the freezing Minnesota winters when she gets to partake in her newest hobby of ice fishing.

 

Believe in something larger than yourself.”
-Barbara Bush