Meet the Team

GENEVIEVE ROJA
FOUNDER + CEO

Hi! I’m Genevieve, a tomboy who happened to grow up liking some pretty girly stuff. I majored in print journalism and was tracking toward a career in sportswriting, when some long stints driving on Highway 99 from small town to small town made me realize it wasn’t for me.

Back in my hometown of San Francisco, I transitioned into marketing and PR for a non-profit focused on breast cancer and the environment. I spent six years organizing press and community events, training advocates, and doing a lot of impossible things with very little money and things not in my job description (like, at ALL).

In 2012, feeling emboldened by having side-hustled Lily Spruce for three years, I took a leap and went full time and haven’t looked back. Since our inception, we have planned sit-down galas, cocktail party fundraisers, street festivals for 10,000 and night markets for 1,000. We’ve helped people celebrate store openings, product launches, 40th birthdays, holiday parties, and weddings from 35 people to 250 and up. 

I do what I do because I love seeing communities come together for one powerful day, one amazing moment frozen in time. Deep down, I know I love to help, and I love the beauty and magic of being behind the curtain, behind the scenes.

And I love that when the event machine is truly humming, I am immensely proud that Lily Spruce is the engine that has powered it, with a lot of help and collaboration.

We don’t do this event planning thing alone, and neither should you.

MONELLE ABAYA
PLANNER

Monelle joined Lily Spruce as an Event Coordinator in 2017. She’s especially passionate about working closely with all of her clients to envision their event from beginning to end, forecasting any issues that may arise.

Having practiced as an attorney for almost a decade, Monelle is well versed in advocating for her clients, clear communication, a detail-oriented approach, and an uncanny ability to meet deadlines and perform under pressure to ensure a stress-free experience for her clients.

Her goal is to create an experience that leaves her couples looking back on their wedding day not having worried or stressed out on the day of -- because Monelle was working behind the scenes to ensure that her clients were able to be fully present for their special day. 

ONIKA bowman
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

In 2019, Onika joined the Lily Spruce team saying goodbye to cookie cutter corporate events and hello to a world of rulebreakers. As Operations Coordinator, she loves being able to quickly find solutions helping couples achieve their perfect day.

With years of experience in corporate and youth-based nonprofit events (Girl Scouts of America, Boy Scouts of America, and Chabot Space & Science Center), creative solutions, and whimsical ideas come naturally to her.

Those qualities coupled with her attention to detail and stellar organizational skills help keep the planning process running smoothly.