From Filmmaker to TECH Leader: An Unexpected Journey

The accidental beginning 

What started as a way to pay the bills during film school in Los Angeles became the catalyst for my design career. When Nike's emerging incubator Experience Design group came calling through a friend's recommendation, my background in art, storytelling and self-taught web development made me an ideal fit. This was the dawn of experience design, when companies were just beginning to recognize the transformative power of thoughtful digital interactions.

Finding my voice 

While still completing my degree, my work at Nike caught Adidas' attention. It was at Adidas where my passion for UX design truly took root, immersing myself in user-centered design (UCD) methodologies and discovering how to create experiences that users genuinely value. This foundation continues to guide my approach today.

Entrepreneur phase 

Armed with strong design principles and growing business acumen, I co-launched and grew an agency over several years. This entrepreneurial chapter taught me invaluable lessons about business models, client relationships, and delivering results under pressure—culminating in a successful exit that validated my approach to a design-led business.

Scaling design in tech

My post-entrepreneurial path led me to the SaaS world as employee #30, where I built and led a team through many acquisitions and high growth. We evolved from a single-product company into a diverse portfolio of over 30 software applications serving markets from small business to enterprise. This experience taught me how to scale design and maintain quality across complex product ecosystems.

Enterprise leadership and innovation 

Following my SaaS success, I moved to Boston to lead a team in Wayfair's newest enterprise division. During the pandemic, I helped a SaaS startup (who's CEO was a former wayfair colleague) refine their product strategy across multiple platforms before being asked to join Chewy to establish their first Enterprise Product Design practice as the Head of EPD—expanding their capabilities beyond e-commerce into new business territories like vet clinics and pet medications. Today, I lead a team at AvidXchange where we are innovating how finance teams handle their AP & AR operations.

Leadership Philosophy

My approach combines strategic vision with hands-on collaboration:

• Business-Design Integration: I excel at translating business objectives into design strategies and helping non-technical stakeholders understand design's impact on outcomes.
• Team Building: Having built multiple design teams from scratch, I know how to identify talent, foster growth, and create sustainable design cultures.
• Problem Framework: I help teams define the right problems before jumping to solutions, ensuring we deliver meaningful value to both users and the business.
• Servant Leadership: I work alongside my teams, removing obstacles and creating environments where designers can do their best work.

Looking forward

After two decades spanning Fortune 500 companies and nimble startups, I remain passionate about mentorship, strategy, and using design to create positive change. My greatest fulfillment comes from developing the next generation of design leaders who will continue pushing the boundaries of what thoughtful experience design can accomplish.

Available for strategic design leadership, consulting, and speaking opportunities. Let's connect about how my unique perspective can benefit your organization.