CV, Presentations & Projects

Senior Design Strategist | Design Leader | Service Designer | Design Thinking Facilitator | Data Director | Civic Technologist | Applied UX Research

Self-starter with a proven track record leading cross-functional teams to insights and outcomes through inclusive and collaborative human-centered design processes. Keen ability to align people and prioritize high-value problems / opportunities – and test and iterate rigorously. Successful design processes from scoping to post-evaluation. Enhanced financial service moments, civic engagement platforms, creative archives, and HR experiences. Versed in open data and org dev. Worked with governments, a bank, startups, nonprofits, universities, community groups, and innovation teams.

I partner with people, organizations, innovation teams, and cities to leverage research and human-centered design to solve problems. I create engaging and collaborative interventions in consumer financials, civic technology, and cultural narratives.

Professional Experiences

Strategy consulting, Ongoing

Staircase Strategy – Design and lead participatory, outcome-driven workshops, program pilots, retreats, and trainings with remote-first teams and leaders; lean innovation and design sprints; training on design thinking methods and mindsets; thought leadership and training on self-governance and ways of working

Innovation Coach (p/t contractor)
The Nature Conservancy, Feb 2022 – Present 

  • Customize workshops for remote and in person teams; lead scientists, conservationists, and policy to prioritize and decide program and project outcomes and design tests to run
  • Special projects designing and leading all-team workshops

UX Strategist (p/t contractor)
Federal agency via DecisionPoint, Nov 2022 – Sept 2023 

  • Lead governance and staff engagement process definition
  • Lead CX program and metrics kickoff

Product Manager (p/t contractor)
Lawyers Committee via Trestle, Feb 2023 – Present

  • Research, describe, write a PRD, and monitor the migration of an issue resolution system monitoring polling location and voting.

Experience Strategy Lead

Valley National Bank, April 2020 – May 2022

  • Launch and lead CX practice; roadmap, design and lead programs; measure outcomes; own OKRs and metrics 
  • Design, synthesize, apply and socialize CX/UX insights and research for cross-functional stakeholder decisions, leading to enhancements to online banking, mortgage management, and business loan experiences
  • Create design artifacts: service blueprints, journey maps, data visualization, archetypes, frameworks

Financial consulting, 2015-Ongoing

  • Founder and coach at RFFM, LLC
  • Strategic analysis and program design for co-ops, nonprofits, and businesses;
  • coach over 600 individuals, 100 couples, 75 businesses
  • research and write courses and RideFreeFearlessMoney.com, financial tools and tactics for millennials, 2015-present.
  • Financial workflow service redesign with Allied Media Project. Design/lead UX research, workshops, create content, 2018-2023.

Design Thinking Facilitator and Senior Design Strategist

ConsenSys, 2018 – 2020

  • As part of an internal innovation team within a remote-first VC firm, synthesized UX research, lead design workshops, revised services, to increase use of human-centered design practices
  • Partner with startups and client teams to develop emergent business strategy and custom design processes
  • Design thinking workshop with City of Dubai Smart Cities Office and a cross-functional engineering team, lead to roadmap finalization and sign-off on a contract 

Technology Consulting, 2018

  • NYC Stronger Communities Digital security curriculum editor and training facilitator; with Mozilla, NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Research Action Design, 2017-2018.

Director of Data & Technology

Participatory Budgeting Project, 2016-2018

Leading technology projects at the Participatory Budgeting Project allowed me to focus on using human-centered design to put civic technology into action in the most practical of ways: providing digital support to people deciding how to spend public money to address needs in their neighborhoods.

  • As lead on the Participation Lab, responsible for design and implementation of a portfolio of digital solutions to support U.S. municipal civic engagement around participatory budgeting (a process by which community members spend public money) for distributed staff and city stakeholders in New York City, Greensboro, Chicago, Oakland, Phoenix
  • Champion user-centered design and iterative methods: lead to a 150% funded NYC award-winning open data project
  • Research, define and measure success: Collect and analyze data and design metrics to develop reports and media
  • Supervise a team and manage budget across complex work areas to create strategic, equity-focused tech solutions

Technologist, UX Specialist, and Worker-Owner
Openflows, Inc [external link], 2013-2016

  • Technical lead and project manager on multi-phase client projects 
  • Programmed or customized PHP, SQL, HTML/CSS, taxonomies, .conf files for Drupal, CollectiveAccess, CiviCRM, WordPress projects.
  • Financial management of small business with $250,000 annual budget; Increased average billing by 10%.
  • Innovated and implemented workflow systems for time tracking, invoicing, and project management.
  • Client Projects:
    • Digital Collections at John Jay College, Digital Catalog, 2013 – 2014
    • Openflows company website, 2015: mobile-optimized WordPress site, full UX and site re-architecture, content writing, logo development [external link]
    • Warren Lasch Conservation Center,2014-2016: Data migration and research catalog architecture and development for an academic research lab
    • Union for Democratic Communications, 2014, 2016: UX, CRM & Database Imports and Integration, Webform & Payment, Communications for an academic conference
    • ArtSpan, 2014-2015: Data Mapping, Project Management for an arts organization
    • CRMs: Urban League of Rochester, Teachers Unite (+Member management database)
    • Isaac Walton League of America (Drupal site)

Talks, Workshops & Panels 

  • Control The Room Facilitator conference presentation, Austin TX 2022

  • Eth at the Edge, facilitated multi-stakeholder workshop, DevCon Osaka, 2019

  • From Publishing City Data to Solving Problems SXSW panel, Mar 2018

  • Hacking Capitalism: Divesting and Ethical Money workshop, multiple iterations 2017-18, incl. Allied Media Conference

  • “Tech Tools for Digital Engagement”, International Observatory on Participatory Democracy Conference, Montreal, Workshop, June 2017

  • “Open Minds & Open Data” Smart Cities, NYC, Panel, May 2017
  • “The Ethics of Algorithms” Ethical Tech, Thoughtworks NYC, Panel, December 2016
  • Metaphors for the Web, Meta/Hacking The Internet, University of Pennsylvania, December 3, 2015.
  • Open Source Digital Cataloging and Archiving, Eyebeam Center for Art and Technology, March & December 2014.
  • Disruptive Archiving, Radical Archives Conference, NYU, April 11, 2014.
  • Out of the Archives and Into the Libraries, Queer Internet Studies Conference, NYU, April 4, 2014.
  • Femme: Power, Vulnerability, and Revolution,, IVYQ 2013, Yale University, February 8, 2013.
  • Out of Networks & Into the Streets: Technology for Social Movement Groups, Allied Media Conference, July 2012.
  • Web Design for Social Movements, US Social Forum, June 2010.
  • Print Media for Social Movements: Developing $pread Magazine, Evergreen State College, February 2009.
  • DIY MFA: Self-education strategies, Art History Dept., University of Texas, Austin, January 2009.

My Technical, Comms & Print Design Past (That Got Me Here)

Digital Archive Consultant
Interference Archive, 2012-2014

  • Interference Archive digital catalog — Community political art archive
  • Technical co-lead in developing a digital image cataloging system using the OSS Collective Access.
  • Implement metadata standards; edit HTML and PHP; work within a Linux server, SQL database, and command-line; create wiki and how-to documentation. Project manage.

Director of Communications
Center for Collaborative Communication, 2011-2013

  • Center for Collaborative Communication
  • Developed web content, marketing, communications, event planning for Organizational Development firm.
  • Webmaster/analytics, editorial calendar, social media, created/delivered newsletter, web and print event PR; implemented rebranding using a style guide.
  • Developed database and strategy to increase community engagement; managed volunteers/interns.

Technologist, Web Developer, Graphic Designer, Marketing
Femmetech (self-employed), 2006-2015

  • Information architecture, marketing technology development
  • Develop, design and deliver professional branding, promotion strategy and design, and community engagement for arts, social, and cultural events and organizations including:
  • Build websites, blogs; utilizing social networking and SEO; create print materials; develop internal communication structures & archives
  • Led workshops: US Social Forum, Allied Media Conference, Women Action & the Media
Client Projects:

Personal Digital Design Projects

  • Heels on Wheels, Web & Print Design, Screenprints — WordPress site development, print design, book design for an arts troupe, 2010-2015 [external link]
  • The Fist is Still Raised — Research project on political art, 2012-2014
  • Media Director, Femme Conference  community conference, 2009-2012
  • Art Director, $pread Magazine 2006-2009  Designed, sourced images, and produced a glossy quarterly magazine using InDesign for 3 years
  • Department of Transformation community art organization, 2010-2011

Production Artist, Electronic Design & Prepress Department, McGraw-Hill, 2007-2009

Performance Award: Leadership, McGraw-Hill, 2008.

  • Produced highly detailed InDesign mechanicals and best practice guides for textbook production, using style guide and detailed templates.
  • On team tasked with retaining major client; contributed by leading a time-sensitive cataloging and repurposing of trade book covers.

Technical Skills

Proficient in creating and leading software, media and web projects: planning, deployment, design and production; web coding, programming and design; database architecture; documentation; print design; audio/video production; archiving/data management; marketing, PR, promotion; project management; organizational communications; data security. GLAM/data curator in digital archives. Managing teams and leading people.

Collaboration: Mural, Zoom, Google suite Data visualization: Tableau, Data Studio, AirTable, Awesome Table 

Development: Linux/Apache, WordPress, Drupal, PHP, HTML/CSS, specialty OSS applications

UX Methods: Design thinking, agile/scrum, lean; journey maps, user story maps, service blueprints; facilitating innovation and strategy workshops; generative and evaluative user research; test plans and prototyping; code and synthesize data

Software and technical skills: Shell/Terminal; MySQL; Python; Drupal; WordPress; HTML/CSS, PHP; Git, SVN; Collective Access, Omeka; Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Dreamweaver; GIMP; Microsoft Office; Final Cut, iMovie, Audacity; Google Docs, Basecamp; Wikis; CiviCRM; Social Media & Email tech.

Other Projects

Ride Free Fearless Money, 2015-2016: Financial self-determination workshops and coaching

QUILTBAG++, 2014-2015: LGBTQ Technology networking group

Producer & Curator, NYC / USA / Canada, 2004-2015

Curate, book, promote and coordinate logistics and volunteers for multi-person annual tour; financial management [fundraising, budget and payment]; coordinate venues, artists, tech; produce promotions [website, videos, press kits and handbills, press releases]; coordinate and archive documentation. Recent projects include:

  • 2010-2016: Co-director of an art troupe producing an annual national tour, monthly art salon, anthology; Curator, Opentoe Peepshow; Co-producer, Glitter Roadshow;
  • 2015, Co-editor Glitter & Grit Anthology, Lambda Literary Award Nominee
  • 2015, Curator, Spark to a Flame, Dixon Place

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