Ephie Risho Email & Phone Number

As Director of UX for Commercial Lines and Extended Solutions at Applied Systems, I lead a team focused on innovating cutting-edge enterprise SaaS within the insurance industry. As a part of the Epic offering, the Indio system digitizes the entire insurance process and removes redundancies, improving efficiency by halving time to complete onboarding and other processes. Tamika is an instant quote system for agents. CSR24 and Mobile apps are leveraged by millions of users. And Ivans is an entire business unit of the company that serves carriers and agents alike.

Author of a young-adult fantasy novel series I co-wrote with my daughter Celia, called The Elementalists. Book 1, Phoenix Rising, was published May 2020. Book 2, Crodor the Ancient, was published May 2021. Book 3, Secret of the Kraken, was published in August of 2022. Book 4, The Twelfth Scepter, was published December 2023. https://theelementalists.netA new book is in the works, urban fantasy, a modern-day story of intrigue and adventure.

Bozeman, Montana, United States

Brought an idea to life solving a real world need for Montana's water systems. The current permit process for building on MT waterways is done using paper, making it laborious, inaccurate, uninformed, and it doesn't lead to new insights based on historical and current work being done. The new Gilly.org software platform is designed to streamline the process, while also providing a tool for analyzing past work to make informed decisions.This has been an ongoing part-time contract role where I have overseen the entire experience design from start to finish. Currently, I am directing the design, product management, and development of the software suite with a team of thirteen people, including industry experts and technical workers.We've soft-launched the software suite in the spring of 2022, and have strategic plans to grow in the short term to all of Montana, and after that the entire country.

Bozeman, Montana, United States

As Head of UX my role was to lead a team of designers and researchers in delivering top quality experiences for over 100,000 businesses around the world. Schedulicity is an all-in-one platform to help manage business and life. Core capabilities include scheduling (obviously), class management, marketing (emails), and payments. We are actively growing our payment services with NORM, and will continue to scale in the coming years in both technology and growing our target market.Top accomplishments to date:• Design system: we went from nothing to a powerful platform to aid designers and developers to move much more quickly, while also improving mounds of UX debt.• Bugs & UX debt: built buy-in from all stakeholders for a strategy and action plan, culminating in a bug bash where 117 of 129 bugs & UX debt items were squashed.• UX research: built from the ground-up a research department and plan, including regular customer calls, robust dashboards, and strategic lean metrics to replace vanity metrics.• Outcome Vs. output roadmap: through a significant effort, built a culture that changed from outputs & features to focusing on business and product outcomes, allowing for more agile, lean and innovative solutions.• Leveling up system: empowered the UX team to address their current strengths and weaknesses, and have a clear path for growing in the skills and careers.• Hired and managed a team: under my leadership, the UX department quickly became the most cohesive, fun, and productive in the company.

User Experience leader at a Denver-based consulting company that focuses on solving difficult technical and UX challenges for Fortune-1000 companies. Built up a UX department and took on the lead UX architect role for every project with front-end needs. Developed a formalized UX process, a leveling up system, and hired and managed the team. Received the highest feedback ratings from any active client.• Grew the UX department (including contractors) through hiring of staff and contractors. Developed a leveling-up system for clear paths to growth and mentored the individuals to reach their best.• Rearchitected software to properly match customers’ needs, including removing or changing features, and redesigning app infrastructure for better workflows.• Initiated customer calls and drove discovery for teams who had never done it before. Led ideation sessions and lowered the risk of the biggest assumptions.• Created top notch designs and prototype deliverables for developers to build a speedy product.

Bozeman, Mt

Played a key role in the three major software solution launches which contributed significantly to the growth of a global SaaS company, providing cloud-based reporting across finance, accounting, risk, and compliance. As a lead UX designer, drove product launches that solved tangible needs and increased deal sizes considerably. • Initiated discovery through customer calls, competitive research, and team ideation. Tested a wide range of ideas and designed simple and elegant solutions for complex problems. Worked closely with developers to ensure successful release of designs to production that were viable, desirable, and effective at solving the user needs.• Designed easy-to-learn interfaces for users to accomplish their goals, which were driven by complex databases and technology. Took on visualizing data for many complex facets of risk management. Tackled data mapping, data permissions, report building, turning unstructured data into structured data, and testing integration. Created a drag-and-drop interface for querying databases and running flows from multiple data sources into one place to send out to many different needs (spreadsheets, charts, tables).• Collaborated with six different teams of developers around the country initiating new designs and supporting current development. Cross-collaborated with other teams within the company to grow the software as a whole beyond what our team was building. • Earned two patents for original ideas, and others are currently being considered for patents. • Besides complex data-driven needs, took the lead for simple interfaces, including the Viewer and Mobile experiences. • As of mid-2018 became a manager of other UX designers while also maintaining a lead role on the UX oversight and design of solution-specific software suites.

Missoula, Montana Area

Started and directed a creative company focused on UX consulting, web development, videography, writing, branding, and graphic design. View some examples of work and clients at exit360creative.com. • Started company from scratch, managing clients in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Asia. Clients ranged in a variety of fields, including industrial manufacturing and reselling, cyber-security, medical, academic journals, military, consumer goods, farming organizations, restaurants, plumbers, artists, environmental, non-profits, and festivals. • Hired and managed staff and subcontractors. Collaborated with other web development and graphics professionals on larger projects.

Missoula, Montana, United States

Collaborated with other founders on five startups, two of which went through to launch: • iDecoLamp. Designed graphics, UI and UX, website, marketing, videography, marketing, and collaborating on business decisions. Worked with two partners in developing a physical iPhone product and app. The iDecoLamp is a charging station lampshade, where you set up your phone app with a visual effect (e.g. lava lamp, snowflake, flame, etc.), and then, while it’s charging it can provide delightful ambience. Released unsuccessfully via Kickstarter in August, 2013. Learned important lessons about Agile development.• Foundation Plans LLC. Web development, graphic design, market research, UX, conversion optimization, operations & management. Worked with one partner on an online shopping cart for engineer-stamped drawings for manufactured home foundations. Order system was done entirely online, and sent to a local engineering firm for fulfillment. Launched at the end of November, 2013. Learned about Lean principles – after hiring a researcher, we decided the market wasn’t large enough for us to pursue it further.

Missoula, Montana

Founded and ran a startup offshoot as the US business arm of a Canadian industrial fiberglass sales company. Took the business from an idea to a full-fledged company and successful income stream for the business owners.• Created National Grating brand, concept, name, logo, literature, business plan and website. Presented them at board meetings and used them for sales efforts, propelling the company forward. • Operations: Researched and set up freight company options and general needs for business to function. • Managed sales inquiries, negotiated pricing from manufacturers in China, and liaised with other staff regarding shipping, sales, importing/exporting, and administration.

North Vancouver, Bc

Wore two hats for industrial sales and manufacturing company. As product owner, oversaw and turned around a failing product into a huge success. As director of marketing, oversaw and improved the entire company’s marketing department efforts. Made a far greater difference to the company’s profits than any of the salesmen.PRODUCT OWNER • Developed a product line, SIRCO Samplers, from its failing status. Did competitive research, fleshed out its benefits, wrote and designed new literature, reworked technical documents, plotted a new course for the product line, and designed a website that brought in thousands more visitors. • As a result of increased marketing and web presence, sales calls, trade shows, pitching bids, and increasing the network of outside sales, sales grew 62% in the first year, and an increase in new inquiries grew ten-fold. • Two years in, created presentations for SIRCO and pitched them to another company, who decided to purchase the entire product line, making a significant profit for the owners. DIRECTOR OF MARKETING• Advanced the company’s corporate identity, including conceptualization meetings, creating a new name and image, website, and company tag-line. • Managed the marketing department, including responsibility for other staff, administration, and spear-heading targeted campaigns. • Developed websites for the company and multiple product lines, researched competition, and grew other arms of the business significantly. • Graphic design and photography, including creation of trade-show booths, marketing and literature materials. Led brain-storming sessions with staff for creative ideas.

Vancouver, Bc

• Founded and built from the ground-up a graphic design and visioning company, including initial business plan, brand, website, management, operations, human resources, sales, marketing, and production.• Produced first-rate designs, including web design, branding, literature, material design, kiosks, and multi-media presentations.• Hired and managed sub-contractors to carry out technical and creative tasks.• Executed sales through networking and meeting with clients to assess their needs and potential.• Wrote business plans for clients, including market research, revenue models, and competition.

Vancouver, Canada Area

Assistant to producers, editor, and writer on a feature film for one year doing film editing, stockresearch, graphic design, multi-media presentations, music research, film assembly and writing.

Vancouver, Canada Area

• Redesigned foundational company identity and materials including logo, name of company,product placement, and web pages.• Marketed and re-branded a failing product line, including renaming, branding, logo, website, photographs, multi-media presentations and literature.• Initiated and managed marketing campaigns, including concept development, design, printing, executing mailings and follow-ups.• Researched potential markets and improved customer database systems and approach.• Supervised and managed department staff.

Mdiv

Ba, Geography, Art

Ba, Geografia