In 4th grade I checked out an issue of “American Girl” magazine for a DIY craft called “Pen Pals”, which involved wrapping and gluing colorful embroidery thread around a pen to create a doll. I fell in love with making them. I created them for my friends, each one looking and dressing like them. I invented a way to create curly hair, like mine. I added beads to braids, molded earmuffs with pipe cleaners, and designed mini fashion outfits. I stretched the craft beyond its predefined limits.I’ve always enjoyed being creative. Between my creativity and an unwavering commitment to excellence and achievement, I’ve had a rewarding 14 year career in design. I’ve worked in startups to large companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Martha Stewart. I’m currently directing the product design team and processes at Nelnet.I’m someone who is trusted by senior leadership and team members to connect dots, uncover paths, and motivate teams in delivering dramatically beautiful, clean design solutions. I’m also known for: 💡 Bringing insights that teams crave > Created a design process which resulted in 8x more user feedback being addressed.🔍 Not settling for surface level solutions > Facilitated a workshop uncovering causes of churn which was reduced by 20% over forecast.📈 Gaining momentum > Delivered an aggressive 2-year roadmap on budget and ahead of schedule. 💗 Leading like a human > Retained a design team and kept them growing and thriving during 4 company reorgs in 6 months.That last part—leading like a human— is the most important one. At some point, I realized my work and achievements began to shape my view of myself. This way of navigating life, associating my worth to achievements, came at cost. High quality therapy and mental healthcare have been life-changing. It helped me pursue the things that would actually help me be the best version of myself—reflection, connection, and curiosity—instead of overworking. Drawing upon my experience in leadership, design, and relationship-building, I want to cultivate an emotionally-connected world that celebrates discovering, encountering, and nurturing oneself. I want to create a future where doing the inner work to care for ourselves is accessible, comfortable, full of hope, sustainable, and stigma-free for all. Now, I’m not only an accomplished design leader, but I tune into my desires, interests, needs, and pleasures—reconnecting with that little girl who is creative and curious, simply for the joy of it. Currently, instead of creating “Pen Pals”, you can find me learning to play the guitar. 🎸
Listed skills include Typography, Layout, Graphic Design, Illustration, and 27 others.
