I've spent my career building and leading extraordinary User Experience Design and more recently, UX Research teams. My user-centered design and research practice combines my interest in technology, a dedication to building products that people love, a passion for people-managing, and the promotion of cross-discipline collaboration. I have empathy for my team, our internal partners and our customers. Setting people up for success is one of my superpowers and it’s something that I love to do. As a prominent voice in UX, I've helped improve user experiences for companies including Adobe, Yahoo!, and Chegg, Inc., an Ed Tech brand beloved by college students. I've helped research, strategize, design and launch countless consumer products and experiences. I thoughtfully balance the needs of the business with the needs of the customer, creating products that customers love and that also meet the needs of the business. I have a knack for hiring outstanding candidates and guiding them toward becoming extraordinary contributors to the business and company culture. I lead with vision, transparency, and compassion, creating happy and healthy teams. I bring out the best in people by playing to their individual strengths. During my decade at Chegg, I was instrumental in building the User Experience discipline and team culture, and I built the UX Research facet of the organization from scratch. My work included: writing job descriptions and acting as a primary hiring manager, creating career ladders for UX roles, establishing working approaches (aka 'Rules of Engagement') and philosophies for Chegg's User Experience team and educating the entire company about the importance of User Experience, including how it impacts the success of the business. My Areas of Expertise Include: Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, product design, brainstorming, team building, leadership, mentorship, public speaking. More About Me: • Humor - Research has shown that people retain content better when it’s presented with humor. When possible and appropriate, I've included humor in my work. • Music - I love live music and the live music experience, and have worked for LiveNation for several years as the Media Coordinator at Shoreline Amphitheatre. • Go Green! - I'm a proud second-generation Michigan State University alum currently seated on the Alumni Board of Directors for the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. My role has allowed me to mentor students in MSU's User Experience Graduate program and to grow alumni engagement in ComArtSci.