About
My journey into technology began at the age of 12 when I discovered computers, sparking a lifelong passion. Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I was surrounded by a community that valued hard work and resilience, yet was slow to embrace the digital revolution. This environment fueled my curiosity and led me to pursue a degree in Art and Art History with a focus on Graphic Design at the University of Iowa. Balancing my studies along with playing Division I football, taught me valuable lessons in leadership, discipline, and teamwork, which I later applied to leading creative teams.
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned companies like DefJam and co-founded a web-based music streaming startup. My entrepreneurial spirit eventually led me to Chicago, where I joined Base CRM, a startup that was later acquired by Zendesk. This transition allowed me to refine my skills in product design, effectively blending creativity with business-driven results in the enterprise sales sector.
For the past seven years, I was part of LinkedIn, where I led design initiatives with the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions team. In that role, I helped companies engage with over 1 billion members worldwide.
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I believe the quality of a team's output is a direct reflection of the organization’s culture. To create meaningful, high-impact work, it's essential that values, actions, and work ethic are aligned. This belief was foundational as I built and led a design team that grew from 6 to 26 people. Our team became a critical partner in shaping both the product roadmap and business strategy. Over five years, we supported the business as it scaled from $500 million to more than $5 billion in revenue—driving increased adoption by evolving the experience from a sales-led model to a self-service platform that served both SMBs and enterprise customers.
In 2020, I launched the "Technically Speaking" podcast, a platform dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in design, business, and technology. Known for my mentorship and thought leadership, I frequently speak at global conferences such as Figma Config, Smashing, and ConveyUX.
Right now, I’m taking a professional break to travel the world, connect with the global design community, and explore what creativity looks like outside my usual context. I’m using this time to learn new skills, dive into new hobbies, and—most importantly—rest. It’s a chance to recharge, gain fresh perspectives, and prepare for whatever’s next.
If you're interested in collaborating, mentoring, or just want to connect, feel free to reach out.