DESIGN LEADERSHIP WITH HEART, MIND, AND OPTIMISM

For nearly 30 years, I have created successful relationships through design. It brings me joy to connect people with opportunity, and to build community.

Currently, I’m the Chair of the Master of Interaction Design program at California College of the Arts. I’m also Founder & CEO of PeopleWork, a coaching and recruiting practice. It’s rewarding to help leaders — seasoned or emerging — find their next role, or optimize their existing one.

I’ve conducted workshops and given talks globally, and I jump at the opportunity to create a learning environment — and also, to learn.

Previously, I was a Recruiter for Bunsen Studio, Head of Design at MeetingPulse, and I have maintained a DesignOps consultancy for years, serving clients such as NYU, Salesforce, and Blend. I continue to advise and coach founders on their product, brand, and marketing, and have done so inside Sequoia Design Lab. I served as Twitter’s first hire in design operations. Well before that, in 1997, I founded Schwadesign, a lean, holocratic design business, leading and curating diverse teams for nearly 20 years. Together, our work was recognized by The Wall Street Journal, rebrand.com, The Boston Globe, and more.

My clients have included startups (iRobot, Buildium, Trinity Pharma), educational institutions (MIT, Harvard Medical School, Brown University), global enterprise (UBS, Wells Fargo, Accenture), cities (Providence, RI, and Bethesda, MD), non-profits (American Heart Association, Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), and many more.

I am preternaturally curious about patterns in decision making and the shapes of teams. On the daily, I am driven by great pairings, trusting relationships, harmonious intersectionality, and long bike rides.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

Photo by Nick Bruno