CV 2026
Current professional work
Founder & CEO, PeopleWork Partners, Inc. January 2023–Present. See Advisory for details.
Director of Career Services, UC Berkeley MDes Program October 2026—Present.
Previous professional commitments
- Chair, Master of Interaction Design Program, California College of the Arts. 2020–2024.
- Design Recruiter, Bunsen. 2022–2023.
- Head of Design (Fractional), MeetingPulse. 2019–2022.
- Founder & CEO, Startnership, Inc. 2013–2022.
- Design Consultant, Sequoia Capital. 2018.
- Founder, Design Operations, Twitter. 2016–2018.
- IBM Cloud Garage, Founding Designer. 2015–2016.
- Schwadesign, Founder & CEO. 1997–2017.
Community building
- AIGA, the professional association for design, 1994–present
- StartOut, empowering LGBT entrepreneurs, 2013–2020
- Betaspring, Mentor, 2008–2010
- ReBrand, Jury Coordinator, 2004–2007
Teaching
- CCA (SF)
- General Assembly (SF)
- CreativeLive (SF)
- College of Art and Design, Lesley University (Boston)
- Rhode Island School of Design (Providence)
- Massachusetts College of Art (Boston)
Presentations, panels & jurying
- 2000–2026 Guest lectures and final portfolio crits at RISD, UCLA Extension, California College of the Arts, Academy of Art SF, University of San Francisco, Lesley College of Art & Design, MassArt, University of Connecticut at Storrs, New England Art Institute, Johnson & Wales, Rutgers University, Roger Williams University
- 2026 Presenter, AIGA Practical Institute for Creative Studies
- 2025 Presenter, AIGA National Conference
- 2024 Juror, PRINT Magazine, IX/UX, Motion Graphics & Video, Data Viz/IxD categories
- 2019 Juror, Adobe Creative Live Jam
- 2010 Presenter, Connecticut Art Director’s Club, ReBrand Case Studies, New Haven, CT
- 2010 Presenter, UConn Storrs, New Haven, CT
- 2009 Panelist, RISD/Careers/Build
- 2009 Juror, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Design Innovation Grant
- 2009 Presenter, AIGA, Make/Think National Design Conference, Memphis TN (invited)
- 2009 Panelist, RI Economic Development Corporation, “Consulting in the Downturn”
- 2009 Panelist, Brown University Forum for Enterprise talk, “Unique Paths to Success”
- 2009 Juror, Connecticut Art Director’s Club 34th Annual Awards Show
- 2008 Juror, AIGA Charlotte’s Boom! Regional Design Show
Press and awards
- 2025 The Design Talent Crisis article series by Roger Wong, cited in parts one, two, and three
- 2024 Recognized by the Don Norman Design Award in Humanity Centered Design for the CCA MDes program
- 2019–03 “Design in Tech report 2019,” cited
- 2018–12 “Embracing open design in 2019,” UX Collective, contributor and reviewer
- 2017–12 “18 designers predict UI/UX trends for 2018,” Figma blog, contributor
- 2017–05 “How San Francisco is Redefining Design,” Print Magazine
- 2014 Featured in “Gays and the Tech Industry,” Forbes
- 2014 Featured in “The First-Ever Meet-Up of Gay Designtrepreneurs,” ReCode
- 2013 ReBrand 100 Merit Award – Trinity Pharma rebrand
- 2010 ReBrand 100 Merit Award – Providence the Creative Capital rebrand
- 2010 ReBrand 100 Notable Award – Highlander Charter School rebrand
- 2007 Print Magazine Regional Design Annual – Peter Roux identity
- 2007 ReBrand 100 Notable Award – Harvard Systems Biology PhD Program rebrand
- 2007 Featured in “Extreme Makeover,” The Wall Street Journal
- 2007 Featured in “A Clearinghouse for Design Talent,” Providence Business News
- 2006 Featured in “Going Up,” The Boston Globe
- 2006 ReBrand 100 Distinction Award – 360 NeuroMuscular Therapy rebrand
- 2005 ReBrand 100 Merit Award – Well Well Well, Inc. rebrand
- 2005 Profiled in Inspirability: 40 Top Designers Speak Out About What Inspires
- 2005 Bookbuilders of Boston Best in Category – Great Chefs Cooking for Great Friends
- 2004 Best of Business Card Design 6, Rockport Publishers – Schwadesign identity
- 2003 What Teams Can Do, Stora Enso – BU Center for International Health brochure
- 2001 Best of New England Show, AIGA Boston – Thompson Design Group rebrand
- 1994 Advertising Women of New York [AWNY]
Education
- 2011 — Yale School of Management, Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders
- 1994 — Ithaca College, B.A. Media Studies, English minor