After graduating from Pacific Lutheran University, I returned to my hometown in Portland OR and took an inauspicious position at a small software development company as a graphic designer. The work did not materialize as was expected and I caught a break by receiving a contract position at Nike. The time at Nike included working on sales catalogs and other marketing material. It was invaluable for sharpening my craft to the point that Cinco Design took a chance on me.

I spent the next 9 years learning everything I could from the collected talent at Cinco. I worked on retail graphics and teen advertising for Nike. I art directed countless photoshoots. I worked on brand launches for Microsoft, specializing in brand guidelines. Eventually, I found the work that hooked me completely: early mobile UX/UI projects for Dell and Adidas. When I had reached the point where I was no longer learning as much as providing guidance, I moved on to UX/UI consulting in the arts and humanities space for a number of years.

My work on a few key projects led me to a consistent group of people who would bring each other into projects and companies. The mobile app boom was on, and I worked at a number of small startups building 0 to 1 products on both the design and product management fronts. I returned to agency work to lead the design team at the product development consultancy DockYard. I was integral to their success pitching work and then delivering the resulting work. All the while I recruited and fostered a tight-knit design team. A series of leadership changes led to my departure, and I sought out a company that was doing real good in the world.

Dexcom is a rising star in medtech, and I was hired to help them rediscover how to innovate effectively on nascent ideas. I was part of a groundbreaking tiger team who sought out ways to work around the ossified structures of Dexcom and deliver real skip-generation features. That work was highly rewarding and successful, but large organizations push back on change in interesting ways. A series of re-orgs positioned me as a lead IC on the Stelo product to help it gain product-market fit.

What comes next is ready to be written.