zeroheight, remote from Oakland, California

I championed design systems and DesignOps by advising dozens of enterprise design teams, hosting virtual and in-person events, and creating content for the community. This role required managing multiple high-visibility projects simultaneously, fostering cross-functional collaboration, optimizing workflows, and leveraging strong writing and presentation skills to communicate complex concepts effectively across diverse audiences. Accomplishments include:

• Authored and maintained 75+ design system community resources (e.g., templates, courses, how-to guides, articles, and e-books).
• Led How We Document, an annual report on design systems, from survey design to data analysis of 300+ responses, report creation, and promotion (reaching 50K+ people). Leveraged insights to drive content strategy.
• Delivered 12+ talks at conferences worldwide on design systems and DesignOps. Events included DesignOps Summit, Design Matters, and Beyond Tellerrand.
• Co-hosted the Design Systems WTF and Design Systems: Beyond the Button podcasts with 2400 live subscribers and 1000+ monthly downloads.
• Featured in Design That Scales by Dan Mall, providing key insights on DesignOps.
• Leveraged AI and automation tools to optimize design system processes and internal company workflows.
• Organized and curated in-person meetups and conferences, including Converge US/UK (175-300 people).
• Collaborated with the Head of Marketing on quarterly content strategies to generate leads, drive demand, and support meaningful client engagements, contributing to sustainable business growth.
• Identified opportunities for the advocacy team to work with cross-functional teams and external parties.
• Managed designer and developer advocates and support their career growth.
• Served as the accessibility expert and guided strategies on improving accessibility with our product.

Citrix, Santa Clara, California

I established the DesignOps practice as a one-person team, driving strategic initiatives and managing holistic programs for a 60-person product design organization. This role required working with design leadership and other cross-functional stakeholders to define, prioritize, and manage work, breaking down high-level concepts into actionable plans, and leveraging feedback to iterate and scale processes. Accomplishments include:

• Led our company’s design system effort, managing a 16-person federated team, creating governance for 30+ products/endpoints, and crafting a strategy, which the CPTO praised.
• Established localization and accessibility learning and development programs, training 10+ mentors, creating courses for 60+ employees, and advocating for a foundational approach to craft more inclusive products.
• Created sustainable DesignOps processes and 24+ companion playbooks and roadshow presentations for hiring, onboarding, tooling evaluation and transitions, story pointing, working with design, and career growth.
• Collaborated on Citrix’s global compliance effort as an accessibility subject matter expert, translating complex technical requirements into clear, actionable guidance for diverse stakeholders.
• Fostered and maintained operational scalability, connection, culture, and cross-functional relationships.

Citrix, Santa Clara, California

I led strategic design initiatives and managed a team while driving user-centered, growth-focused solutions across the product development lifecycle. This role required cross-functional collaboration to scope and prioritize work, ownership of strategic planning and OKRs, and leveraging data-driven insights to inform design and business strategies. Accomplishments include:

• Drove strategic planning and OKR development for key growth projects, including an AI-powered chatbot, workflow builder, and cloud storage solutions.
• Led the creation of the Citrix Workspace design system, establishing a cross-functional governance process, and managing an 8-person federated team. Contributed to usage guidelines and accessibility solutions.
• Secured a strategic role for design in leadership discussions by enhancing the design team’s visibility within the SAFe framework, fostering trusted cross-functional relationships, and driving design-led product experiences.
• Managed a team of 5 designers while scaling the broader design org by hiring 7 designers and 2 managers; established the design org’s hiring process to ensure strong talent acquisition.
• Invented and patented (US11709591B2) “Flowchart-style diagramming tool to build automated workflows,” empowering non-technical users to create efficiencies.

Citrix, Raleigh, North Carolina

I drove high-profile, growth-focused innovations for ShareFile, collaborating cross-functionally to deliver user-centered solutions for 80K customers and 20M+ users. These roles required analyzing data to inform strategy, breaking down complex concepts for various stakeholders, and identifying the right user-centered methods to align with project scope and timelines. Accomplishments include:

• Led ShareFile growth innovations including a durable information architecture, medical images solution, and document approval workflows.
• Translated technical and enterprise requirements into simple, user-friendly designs for mobile apps, integrations, large-scale solutions, design systems, and innovations.
• Negotiated feature requirements to ensure frictionless user experiences that could easily scale from MVP to enterprise use. 
• Conducted multiple due diligence evaluations for company acquisitions, identifying risks and opportunities from a UX perspective.
• Served as the accessibility expert, interpreting WCAG guidelines, auditing, and partnering with engineers to deliver compliant, accessible solutions.
• Presented pitches and product demos at company-wide and executive meetings, translating complex concepts into compelling stories.
• Won 1st place at the 2018 Raleigh Tech Fair for Citrix Workspace Push Notifications.
• Led UX activities, including workshops, ideation, sketching, critiquing, and wireframing.
• The team won the “Best Effective In-House Design Team” 2014 Design for Experience Award.
  

Rock Creek Strategic Marketing (now U.Group), Chevy Chase, Maryland

I managed multiple projects simultaneously, guiding clients unfamiliar with UX and accessibility through methods and deliverables to achieve project goals. This role required explaining complex concepts to diverse stakeholders, negotiating scope amid changing deadlines, and delivering user-centered strategies for high-profile clients. Accomplishments include:

• Led and mentored teams on UX strategies and design solutions, while collaborating on multiple conference talks to share best practices.
• Identified and implemented UX activities throughout project lifecycles, including user interviews, card sorting, wireframes, usability testing, and a QA testing plan that improved responsive site experiences.
• Successfully scoped UX work for multi-million dollar bid proposals.
• Clients included the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Education Pioneers, EBSA, Export-Import Bank, and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.