I have a deep passion and curiosity that lies at the intersection of the creative and the analytical, which I love to utilize to design experiences, products, and interactions that move our world forward. Here are a few events that have taken place as I have explored this intersection:
Music was my first creative love. At the age of 15, I dropped out of high school, signed with an indie label, and became a full-time touring musician with the death metal band I co-founded, Chelsea Grin, which went on to become an international success (as far as a death metal is concerned).
Realizing I didn’t want to spend my life playing death metal, I decided college was the next step. A few entrepreneurial endeavors ranging from band management and coffee roasting (and five years later), I graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Economics from the University of Utah.
Post college, I discovered the world of technology, and accepted a position with Qualtrics as a Sales Operations Analyst. While I loved the analytical side and being part of that rocket ship, I knew in my heart that I needed to be building things again. After months of researching, I discover UX Design and enroll in a bootcamp.
9 months later, I land my first design internship at Solutionreach where I quickly found my feet and moved from making small UI adjustments to owning design for four out of five major product lines, which included the launch of three new successful products in less than twelve months. I had found the balance of my passions.
In 2018, I moved from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. Starting the LA chapter of Product Hive, a meetup group focused on continuous learning within product management and product design, as well as working as a Product Designer at ChowNow.
In 2020, I expanded my responsibilities, joining Happy Returns as the first design hire, owning and establishing the UX design processes to help the company scale. In 2021, Happy Returns was acquired by PayPal.
Ah, what long road we've traveled together. But, the story is just getting started. Currently, you can find me designing at Castiron, reading a book, running, or learning a new skill (currently public speaking).
