CREATIVE DIRECTOR / September, 2007 — June, 2011

I was part of the team who started the Quest To Learn school which was featured on the cover of the New York Times Magazine and was covered in a PBS Frontline documentary. Responsibilities + As a Creative Director I spearheaded the game design team as we delivered games and curriculum for all middle school grades. + Worked with teachers on a daily basis to co-develop playful curriculum. + Used game mechanics and concepts to design and implement the learning experiences. + Facilitated and designed teacher training. + Spearheaded the design of an in school social network + Kickstarted a high school internship program. + Designed levels for Gamestar Mechanic.

PRODUCT LEAD / April, 2012 — September, 2014

Wrangled an interdisciplinary team of software engineers, UI designers, project managers and partnership managers to deliver web apps and interfaces. Applied knowledge and experience as a game designer to create delightful, engaging and playful products. Responsibilities +Managed a team of 6 to deliver prototypes and products +Drove decisions, tracked issues, and assisted in estimating resource needs and schedules. +Designed UX wireframes and user journeys for multiple products from web apps to mobile interfaces. +Gathered deliverables into presentations and created prototypes to communicate concepts. +Facilitated and led multiple team brainstorms to come up with product concepts. +Organized community workshops and open sessions at the Mozilla festival +Kickstarted and curated the very popular Games track at the Mozilla festival +Started the Hackable Games Lab, a community that creates games that like the web itself are hackable by design.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY & CONTENT, PRODUCT DESIGN STRATEGIST / September, 2014 — February, 2018

Invention Clubs in 60 countries, online educator training programs, and monthly design challenges. Transitioning to Product Design Strategist, I drove the development of award-winning STEM toys, including Disney-licensed kits like Star Wars and Iron Man, which earned the prestigious Creative Toy of the Year (TOTY) award and became classroom staples for thousands of educators and children. Key contributions include: Leading co-design and participatory design approaches for product innovation. Developing user personas, journeys, and prototypes to enhance engagement. Driving market research and strategy for licensing collaborations with Disney. Integrating gamified systems (badges, scores, leaderboards) into products. Establishing a user advisory council for co-design and product testing. Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to deliver award-winning products.

MANAGING DIRECTOR & FOUNDER / February, 2018 — December, 2024

At Humans Who Play, we combine the power of design research, behavioral science, and play to create meaningful, impactful solutions for global challenges. We've partnered with leading organizations like the LEGO Foundation, IREX, Girls Who Code, and The World Bank to design programs and products that inspire learning, equity, and innovation. To date, our work has reached over 500,000 teachers, parents, and students worldwide.

OWNER & DESIGNER / October, 2021 — Present

Follies are the TOTY finalist, award-winning, design forward toys inspired by art and architecture. At Follies, we are on a mission to unleash big-sized creativity for bright little minds. As seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Forbes, Domino Magazine, The Strategist, Architectural Digest, Goop, Business Insider and others.