I started learning design at 2 years old on my father’s letterpress (not kidding, I have photos) and haven’t stopped since.

I have over 20 years of experience creating the strategy, concepting, and design for award-winning integrated global advertising campaigns, building multiple global Fortune 500 brands, and innovative digital experiences. As a leader, I have 15+ years of experience creating multiple agency and client-side purpose-driven, idea-led, world-class teams with cultures that foster innovation and leadership.

MAY 2022 – PRESENT

Founder, CRZY strategy, design, and inspiration studio

I wanted a company that focuses on creativity, partnership, honesty, community, and working with the greatest creative minds I know from all over the world. We use a holistic approach that drives your long-term vision and near-term business impact by combining strategy, design, and people development. We bring real experience and hands-on skills from working for the world’s biggest brands and with the most innovative companies. We custom-build remote teams, processes, and engagements for your needs. We will be your partner and honest with you even when we have to discuss hard truths. We give back to the design community through our podcast, female and minority founder mentoring, and free weekly mentoring.

FEB 2021 – MAY 2022

SVP, Omni-channel product design, WW

I lead WW’s product design, omnichannel experience insights, product research, service design, and applied behavioral science teams. We work at the heart of our Member experiences across all digital, virtual, and physical touchpoints, designing an unbeatable Wellness Experience that recruits new members while retaining existing members. Our work is created in deep partnership with our Product, Tech, Clinical Science, and Brand partners to ensure our members are successful in their pursuit of behavioral change to achieve weight loss and wellness, across all of our membership plans, whether delivered digitally, virtually, or physically.

MAR 2019 – FEB 2021

Head of Design Transformation and Evangelism, InVision

I work hand-in-hand with InVision’s Enterprise clients to weave together the best methodologies, processes, information, and tools into a comprehensive strategy that elevates the business impact of design creates cultural change and builds stronger leadership at companies including Google, Amazon, The Home Depot, Bank of America, Facebook, Rolls Royce, American Express, Frog Design, EY Partners, and many more.

Before leading design evangelism, I founded and led the Design Transformation team that works hand-in-hand with InVision’s Enterprise clients to weave together the best methodologies, processes, information, and tools that are available to design teams into a comprehensive strategy that elevates the business impact of design within every company.

In addition, I was the lead author of InVision’s Quarterly Design Trend reports, which looks at the latest global trends in creativity, leadership, culture, and design. I was a contributing author of the InVision groundbreaking Design Maturity Model, New Design Frontier report, and created InVision’s Thought Leader in Residence program, which is a think tank that focused on new design through leadership through 6-month residencies with the world’s best design leaders.

SELECT PRESS:

– Building Brands That People Love to Hate (Communication Arts)
– The New Design Frontier design maturity report
– A delightful insight on Intuit design team workflow, InVision Design Genome Project (Abduzeedo.com)

SEPT 2015 – APRIL 2018

SVP, Global Head of Design, Citi

Led and helped to create Citi Design which is a team made up of multiple in-house design studios and external agencies creating global experiences in digital, branding, and advertising for Citi FinTech, the Citi Innovation Labs, and the Citi Global Consumer Bank. A few of the team’s projects have included the on-going re-design of Citi.com, re-designing the Citi mobile app, updating the Citi brand, creating a new digital design language used across all Citi digital experiences, and working with IDEO to create a unique version of Design Thinking with agile methods just for Citi.

I was one of the 40 founding members of Citi FinTech which is a small start-up inside of the Global Consumer Bank dedicated to creating mobile-first solutions to a variety of problems and working as the tip of the spear to change the way the company thinks and operates. The Citi innovation labs work to design and prototype new ideas and emerging technologies from a variety of external partners. The team also works on all aspects of the global consumer bank to create a unified design and creative vision across the entire consumer bank.

SELECT PRESS:

– ‘Design is a competitive advantage’: How three banks are integrating design into the customer experience (Digiday)
– Here’s How Citigroup Is Embracing the ‘Fintech’ Revolution (Fortune)
– World’s best digital bank 2017: Citi (Euromoney)

SEPT 2006 – JUNE 2015

VP, Global Brand Design and Innovation, Starwood Hotels, and Resorts

I led the digital design, content, and film & video teams for Starwood Global Brand Design for their 12 brands as well as leading all design for the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program. Over the course of my time at Starwood, I transformed these teams from production-focused service organizations into world-class creative teams who were responsible for some of the biggest recent digital innovations in the hospitality industry. I did it by establishing all new standards and culture that drove innovation and built the trust with our clients and the C suite that allowed those innovations to launch to consumers.

Notable innovation included Aloft in SecondLife, the state aware design of the SPG smartphone and iPad apps, SPG Mobile Check-in, and SPG Keyless Entry for iPhone and Apple Watch. Apple featured this work in 8 keynotes, 4 TV commercials, on Apple.com, in Apple Store, in the Human Interface Guidelines, and more.

SELECT PRESS:

– Starwood dominates L2’s hotel digital index (Luxury Daily)
– A look inside Starwood’s StarLab Brand Innovation Studio (YouTube)
– Smartphones replace room keys at select Starwood hotels (USA Today)

PAST ROLES

I’ve also worked as a Creative Director for McCann Erickson, 3D animator, junior letterpress operator, and more

Before Starwood, I worked as the Digital Creative Director at Temerlin McClain (part of McCann Worldgroup ) where I led work rebuilding the American Airlines brand after the attacks of September 11th as well as creating integrated global advertising for Subaru, Nationwide Insurance, Verizon, Cathay Pacific, ExxonMobil and more. I was literally born into design and advertising with a father who was a creative director and a mother who was an artist. I learned typography on a cast-iron letterpress in the basement of our house and I’ve been working as a designer since I was 13. I cut rubylith, studied Computer Graphics at Syracuse, worked as a 3D animator, and then blended all of those skills into my digital work.

AWARDS AND HONORS

My work starts with customer-centered processes and has finished with 150+ major awards.

Including Cannes Cyber Lions, Webby Awards, Web Awards, and others. My work has also been recognized with other honors including Apple featuring my work in 8 keynotes, 4 commercials, in Apple Stores, on Apple.com the iTunes Store, and in the Human Interface Guidelines.

SEE ALL AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

I’ve taught at, designed alongside, and learned from some of the world’s most innovative companies.

I work to find real sociological insights, understand consumer needs, and create concepts that use technology to influence consumers, drive revenue, and meet business goals. It is the heart of all of my work which is why it can blend world-class design with experiences that get results. As a result of this work, I have been asked to work as a partner with brands like Apple, Google, IBM, 53, Adobe, and others to create some of the first experiences on their platforms and products. In my role as Head of Design Transformation with InVision, I bring my experience and insights into the world’s best companies to help them elevate the impact of design and empower their design teams.

IN THE PRESS

My work has helped change industries and resulted in coverage from 300+ international press outlets.

Projects my teams have produced have been featured across top-tier national, tech, travel, and broadcast press. Notable coverage has included The New York Times (print and online), CNN, WIRED, Fast Company, USA Today, CNBC, China Daily, The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, MacWorld, TODAY show, Re/Code, Financial Times, and many others.

Recent professional press highlights

• TIME – Tim Cook Just Revealed More Apple Watch Secrets – read the article
• Engadget – Apple Watch will unlock your hotel room door – read the article
• Fast Company – Starwood’s App Driven vision for the hotel of the future – read the article
• Engadget – Starwood’s app for Google Glass will let you search and book hotels – read the article
• Wall Street Journal – The new hotel key: Your smartphone – read the article
• USA Today – Smartphones to replace room keys at select Starwood Hotels – read the article
• Luxury Daily –Starwood dominates L2′s hotel digital index – read the article 

Recent personal press highlights

• HOW Magazine – HOW 100 – read the article
• New York Times – For Some, iPad Pro Can’t Match PC Strengths – read the article
• Fast Company – Your Next Innovative Idea Could Be A Restaurant Visit Away – read the article
• Mashable.com – The Workspaces Of Men Who Are On Their Game – read the article
• MacWorld – How developers are making apps for an Apple Watch they haven’t seen yet – read the article
• Resource Magazine – Starwood VP Stephen Gates Reveals His Secrets – read the article
• The Next Big Design – The Bad Boys of Design – read the article
• Adobe success story – Engaging travelers near and far – read the article  |  watch the video

TEACHING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING

It’s been a long and interesting journey from paralyzing stage freight to a sought-after international keynote speaker.

I’ve spoken at events ranging from sessions for companies like IDEO, Apple, Google, and GE; to large international keynotes at SXSW, HOW Design Live, and the Fifteen Seconds Festival alongside speakers like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Nest founder Tony Faddel, Martha Stewart, Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, John Maeda and more. My talks are consistently scored by attendees as one of the best at every event because they give honest and actionable takeaways the audience can immediately implement.

I’m the only speaker named an Adobe MAX Master speaker as one of the top 20 speakers at the conference for 4 consecutive years with those sessions receiving an average score of 4.9 out of 5 from over 8,000 attendees. I’ve been a guest lecturer at Yale, Princeton, MIT International Design Center, School of Visual Arts, and Parsons. As well as an IDEO trained Design Thinking teacher and Lynda.com instructor.

This is a sampling of some of the international keynotes I have given at major conferences and events over the past few years. You can see more of my talks and interviews on The Crazy One YouTube channel.