Experience

University of Oregon Graduate School

• United States
• Higher Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Adjunct Professor - Design Thinking

  • Nov 2022 - Present

  Adjunct Professor teaching Design Thinking for the Master's Program in Sports Product Management Adjunct Professor teaching Design Thinking for the Master's Program in Sports Product Management



Experience Innovation

• Portland, Oregon Area

• Chief Strategist + Discovery Coach

  • Jun 2018 - Present

  Partnering with organizations + product teams that want to spark innovation and transform customer + employee experiences. Kara guides teams on their journey to adopt design thinking + user-centered best practices to create products + services that make a difference. Collaborating with: • Leaders who are driving digital transformation • Product dev teams pursuing Lean UX integration • Design teams needing UX leadership • Organizations seeking culture change to create a… Show more Partnering with organizations + product teams that want to spark innovation and transform customer + employee experiences. Kara guides teams on their journey to adopt design thinking + user-centered best practices to create products + services that make a difference. Collaborating with: • Leaders who are driving digital transformation • Product dev teams pursuing Lean UX integration • Design teams needing UX leadership • Organizations seeking culture change to create a customer-centric company • Innovation Labs desiring more effective methods for human-centered innovation Providing coaching and execution to enable best-in-class human-centered innovation including Design Research, Design Thinking training, Service Design, Customer Journey Mapping, Participatory Design, Lean UX and Design Sprints. Show less Partnering with organizations + product teams that want to spark innovation and transform customer + employee experiences. Kara guides teams on their journey to adopt design thinking + user-centered best practices to create products + services that make a difference. Collaborating with: • Leaders who are driving digital transformation • Product dev teams pursuing Lean UX integration • Design teams needing UX leadership • Organizations seeking culture change to create a… Show more Partnering with organizations + product teams that want to spark innovation and transform customer + employee experiences. Kara guides teams on their journey to adopt design thinking + user-centered best practices to create products + services that make a difference. Collaborating with: • Leaders who are driving digital transformation • Product dev teams pursuing Lean UX integration • Design teams needing UX leadership • Organizations seeking culture change to create a customer-centric company • Innovation Labs desiring more effective methods for human-centered innovation Providing coaching and execution to enable best-in-class human-centered innovation including Design Research, Design Thinking training, Service Design, Customer Journey Mapping, Participatory Design, Lean UX and Design Sprints. Show less



GE HealthCare

• United States
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Principal UX Design Strategist

  • Aug 2013 - May 2018

  Intrapreneur with a mission to foster a culture of innovation and design thinking. Empowering product teams to improve and save lives through user-centered design. • Stand-out facilitator of high-profile c-level customer design thinking innovation sessions. Outcomes included the formation of multiple business partnership pilot projects. • FastWorks Innovation Coach who trained and mentored a diversity of international GEHC product teams, including Artificial Intelligence for Imaging… Show more Intrapreneur with a mission to foster a culture of innovation and design thinking. Empowering product teams to improve and save lives through user-centered design. • Stand-out facilitator of high-profile c-level customer design thinking innovation sessions. Outcomes included the formation of multiple business partnership pilot projects. • FastWorks Innovation Coach who trained and mentored a diversity of international GEHC product teams, including Artificial Intelligence for Imaging, Women’s Health Ultrasound, Life Sciences, Cardiovascular IT. • Effective advocacy and cross-discipline collaboration with Product Management, Marketing and Engineering executive leadership resulting in lasting user-centered impact to GE Healthcare product development processes. • Led cross-functional effort to define the GE Healthcare Design & User Experience practice (process, best practices) and educated across for GE Healthcare, driving toward consistent and contiguous UX product experiences. • Led education initiative to build community and grow user experience design & research capability globally. eg. Facilitated 30% growth of UX staffing in one GEHC product segment and led monthly UX educational speaker series. Show less Intrapreneur with a mission to foster a culture of innovation and design thinking. Empowering product teams to improve and save lives through user-centered design. • Stand-out facilitator of high-profile c-level customer design thinking innovation sessions. Outcomes included the formation of multiple business partnership pilot projects. • FastWorks Innovation Coach who trained and mentored a diversity of international GEHC product teams, including Artificial Intelligence for Imaging… Show more Intrapreneur with a mission to foster a culture of innovation and design thinking. Empowering product teams to improve and save lives through user-centered design. • Stand-out facilitator of high-profile c-level customer design thinking innovation sessions. Outcomes included the formation of multiple business partnership pilot projects. • FastWorks Innovation Coach who trained and mentored a diversity of international GEHC product teams, including Artificial Intelligence for Imaging, Women’s Health Ultrasound, Life Sciences, Cardiovascular IT. • Effective advocacy and cross-discipline collaboration with Product Management, Marketing and Engineering executive leadership resulting in lasting user-centered impact to GE Healthcare product development processes. • Led cross-functional effort to define the GE Healthcare Design & User Experience practice (process, best practices) and educated across for GE Healthcare, driving toward consistent and contiguous UX product experiences. • Led education initiative to build community and grow user experience design & research capability globally. eg. Facilitated 30% growth of UX staffing in one GEHC product segment and led monthly UX educational speaker series. Show less



Empower Interactive, Inc.

• United States
• Wellness and Fitness Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Co-Founder / Strategic Advisor

  • Dec 2012 - Jan 2017

• Co-Founder / VP of Customer Experience

  • Nov 2009 - Dec 2012

  Empower Interactive delivers engaging web and mobile experiences for those managing stress, anxiety and depression, in turn improving the accessibility and efficacy of traditional treatments. • Led the creative vision for the web app Good Days Ahead, a data driven online learning platform designed to deliver education and insight as a supplement to traditional therapy. • Managed strategy for consumer, clinical and enterprise versions. • UX and creative direction for mobile… Show more Empower Interactive delivers engaging web and mobile experiences for those managing stress, anxiety and depression, in turn improving the accessibility and efficacy of traditional treatments. • Led the creative vision for the web app Good Days Ahead, a data driven online learning platform designed to deliver education and insight as a supplement to traditional therapy. • Managed strategy for consumer, clinical and enterprise versions. • UX and creative direction for mobile companion iOS app, ReThink. • Ran daily scrum meetings and managed multi-disciplinary teams of developers, designers, content strategists, QA, stakeholders. • Implemented agile and Lean UX processes into product development life cycle. • Developed content strategy for interactive curriculum in conjunction with Dr. Jess Wright (leading researcher on computer-assisted therapy) and production assistant for video production of instructional videos. • Engaged in sales and business development, client relations and training.



On Sabbatical

• Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand

• Explorer

  • Dec 2012 - Apr 2013



Hot Studio

• United States
• Design Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior UX Designer

  • Feb 2011 - Nov 2011

  Worked at as a contractor at Hot Studio, an experience strategy, design and technology firm based in San Francisco and New York that was acquired by Facebook in 2013. • Facilitated brainstorming and participatory design sessions with Fortune 500 clients. • Conducted user, stakeholder, and market research. • Created personas, scenarios, task flows. Designed and documented interactions via sketches, wireframes, prototypes • Clients included: Entertainment Arts (EA), McKesson… Show more Worked at as a contractor at Hot Studio, an experience strategy, design and technology firm based in San Francisco and New York that was acquired by Facebook in 2013. • Facilitated brainstorming and participatory design sessions with Fortune 500 clients. • Conducted user, stakeholder, and market research. • Created personas, scenarios, task flows. Designed and documented interactions via sketches, wireframes, prototypes • Clients included: Entertainment Arts (EA), McKesson, Hewlett Packard (HP), Milyoni Show less Worked at as a contractor at Hot Studio, an experience strategy, design and technology firm based in San Francisco and New York that was acquired by Facebook in 2013. • Facilitated brainstorming and participatory design sessions with Fortune 500 clients. • Conducted user, stakeholder, and market research. • Created personas, scenarios, task flows. Designed and documented interactions via sketches, wireframes, prototypes • Clients included: Entertainment Arts (EA), McKesson… Show more Worked at as a contractor at Hot Studio, an experience strategy, design and technology firm based in San Francisco and New York that was acquired by Facebook in 2013. • Facilitated brainstorming and participatory design sessions with Fortune 500 clients. • Conducted user, stakeholder, and market research. • Created personas, scenarios, task flows. Designed and documented interactions via sketches, wireframes, prototypes • Clients included: Entertainment Arts (EA), McKesson, Hewlett Packard (HP), Milyoni Show less



Stanford University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Behavior Designer

  • Jun 2008 - Nov 2011

  • Behavior Design Lab collaborator, guest speaker and TA for several of Dr. Fogg's Stanford courses, including Psychology of Facebook and Technology for Peace. • Co-facilitator for BJ Fogg's Behavior Design Boot Camp • Designed and launched websites for Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab (formerly known as the Persuasive Technology Lab), the Behavior Wizard application, and Mobile Health Conference. • Branding & graphic design for BJ Fogg’s business card and marketing… Show more • Behavior Design Lab collaborator, guest speaker and TA for several of Dr. Fogg's Stanford courses, including Psychology of Facebook and Technology for Peace. • Co-facilitator for BJ Fogg's Behavior Design Boot Camp • Designed and launched websites for Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab (formerly known as the Persuasive Technology Lab), the Behavior Wizard application, and Mobile Health Conference. • Branding & graphic design for BJ Fogg’s business card and marketing collateral • Guest Speaker for Institute for the Future’s Health Horizons conference, a Lab collaboration • Ethnographic research and design thinking in the development of a mobile health intervention app • Co-designed a stress reduction SMS text messaging pilot for Kaiser Permanente. • Proposed and moderated a panel discussion on Techniques for Persuasive Technology at the 2009 International Persuasive Technology conference. Show less • Behavior Design Lab collaborator, guest speaker and TA for several of Dr. Fogg's Stanford courses, including Psychology of Facebook and Technology for Peace. • Co-facilitator for BJ Fogg's Behavior Design Boot Camp • Designed and launched websites for Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab (formerly known as the Persuasive Technology Lab), the Behavior Wizard application, and Mobile Health Conference. • Branding & graphic design for BJ Fogg’s business card and marketing… Show more • Behavior Design Lab collaborator, guest speaker and TA for several of Dr. Fogg's Stanford courses, including Psychology of Facebook and Technology for Peace. • Co-facilitator for BJ Fogg's Behavior Design Boot Camp • Designed and launched websites for Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab (formerly known as the Persuasive Technology Lab), the Behavior Wizard application, and Mobile Health Conference. • Branding & graphic design for BJ Fogg’s business card and marketing collateral • Guest Speaker for Institute for the Future’s Health Horizons conference, a Lab collaboration • Ethnographic research and design thinking in the development of a mobile health intervention app • Co-designed a stress reduction SMS text messaging pilot for Kaiser Permanente. • Proposed and moderated a panel discussion on Techniques for Persuasive Technology at the 2009 International Persuasive Technology conference. Show less



White Lotus Design Studio

• Portland, OR / San Francisco, CA

• Founder | Principal

  • Aug 2001 - Sep 2011

  10+ years delivering exceptional UX design, strategy and development of digital solutions, serving organizations across the spectrum from NGOs, startups, design agencies, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and academia. • Research, design strategy and full stack development to launch ParentHelp123.org - Multi-lingual web app designed to streamline the application process for food/health benefits, from up to 8 applications into one. Featured multi-user roles including admin and… Show more 10+ years delivering exceptional UX design, strategy and development of digital solutions, serving organizations across the spectrum from NGOs, startups, design agencies, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and academia. • Research, design strategy and full stack development to launch ParentHelp123.org - Multi-lingual web app designed to streamline the application process for food/health benefits, from up to 8 applications into one. Featured multi-user roles including admin and applicant interface, resource management tool, as well as integration with call center staff database and workflow. • Custom designed and development of web app with Google Maps API to serve up local health and emergency services accessible to Native tribes in the Pacific NW region of the US. Multi-user roles including admin and end-user UI. • User research, UX and visual design for pharmaceutical design application for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. App included two key views, one for modelers and one for chemists and facilitated the first integrated, web based collaborative space for drug design. • Behavior Design consulting for a SMS/text messaging pilot for Institute for the Future/American Heart Association. Show less 10+ years delivering exceptional UX design, strategy and development of digital solutions, serving organizations across the spectrum from NGOs, startups, design agencies, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and academia. • Research, design strategy and full stack development to launch ParentHelp123.org - Multi-lingual web app designed to streamline the application process for food/health benefits, from up to 8 applications into one. Featured multi-user roles including admin and… Show more 10+ years delivering exceptional UX design, strategy and development of digital solutions, serving organizations across the spectrum from NGOs, startups, design agencies, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and academia. • Research, design strategy and full stack development to launch ParentHelp123.org - Multi-lingual web app designed to streamline the application process for food/health benefits, from up to 8 applications into one. Featured multi-user roles including admin and applicant interface, resource management tool, as well as integration with call center staff database and workflow. • Custom designed and development of web app with Google Maps API to serve up local health and emergency services accessible to Native tribes in the Pacific NW region of the US. Multi-user roles including admin and end-user UI. • User research, UX and visual design for pharmaceutical design application for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. App included two key views, one for modelers and one for chemists and facilitated the first integrated, web based collaborative space for drug design. • Behavior Design consulting for a SMS/text messaging pilot for Institute for the Future/American Heart Association. Show less



Harvard University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Molecular Biology Lab Researcher

  • Oct 1995 - Aug 1998

  Molecular biology research in the Rheumatology Department at Harvard Medical School, in conjunction with Brigham and Women's Hospital. Projects focused primarily on isolating and studying Mast Cell Proteases responsible for the clotting process in allergic reactions and arthritis. Molecular biology research in the Rheumatology Department at Harvard Medical School, in conjunction with Brigham and Women's Hospital. Projects focused primarily on isolating and studying Mast Cell Proteases responsible for the clotting process in allergic reactions and arthritis.