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When I joined WOKEN as the first hire, the vision was clear: help young professionals take control of their careers through coaching and technology.

With a tiny budget, no product, and just a founder’s book as a starting point, I rolled up my sleeves to shape every part of the business and platform.

Key Achievements & Features

  • Led end-to-end design for the marketing site, coaching app, and brand identity
  • Built the first prototype in Google Sheets, tested with 50+ users, and rapidly iterated based on real feedback
  • Helped secure $250K in grants, competitions, and accelerator programs
  • Supported the founder in fundraising, B2B/B2C strategy, and building the foundation for growth
  • Personally interviewed users to uncover market gaps and inform product direction
  • Designed and launched a custom Progressive Web App, evolving UX through cycles of user testing, sketches, and stakeholder input
  • Navigated pivots, technical constraints, and multiple development teams to keep the product moving forward

Impact

  • Launched a functional career coaching platform that empowered users to forge career paths they love
  • Scaled from concept to paid users and B2B pilots in under 2 years
  • Recognized by NYU and startup accelerators for innovation and traction

From spreadsheet to start up

Launched a fully functional prototype in Google Sheets, enabling 50+ users to test assessments and track progress. User enthusiasm validated the concept, while frustration with the format pushed us to build a real app.

  • Designed quick onboarding and assessment flows
  • Managed user support and troubleshooting directly, gaining firsthand insight into pain points

Dashboard iterations & preparing for development

Designed our first dashboard in Sketch, translating early ideas into a tangible interface. User and developer feedback revealed usability issues, guiding us to refine both features and feasibility.

  • Created clickable prototypes for stakeholder demos and investor pitches
  • Documented feature wishlists and technical constraints for future planning

Team pivot and platform redesign

Partnered with a new development team and reimagined the platform based on stakeholder input. Navigated tech challenges and team changes to deliver a more robust, user-informed product.

  • Led onboarding for new developers, ensuring continuity and shared vision
  • Established a feedback loop with early adopters to prioritize feature releases

Simplification & Mobile Focus

After countless user interviews and meetings with advisors, the biggest piece of feedback we received was that the platform needed to feed users with bite-size information. I simplified and reimagined all pages.

‍Need for Mobile
The stakeholders had apprehension of the creation of a mobile app, however the user feedback strongly indicated a need for responsive screens and on-the-go use.

‍Reflection‍

Working at WOKEN taught me that there’s always a way forward, no matter the constraint. I learned to advocate fiercely for the user, adapt on the fly, and blend scrappy problem-solving with executive-level vision. That experience shaped how I lead teams and products today.

Desktop Image of Woken career coaching platform