Great design happens when the designer is a facilitator, not a dictator — using research insights to illuminate the path toward solutions that are human-centered, strategically sound, regulatory compliance, and commercially viable.

I'm a Human-Centered designer and researcher with experience across non-profits, consumer goods, academia, and financial services — currently serving as Experience and Service Design Research Lead at Edward Jones.

I'm drawn to human-centered design because it sits at the intersection of empathy and social innovation. I consider a project successful when it is insights-driven, financially viable, and meets regulatory standards — producing solutions users embrace and stakeholders invest in.

Trained as an architect and designer at the University of Minnesota and Cranbrook Academy of Art, my work has been exhibited internationally and holds a permanent place in the Cranbrook Art Museum collection. This foundation also inspired my businesses: architecture-inspired jewelry at @KoonyaiStudio and sculptural homeware at @Beau(tifully)MadeThings, carried in boutique shops and museum stores nationwide. I also stay connected to design education as an adjunct professor at MCAD and visiting reviewer at the University of Minnesota.

I currently live in San Diego, where you'll find me surfing, scuba diving, or paddle boarding with my dog, Wallace.