About me

Most designers optimize existing products. I build them from zero.

I'm a product designer who specializes in the messy early days of building something new. For the past decade, I've been the sole designer, led design teams, and built design practices from scratch across fintech, healthtech, and B2B SaaS. I’m the person founders bring in when there's no process, unclear requirements, and aggressive deadlines.

I thrive in that chaos because I started as a self-taught frontend developer. Those early years taught me to be resourceful, to figure things out without a roadmap, and to move from strategy to code without getting stuck. That technical foundation means I can communicate effectively with engineers, design with constraints in mind, and ship products that actually work.

Integrating Strategic Foresight into Product Design

More recently, I completed a Master's in Digital Management at Hyper Island, where I explored digital innovation and strategic leadership. My thesis focused on how distributed teams will collaborate in 5-10 years. Now I bring asynchronous-first collaboration techniques and futures methods to product work. My favorite thing to ask is not just "what do users need today?" but "what will they need today AND in 2-5 years, and how do we build for that?"

I've trained with leading futurists at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (CIFS) and The New School, learning methods like scenario planning, weak signals analysis, and speculative design. This isn't about prediction, it's about building products that are resilient to change rather than caught off guard by it.

My Background

I'm Mexican-American, born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area and eventually settling in Berlin. I've been working remotely for 6+ years, long before it was the default, which means I've spent a lot of time thinking about how distributed teams can work well together. (My thesis was literally about this.)

Two experiences have shaped how I work more than anything else: being self-taught, which taught me resourcefulness and comfort with ambiguity, and attending Burning Man regularly since 2010, which taught me how to build in hostile, high-stakes, collaborative environments where you can't just "move fast and break things." You have to move fast and make things work.

What I Care About

I'm drawn to products that genuinely improve people's lives. Whether that's financial confidence, health and longevity, mental wellness, or tools that empower people to do better work. I care about building with intentionality, not just speed. And I care about creating environments where people can bring their whole selves to work. I'm queer 🌈 and having navigated plenty of spaces where I didn't fit the mold, I actively work to make sure the teams I'm part of feel psychologically safe and welcome diverse perspectives.

Building Community

Building a professional community is something I deeply value. I'm currently most involved in Futures Friends, a global network exploring how to shape what's coming next.

In the past, I've built community through Berlin Art Bites (showcasing contemporary art), MaxMSP meetups (for interactive artists), and NodeSchool workshops (teaching people to code).

What Drives Me

My These aren't just values I aspire to. They're how I actually work.

Human-First

I prioritize people (users, teammates, stakeholders) because caring about people and the craft drives exceptional outcomes.

Builder, Not Maintainer

I thrive in environments where I can create from scratch, solve complex problems, and drive innovation forward.

Evidence-Based

Research and data inform my approach. I combine quantitative insights with qualitative understanding to make informed, strategic choices.

Collaborative

I enable others to do their best work through clear communication, shared ownership, and genuine enthusiasm.

Long-Term Thinking

I balance immediate needs with 2-5 year horizons, using futures methods to build products that last.

Resourceful

I find practical solutions to complex challenges while staying positive and pragmatic.