Experience

Product Design Lead, Google Learning and Education Team, 2020-present.

UX Design Lead, AR Devices, Google AR Team, 2018-2020.

Global Impact Fellow, Edmund Hillary Fellowship, 2018-present.

Global Technology Field Research, Sabbatical: 25 countries in 303 days, 2017-2018.

Senior Staff Interaction Researcher, Google VR Team. 2015-2017.

Staff Interaction Researcher, Special Projects, Google[x]. 2011-2015.

Principal Research Scientist, Design and User Experience, Nokia Research Center. 2008-2011. IDEA Team. Research and development of new technologies for family communication.

Visiting Lecturer of Computer Science, cs247 Interaction Design Studio, Stanford University. 2009-2010. In collaboration with Professors Terry Winograd and Bill Verplank.

Principal, Topobo LLC. Sales, Marketing and Manufacturing of Topobo toys.

Researcher, Tangible Media Group, MIT Media Lab. 2002-2008. Research and development of tangible computer interfaces.

Project lead, Topobo toys. 2002-2007. Ideation, design and development of Topobo building toy. Managed $500k project with 4-8 engineering and design students and numerous outside contractors to take project from concept to production manufacturing.

Instructor, Interactive Toy Design Studio, MIT Media Lab. 2006. Organized and conducted intensive toy design studio for graduate and undergraduate students.

Industrial Designer, IDEO. 2005. Intern, consumer products, experience design and concept ideation for Fortune-500 clients.

Teaching Assistant, Tangible Interfaces. 2003-2005. MIT graduate design course on tangible media.

Founder, Rafelandia design studio. 1999-2002. Industrial and graphic design studio serving consumer industries. Clients included LeapFrog Toys, Sony, Covad DSL, Ditto.com, Supracor, Tanya Starnes (Attorney), Babcock and Brown (Investment Bank).

Engineer, San Francisco Exploratorium. 2001-2002. Electro-Mechanical engineering. Design and fabrication of educational museum exhibits.

ZOOB Toys concept and design. 1995-1999. Co-developed and co-designed award winning ZOOB building toy system from original concept through manufacture.

Director, Design Department, Primoridal, LLC. 1997-1999. Directed in-house design division of Primordial, LLC with staff of 3-8 designers. Developed educational methodologies for teaching with ZOOB via print and video mediums. Designed promotional ZOOB packaging with clients such as Disney Corporation and GAP Kids.

Graphic Artist and Research Assistant to Robert Farris Thompson, Ph.D. 1996-1998. Created supporting art for Thompson’s articles in journals such as African Arts magazine, and Res 32 (Harvard Symposium of Anthropology and Aesthetics). Aided in primary source research and created photo documentation for graduate student seminars comparing West African and North American indigenous architecture.

Founder and Designer, Yale Corinthian Yacht Club Merchandising Division. 1993-1996. Created a brand ID for the Yale Sailing Team. Designed merchandising paraphernalia and created a revenue-building division for the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club.