About Me
I’m Keara and I love doing work that allows me to understand and communicate people’s stories and experiences in order to create solutions for a better world. I am a trained counselor, teacher, and current design researcher with years of program design and participatory community-based research under my belt, as well as UX research for private-sector solutions. I’m especially interested in conversations around accessibility, diversity, and inclusion.
👂🏽I have years of experience entering into new contexts of community members, asking thoughtful questions, listening more than talking, advocating for the needs and goals of individuals, and designing evidence-based and responsive programs with integrated monitoring and evaluation check-points.
🎓 I am a proud three-time Harvard graduate (B.A. in Sociology, Ed.M in Prevention Science and Practice, and C.A.S. in Adolescent School Counseling).
What I bring to my work:
I find common ground across a broad span of differences.
My experiences have placed me in various multilingual communities in local, national, and international settings where I worked with cross-functional and cross-cultural teams. I thrive in environments that challenge me to bridge the gap between differing perspectives.
I create thoughtful, transparent processes and uncover actionable insights in the midst of ambiguity.
Creating something from nothing with little guidance or structure is my specialty. And when I do, I leave in place thorough insightful documentation as a foundation for the next phase or next team.
I strive to deeply understand both user needs and business needs.
I believe that the most effective design will be one that reflects an understanding of the end-user, but without an understanding of organizational goals and constraints, user insights go nowhere. I prioritize engaging stakeholders in the research and design process.
