Hi, I'm Kai.
Austin, TX TrimbleI lead product strategy and design at Trimble.
My background mixes cognitive science, usability research, machine learning and interaction design. My path runs from UX research and product design to leading design teams at Charles Schwab and Rev, across speech AI, fintech, IoT and e-commerce.
Most recently I joined Document Crunch at the start of its replatforming and reworked how the team builds through a jam cycle. Document Crunch was acquired by Trimble in 2026.
I bring more than five years on the speech side of AI, which shapes how I design for the way people actually communicate: nuance, turn-taking and relationships. Before design I was a collegiate athlete, on teams since I was four. I've been the underdog, the star, the captain and the coach, and that's how I lead.
Outside work I'm a painter.
Selected roles
- Document Crunch, a Trimble companyHead of Product Strategy & Design · 2026–nowTrimble acquired Document Crunch in April 2026. I help lead product strategy for the core product as we expand our product lines.
- Document CrunchDirector of Product Design · 2025–2026Joined at the start of the replatforming and reworked how the team builds through a jam cycle.
- RevDirector, Product Design · 2023–2025Led 3 designers and a researcher through Rev's shift from a transactional service to SaaS: mobile, Day 1 activation, the Meeting Hub and a unified checkout.
- Charles SchwabSr. Team Manager, UX Design · 2019–2023Led the design and launch of the Schwab Assistant, now serving 400,000+ monthly users, and co-led digital recommendations that took advisors' first-call success from 50% to 90%.
- KnockiPrincipal Product Designer · 2018–2019Owned end-to-end product design for the IoT app and e-commerce site. Cut device setup drop-off from 51.2% to 18.9%.
- Sherri HillLead Product Designer · 2016–20182 internal sites, 2 external sites, an ERP system and 2 native mobile apps, across B2B and international e-commerce.
- MorochUX Designer, Digital Art Direction · 2015–2016Led the McDonald's Burger Showdown: 25,000+ submissions, 9 billion earned media impressions and a 3.0% sales lift.
- EarlierDesign & art direction · 2009–2015AG Jeans, The Marketing Arm (the Doritos team), UNT Union, Four Man Furnace, Intown Magazine and Troy Athletics.
Where I spend the rest of my energy
Facilitator
I structure sessions that jump-start work, align cross-functional teams and make sure every voice is heard, then document the next steps. At Schwab, that got me flown to Denver to help lead a multi-day session for one of the company’s top-funded initiatives.
Employee champion
Selected by Schwab’s SVP of Digital Strategy to improve workplace culture: no-meeting days, a better recognition program, faster approval for modern tools and a funding structure that supports innovation.
Catalyst program
Selected to lead two of Schwab’s Catalyst projects: expanding the product suite to smart devices (2021), and how AI will transform UX practice (2023).
Always learning
Stanford’s Navigating Power & Influence, Radical Candor, Situational Leadership 1 and 2, Susan Weinschenk’s Designing for Behavior Change, and grad school while working full time, adding cybersecurity, machine learning and cognitive science.
From the people I've built with
“She is a strategic, creative leader with high expectations for her team and herself, with corresponding results. We collaborated on an AI product at Schwab; Kai was instrumental in bringing the product from conception to market and expanding its footprint from the mobile app to desktop experience. As I was joining the team, she led the development of a conversational design system, bringing consistency to the product when conversational design was brand-new to the company. It quickly scaled the team's capabilities, shortening our design cycles to build new customer “intents,” resulting in the product being increasingly responsive to customer questions. Kai is smart, tenacious, and a talented designer herself, whose leadership and design skills will elevate the design footprint of any company she is a part of.”
“Kai is an extremely dedicated person that gives 100% to consistently hit her and her team's objectives/goals with quality and timelines to help Rev's products achieve their adoption and engagement goals. Typically, a design organization within a company of Rev's size would only have to design for one product/ICP. Rev is unique in the fact that it has four distinct products that serve multiple ICPs - each with specific design needs. Kai's creative vision has continued to set the standard for design excellence within Rev, and she continually pushes boundaries by putting our users at the center of her team's work. She has implemented many design industry best practices (ex: desk checks, user research testing, etc) to ensure that the designs of the product delight users and unlock usages. Due to the high demand for design, and a shortage of designers on staff, Kai has stepped up to be an individual contributor for some products/features in addition to leading design. Through her IC work she has demonstrated quality (UX & Design) and established a high bar for her team to follow.”
“She's a quick study, natural leader, and consistently uses data and behavioral science to understand and serve users better. Kai is strong in cross-team collaboration, connecting the dots and moving partners together toward one goal. Her ability to balance big picture ideas with tactical work allowed us to not lose sight of strategic long-term opportunities. She is fast on her feet, decisive, but ready to pivot as new insights or business needs change. I learned a lot from her and would gladly work with her again to riff on new ideas and to have that perceptive, knowledgeable, solid presence nearby.”
“It's rare to work with a design leader who's also a true artist, but Kai is exactly that. She has a deep understanding of what drives users and a knack for tackling tough problems with creativity and clarity. If you need someone you can trust to execute on difficult problems, Kai is the person you want.”
“I worked closely with Kai for just under a year, and during that time, I saw firsthand her passion, drive, commitment, and determination. She is exceptionally talented when it comes to creativity, problem-solving, and understanding users' needs. Kai was a tremendous partner to the development team, and together with our product partners, we delivered outstanding results for Rev. Anyone would be lucky to have her on their team, and I'd be thrilled to work with her again.”
“You've always been one step ahead, thinking about the future of design and sharing your insights back to the rest of the team. You're bold and confident and that will always take you far... just sad it's taking you away from us!”
“Such a creative force and so smart. I love your curiosity and your strong will. I've reconsidered my POV on many things after conversations with you, speaking to your influence and approachable intelligence.”
“Something about working in the trenches together forms the best friendships. You never failed to show up with your A game and I respect that. :)”
Talks, panels and podcasts
- Make Hidden Risk Visible: A Live Look at What’s New in Document Crunch Nov 11, 2026Speaker, with Maegan Spivey and Kellie Medeiros · Trimble Dimensions · The Venetian, Las Vegas