Katy Harris

Katy Harris is a strategic, pragmatic, and neurodiverse design leader with over 20 years of experience, specializing in building the design function as a strategic advantage.

She has a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams through complex and ambiguous problems, leveraging personal experience to coach design teams, and championing diverse perspectives.

With a background in startups, Katy has experience as a founding designer and executive in two startups, including an exit to Archer Integrated Risk Management in 2022.

Her professional journey includes 15+ years of design leadership roles at prominent companies like Cisco, Carbonite, Fathom Information Design, and Memento FIS.

Additionally, she spent 6 years nurturing skilled designers at Northeastern and RISD, coupled with 5 years of hands-on experience in software engineering teams.

Katy holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Graphic Communications Management and Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University, along with a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design.

Her organizational experience spans roles such as Product Design Manager at Cisco, Head of Design at Atlas, UX Manager at Carbonite, and various design leadership positions in different companies.

She has also contributed to academia as an Adjunct Lecturer at Northeastern University, a Critic + Lecturer at Rhode Island School of Design, and as a design advisor at various organizations.

Katy's diverse professional background includes roles as Lead Visualization Designer, Interaction Designer, Principal, and Co-Founder in the design and technology industry.

Her experience ranges from web development to software engineering, showcasing her versatility and comprehensive skill set in the tech and design domains.