In 2017, small-business HR was at a breaking point. Founders managed hiring, performance, benefits, and compliance through trial and error while the regulatory landscape tightened around pay equity, harassment, and payroll taxes. Bambee's founder had a bold idea: pair real HR managers with smart software and make it accessible to every SMB. When I joined, there was no product—just urgency, ambition, and a market ready for change. The challenge was designing a platform that felt as human as the service it delivered.
Product Leadership
Led the product design function—managing a team of two designers, running the full design process from strategy through shipping. Aligned with the founder's vision, mapped core workflows (compliance reviews, employee coaching, HR policy management), and identified the most critical use cases for launch.
Design Execution
Designed every screen to feel like talking to your dedicated HR manager, not filling out a form. Evolved the UI through early prototypes—balancing simplicity with the information density that power users needed. Built the design system that gave engineering a shared language and the company a scalable foundation for future product lines.
The product became the foundation of Bambee's platform—trusted by the small businesses who needed it most. It served as a sales tool, a cultural rally point, and a strategic multiplier. Bambee used the early momentum to scale: new products followed, fundraising accelerated, the team grew, and the company became a category leader in SMB HR.
Led product design from zero to one. Built the foundation that scaled a category leader.
