Product leadership is about mentoring others by building trusting relationships, holding each other accountable, solutioning through teamwork, and inspiring each other towards a united vision.
Leadership Philosophy
With over 25 years in design—spanning illustration, graphic design, education, product design, and senior product management—I've developed a deep understanding of what effective mentorship and leadership in experience design requires.
I believe in being an advocate for my team by recognizing strong work, developing talent through coaching and career opportunities, and empowering others to take ownership of the experiences they build. Transparency guides my leadership—I provide honest feedback, set clear expectations on deliverables, and create an environment of openness that supports growth. Strategically, I translate business goals into user-centered experiences that energize teams, align projects to roadmaps and planning cycles, and make hiring decisions that match talent to team needs.
If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.
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"She is a fierce advocate for the mentorship of women in the professional tech world, especially young creatives. Erin's wide range of skills and experience make her a strong UX force to be reckoned with!"
Victoria Griffin, UX Lead, En Dash Consultling
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“Erin fosters a strong atmosphere of support for her team, while also pushing ideas to the next level. I’m so thankful for the opportunities I have had to work with her because they have made me both a stronger designer and a better person."
Daniel Torraca, Sr UX Designer, Capital One
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“She has an incredible way to paint the vision. She's not afraid to dive deep into a problem; getting to know the user, reviewing competitive alternatives, and making ideas come to life with her creative touch."
Chris Wilson, Principal Product Manager, goHappy
Community Leadership & Involvement
Sports Backers Richmond Marathon, Water Station Captain / 2025
Coordinated operations for the mile marker 21 water station during the Richmond Marathon and Richmond Half Marathon. Oversaw recruitment and supervision of more than 30 volunteers who prepared and provided water, sports drinks, and energy gels to 21,000 race participants throughout the event.
Virginia Commonwealth University, Guest Lecture / 2024
Guest lecturer for Human Centered Design Thinking course, as part of a panel that discussed how to solve complex, real-world customer problems using a Design Thinking approach.
James Madison University, Guest Lecturer / 2021
Guest lecturer for Bluestone Communications, a nationally-affiliated student-run public relations firm at James Madison University on the topic of "Building a Career in User Experience Design."
Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Docent / 2019-2020
Participated and completed 10 month training for the 2019 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts volunteer docent program, dedicated to connecting with our visitors through facilitated, shared gallery experiences centered on the visual arts. Facilitation style focused on engagement through dialogue, an exchange of knowledge between guide and visitor, and helped participants explore critical, creative, and reflective thinking skills.
Christmas Mother Council, Volunteer / 2018
The Henrico County Christmas Mother organization is a nonprofit that provides food, new clothing, books, and toys to qualifying Henrico families, disabled adults and seniors during the holiday season.
FeedMore Backpack Program, Volunteer / 2016-2018
Feed More’s BackPack program provides children who don’t have enough to eat with nutritious, easy-to-prepare food at times when other resources are not available. Served as a warehouse volunteer to assemble backpacks, snacks and create meal boxes for FeedMore Backpack programs.
Richmond Ad Club, Student Mentor / 2016-2018
Through the Richmond Ad Club Mentorship Program, students and young professionals are paired one-on-one with an advertising professional with at least 5 years of agency experience. Volunteered as a mentor to provide mentee with professional guidance in the form of portfolio reviews and book, website and blog recommendations. Also recommended networking events, lectures, forums for the mentee to attend, and helped guide them in furthering their careers.
VCU Communication Arts, Community Board Member / 2013-2019
Met with department staff to discuss trending topics in design, illustration and communication industries. Shared ideas around evolving current course curriculum to meet the demanding needs and skills necessary to be successful within the design workforce.