MARK CATALANO

Led the creation of a platform that enables enterprises to build and run secure AI agents—grounded in their data, governed by their business rules, and designed to drive business value.

• Ran all aspects of an early-stage startup, including product strategy, engineering, design, sales, and operations while identifying technical constraints and market opportunities
• Established and managed quarterly product roadmaps, making data-driven decisions about scope and resource allocation by analyzing user impact, engineering capacity, and market opportunities
• Developed and implemented A/B testing framework for feature development, combining usage metrics, customer feedback, and direct observation to validate design decisions and reduce development risk
• Directed a cross-functional remote team of engineers and designers, defining team composition and workload based on project requirements while ensuring alignment with product vision
• Resolved complex UX challenges in AI interface design by applying established design methodologies including contextual inquiry, heuristic analysis, and design critique
• Established responsible AI practices including output quality monitoring, bias evaluation, and governance frameworks
• Deployed on AWS and GCP for scalable multi-tenant infrastructure serving millions of requests
• Fostered a culture of continuous learning and development through structured design critiques, user research workshops, and regular skill-sharing sessions
• Built and maintained strategic relationships with investors, technology partners, and enterprise executives, regularly pitching product vision and securing key partnerships
• Led comprehensive discovery research to identify market opportunities and user pain points, leveraging multiple research methods (interviews, surveys, usage analytics) to shape the product direction
• Maintained frequent communication with customers and agency partners to understand activation funnel bottlenecks, using insights to refine product roadmap and ensure equitable user experiences
• Achieved ~$1M ARR through strategic product development and customer acquisition
• Key customers included Valvoline, GE, Comcast, JFK Terminal 4, Dr. Squatch, and Automattic
• Selected for Techstars '19, one of the world's most prestigious technology accelerators

• Founded and scaled digital studio specializing in user-centered design and development, systematically identifying project constraints and opportunities across diverse client requirements
• Led delivery of 100+ projects, managing resource allocation and project scoping while securing $8M in contracts and achieving $1.5M annual revenue
• Directed cross-functional team of 15 designers and developers, implementing design critiques on a regular cadence and establishing clear handoff processes between design and development teams to ensure high-quality deliverables
• Developed research-driven project methodology incorporating contextual inquiry, heuristic analysis, and usability testing to resolve complex UX challenges
• Established comprehensive design systems and documentation practices, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality design and code assets across client projects
• Created a successful internship program with 60% conversion to full-time roles—graduates advanced to positions at Google, Shopify, GitHub, and Slack
• Key clients included ESPN, Reuters, Bloomberg, UNHCR, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, GE, JFK Terminal 4, Benjamin Moore, Fidelity Investments, New York Public Radio, Fuse Media, Kaplan, McGraw Hill, Outbrain, and Xamarin
• Partnered with complex enterprise organizations — including ESPN, Reuters, Fidelity, and GE — engaging and presenting to senior leadership to align on strategy, scope, and delivery

• Architected HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript implementation for Newsweek.com
• Integrated front-end code with Adobe CQ5 CMS using Java, JSP, and Sling
• Developed interactive news features enhancing user engagement
• Earned Scrum Master certification while leading e development processes
• Conducted usability testing and implemented user-driven improvements

• Conducted comprehensive usability studies for Fidelity.com and supporting platforms
• Led UX research using eye tracking, interviews, field studies, and card sorting
• Managed large-scale user studies with 1000+ participants
• Analyzed and presented findings to senior stakeholders

Credential of Readiness (CORe), Pass with Honors

BS, Information Science, Magna Cum Laude

• Focus: Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience Design
• Activities: Association for Computing Machinery, Usability Professionals Association, Theater Arts

Certificate in Data Science Principles

• Board member, Northeastern University (NU) Scout Student Design Agency
• Guest presenter at NU College of Art Media and Design

Case studies of selected works are available at:

https://www.markcatalano.com/case-studies