#ShineOn Member Kelsey Cavitt

Name

Kelsey Cavitt

Role

Product Designer

Company

Twilio

Shine & Rise member since:

2020

Why did you join Shine & Rise?

I have always been wanting to connect with more folks in the A2 area that are in my field. I was so excited to hear about Shine & Rise through a post in the Made in A2 slack group and felt FOMO that I had missed out even for just the first 6 months of its existence! I also wanted to be able to see if I could help connect people who may find they had similar interests or who could help each other.

How does Shine & Rise add value to your life?

Last year, at the beginning of the pandemic, the #designfolks channel came to life after just a little bit of prodding ("Where are my design folks at?"). The group decided to start having virtual calls and it became an almost monthly occurrence. We all became fast friends and confidants, looking to each other for advise, guidance, and support. We were finally able to meet IRL recently, but I felt SO close with this group even before an in-person meeting! Being able to just meet and talk shop about design monthly with a group outside of my org has been such a great experience. I love conversing with them, hearing their woes, and providing guidance based on my past and current experiences.

pictured from left to right: Kelsey Cavitt, Rachel VanAken, Hana Coon, Claire Small, Madi Togrul, and Kayla Mandell

What most fills up your cup?

I truly LOVE helping others. It's what I do in my current role and just sparks a thing in my brain that fulfills me! I also love connecting with others and seeing how to bring people together to share their experiences.

What feels like a work in progress for you right now? (Question borrowed from Sophia bush’s podcast: Work In progress)

My own career! I'm on the cusp of advancing, so I'm just figuring out ways to continue pushing myself to reach a higher level than I'm at currently. I'm also currently 4.5 months pregnant, first time mom over here, so I'm also just trying to figure out what that's going to be like too!

One thing people always come to you for is...

Design and career advice! I sometimes (ok lots of times) feel imposter syndrome when it comes to these topics, as I feel I've still got a lot to learn, but I know I've been able to connect some folks to their own journeys of getting into tech, but also figuring out harry design problems.

What does diversity in the tech/startup ecosystem mean to you?

Diversity means winning, not just from a "we should do this" sense (because we should), but because it makes business sense. There continues to be a major diversity AND inclusion problem in tech, though work has begun, it has a long way to go, the numbers are still extremely discouraging. Better representation of marginalized groups of people, especially in leadership positions, is crucial in coming up with great, enduring and unexpected solutions to challenges and overall success. When there is too much of the same thing coming from the same kinds of people or ways of thinking, innovation cannot be experienced. I've experienced in my own career a lack of diversity and lots of group think, admittedly, because I've worked at places with folks who are similar in age, race, gender and experiences as me. It's when I've worked with a more diverse group, mostly in my current role, that my eyes have been opened to new and better possibilities for solutions to problems, and even better, identifying problems in new ways.

What's the best last article/blog post/speech/book (provide link) you read/heard, and what was its impact on you?

"The Crossroads of Should and Must" by Elle Luna. I actually read this back when she first published it to Medium in 2014, but I wanted to return to it again. I want to understand and honor my own calling and what that is for me has been starting to take shape over the last couple of years. I believe my calling is help make others successful, no matter what role I'm in, but hopefully I continue to take roles where that is one of the main drivers and focuses of the work. I think I've found my sweet spot in the design industry with design systems, where I get the opportunity to create systems alongside and for my colleagues to help make their work better and easier. https://medium.com/@elleluna/the-crossroads-of-should-and-must-90c75eb7c5b0

What's one piece of advice or what are some words of wisdom you'd like to share with people who are thinking of a career in tech and/or joining a startup?

DO IT. For joining tech in general, I know it can be a long, arduous, and windy road. But one of the best ways to learn lots if you're early in your career in tech, is to join a startup. I learned so much in the first few companies I had the chance to be a part of. And although they weren't successful, they made me successful, as I had the opportunity to do so many things from brand design to marketing to pitch decks to user experience and product design. Startups are an "all in" place where you get to bond with other folks who are also all in, work together towards a collective mission, and create things that you didn't know were possible. I would also advise though that the "all in" mentality is one that isn't sustainable for long periods of time, so go in with knowing that you also need/MUST be adding balance to your life intentionally, or the startup will consume you!

How can people get in touch with you (LinkedIn, DM on S&R, etc.)?

DM on S&R slack or email me!

kelsey.trabue@gmail.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseycavitt

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