# Angela Prakash > Learning Designer & User Researcher | Applying insight + AI to make complex things intuitive Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/angelaprakash Hi! I’m Angela. I help teams understand people, design smarter learning experiences, and make better product decisions. With a background in cognitive science and design thinking, I specialize in making complex things (think: user behavior, abstract concepts, and nebulous problem spaces) feel intuitive and actionable. Over the past 8+ years, I’ve led strategic research, built scalable learning programs, and shaped early-stage products across startups, venture studios, and in partnership with Fortune 100 orgs. I apply mixed-methods research + learning science + AI-enhanced analysis/prototyping to move quickly from insight to execution. ⚡Some projects I've loved working on: • Researching and designing AI-powered training products for frontline teams at Amazon, Walmart, and Mastercard and shaping onboarding MVPs for a career development platform • Leading discovery research, innovation strategy, and opportunity sizing at SVB’s in-house venture studio across fintech, climatetech, and HRtech • Co-creating a Coursera professional certificate for Salesforce, reaching 75K+ global learners with a 4.6/5 rating • Serving as the first hire and LXD lead at a Series A HRTech startup, building and testing programs that have upskilled thousands of learners, with consistent reports of increased career confidence • Developing an innovation pipeline and experimentation process to test, iterate, and launch new ventures + products 🚀 I love working with early-stage teams that move fast and think deeply, whether you need research, learning strategy, or help building human-centered experiences from zero. I'm open to contracts, projects, or the right long-term fit! Reach me at angela.m.prakash@gmail.com. Core Skills: 🧩 Research & Product - Qualitative & Quantitative User Research · Usability Testing · Discovery Research · Design Thinking · Product Discovery & Opportunity Sizing · Data Analysis · Journey Mapping · Persona Development · Agile Product Development · Problem Framing & Prioritization · AI-Powered Prototyping 🧠 Learning Design - Instructional Design · Curriculum Strategy · Adult Learning Theory & Learning Science · Microlearning · Simulation-Based Training · Workshops & Facilitation · Training Needs Analysis ## Work Experience ### Senior Learning Experience Designer @ Pathstream Jan 2026 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area ### Learning Design & User Research Consultant @ Pathstream Jan 2023 – Jan 2026 | San Francisco Bay Area Pathstream’s mission is to unlock the untapped potential of the frontline workforce, and I contribute by working on research and learning design projects for AI-powered career development tools and programs. Most of what I do lives at the intersection of mixed-methods research, learning science, product thinking, and behavior change, especially for folks in frontline roles at companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Mastercard. That looks like: • Prototyping and testing AI-powered simulations that help contact center agents practice complex real-world scenarios • Interviewing agents, managers, and stakeholders to design programs that do more than "check the training box" but actually lead to measuable improvements in confidence, skill, and retention • Helping Fortune 100 teams rethink how they onboard and coach their people in an AI-driven world • Translating learner insights into things like product features, curriculum strategy, and partnership decisions. This work pulls together a lot of threads for me: user research, learning design, product thinking, and lets me solve messy, important problems in a way that still feels deeply human-centered and mission-driven. ### Learning Designer, Handshake AI @ Handshake Jan 2025 – Jan 2025 | San Francisco Bay Area At Handshake AI, I designed human-in-the-loop learning experiences to teach domain experts how to evaluate and improve large language models. My work blended instructional design, UX thinking, and AI literacy to transform complex AI concepts like prompt writing, rubric development, and preference ranking into hands-on lessons to empower PhDs and subject-matter experts to make AI systems more accurate and ethical. ### Innovation Strategist @ Silicon Valley Bank Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco Bay Area I joined SVB’s in-house venture studio and innovation team to imagine and build the future of financial services and the startup economy (before, you know...the collapse). My role lived somewhere between discovery research, business strategy, and future-facing concept development, and involved lots of ambiguity, FigJam sticky notes, and hard questions like “Should we build this?” and “Is this a real problem or just a cool idea?” and "Is SVB the right org to make this happen?" Some things I got to do: • Lead discovery research for early-stage ventures, interviewing founders, funders, and future users across fintech, climatetech, HRtech, and more • Partner with business and product designers to size markets, run concept tests, and build TAM/SAM/SOM models • Co-develop an opportunity evaluation framework to help the team prioritize ideas based on white space, market need, and right to play • Facilitate working sessions to turned insight into action and map journeys, reframe problem spaces, and co-create pitches to our C-suite execs • Help move one concept into MVP development and got three greenlit by strategy leadership This was one of the most energizing roles I’ve had, and I loved every minute of trying to turn ambiguity and broad white spaces into clear opportunities for investment. ### User Researcher @ Pathstream Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 | San Francisco Bay Area I joined Pathstream as the first full-time employee and spent nearly four years building the company from the ground up: designing curriculum, managing programs, leading research, and wearing just about every hat. What started as building courses by hand turned into leading cross-functional teams, managing Fortune 500 partnerships, and running foundational research that shaped product and learning strategy. Across every role, my focus was the same: make complex learning feel intuitive, effective, and human-centered. Some things I’m proud of: • Launching a 4-course career certificate with Salesforce that reached 75,000+ learners on Coursera • Conducting 40+ learner interviews and usability tests to identify behavioral barriers and unlock engagement • Leading research and program development that improved course completion rates by 65% and contributed to multiple partner renewals • Facilitated workshops that brought curriculum, product, and design teams into alignment around user needs • Prototyped and tested new learning experiences, including a project-based experience for a major automotive client that earned an NPS of 85 This was where I developed the hybrid muscles I rely on today: thinking like a researcher, designing like an educator, and operating like a strategist and owner. ### Learning Experience Design Manager @ Pathstream Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 ### Senior Learning Experience Designer @ Pathstream Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco Bay Area ### Learning Experience Designer @ MissionU (Acquired by WeWork) Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco Bay Area MissionU was an experimental college alternative program (later acquired by WeWork) to equip students with a suite of interpersonal and technical skills to be successful in the modern working world. I joined early to design and teach curriculum across communication, design thinking, and career readiness. Also ran program pilots, synthesized student feedback, and helped shape learning strategy through experimentation and iteration. • Designed 40+ hours of curriculum and facilitated immersive learning experiences • Led a design thinking module and coached students on conducting in-field research and prototyping • Translated learner feedback into program-wide improvements ### User & Market Research Team Lead @ UC Berkeley Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society Jan 2015 – Jan 2017 | Berkeley, California, United States UC Berkeley's Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society equips students of all academic backgrounds with the skills to be data fluent in a data-driven world. I joined the university’s fastest-growing academic program during its launch phase as an undergraduate researcher. I started by leading student teams to conduct outreach and branding, then shifted into research to support cross-departmental strategy, growth, and alignment. • Conducted stakeholder interviews and mapped personas to align offerings with student needs • Helped grow program awareness and enrollment through research-backed messaging and marketing • Managed student teams across outreach, content, and strategy ### Advertising Strategy Resident @ EVB Jan 2015 – Jan 2015 | Oakland, California EVB is a full-service advertising agency that partners with major brands to boost cultural relevancy by blending emerging tech, behavioral insights, and digital trends. I split my time between creative strategy, competitive research, and social media playbooks for national brands. • Conducted market analysis for 9 brands and presented insights to senior strategists • Built social content calendars and platform guides for consumer campaigns • Gave a talk on the neuroscience of emotional advertising ### Research Assistant - Consumer Behavior @ University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business Jan 2015 – Jan 2015 I worked in the Social and Moral Judgment Lab under Professor Clayton Critcher, supporting academic research on consumer decision making, moral cognition, and cross-cultural psychology. • Ran behavioral experiments and participant studies • Analyzed data and literature in support of academic publications • Deepened my foundation in social science and behavioral theory ## Education ### Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Cognitive Science University of California, Berkeley ### General Studies in Psychology De Anza College ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/angelaprakash --- Source: https://flows.cv/angelaprakash JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/angelaprakash/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13