# Christina Ashtary > Founder & Lead Innovation Strategist | 0-1 Product Development & Customer Experience Design Location: New York, New York, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/christinaashtary I'm a seasoned product innovation leader, having both headed product development and leading custom innovation services for Fortune 500 clients to fuel industry transformation and new business growth. I've managed the full innovation advisory lifecycle - from client engagement and business development activities, to discovery + strategy and the delivery of new products and services. As a product leader and strategic partnerships specialist, I've helped many major corporations develop internal prototypes, digital products, corporate accelerators/startup partnership + piloting programs, and product testing labs. Prior to my innovation work, I spent several years working on strategic partnerships and program delivery for global humanitarian & economic development non-governmental organizations (NGOs) - from Afghanistan to Silicon Valley. In my free time, you can find me discovering a new country, 130 & counting. ## Work Experience ### Founder & Lead Innovation Strategist | 0-1 Product Development & Customer Experience Design @ Octix Innovation Jan 2025 – Present | Global - London / New York. Partnering on a fractional basis with early-stage startups in the social impact space to ideate, define, and launch new products. Portfolio currently includes two active clients for defining customer segments, key features + value proposition, journey and ux design to drive adoption and engagement. ### Senior Director, Product Strategy & Innovation, Mastercard Digital Labs @ Mastercard Jan 2021 – Jan 2025 | New York, United States Client engagement & strategy for human-centered product development and design lab to deliver cutting-edge solutions for Mastercard’s clients across multiple industries. • Led product strategy & ideation workshops, prototyping, tech mapping, UX design, and development sprints to launch innovative products, services, and experiences. Drove cross-functional collaboration across internal design + tech teams, clients, and external partners to deliver customized solutions aligned with identified market needs. Sample deliverables include: digital wallets, customer loyalty programs, card products /portfolios, ux development/ refresh, tech/ product roadmaps, go-to-market plans, customer engagement + acquisition strategies. ### Innovation Advisor @ Karakoram Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 | London, England, United Kingdom Karakoram is an award-winning developmental innovation organization that applies entrepreneurial thinking, strategy, design, and engineering to create breakthrough solutions for the world's toughest humanitarian challenges. Karakoram was born as the 'Developmental Innovation Group' within Glorious Labs, a hardware VR company based in London and Singapore that was named the UN Development Program (UNDP)'s 'Innovation Partner of Record' throughout Asia/Pacific in 2015. In 2019 Karakoram split off into an independent entity with a core remit to focus on solving technical innovation challenges around the world. ### Director, Product Innovation at LAB13 @ MRM Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 | Greater New York City Area LAB13 is an award winning product innovation studio for curious-minded experts in machine learning, design, real-time data, and technology within MRM McCann / McCann Worldgroup. It combines cognitive thinking with access to the lastest technologies, and accelerates human-centric product innovations with clients in the speed of start-ups. •Led product innovation & design for internal MRM studio focused on human-centric product ideation, development, and commercialization, also collaborating with/supporting IPG & McCann Worldgroup on ideation sessions & rapid prototyping o Product owner for $2M CPG client engagement focused on consumer-facing AI and data collection product, leading strategy, documentation, and delivery across MRM (creative, strategy, data, etc.), client, & technology vendor teams o Spearheaded ideation, rapid prototyping, & proof-of-concepts for AI, voice, & AR/VR products across beauty, telco, pharma & retail clients o Owned thought leadership via white papers focused on insights and new market opportunities including “Decade of Change” and “Zero-Touch Society,” and served as subject matter expert on the Tech, Media, & Telco Global Practice for the IPG global network ### Corporate Innovation Director @ WeWork Jan 2017 – Jan 2019 WeWork Labs is WeWork’s global innovation platform powering the next generation of industry transformation by helping startups and corporations create the future. • Hired as WeWork’s first Corporate Innovation professional to build out innovation-as-a-service products for enterprise clients: Led discovery and business development with top enterprises to create new product catalog, including Innovation Sprints, Innovation Labs, and internal team innovation + capacity building workshops o Launched first corporate piloting lab in San Francisco with Mastercard (client): guided Enterprise IoT startups through pilot exploration, and oversaw implementation + testing of internal Mastercard prototypes around future of work o Created first Innovation Sprint around the Future of Work for Mercer (client): sourced leading industry startups and supported facilitation of internal client pilots • WeWork innovation/special projects: crafted initial concept and strategy for WeWork’s own accelerator + piloting program, and lead market exploration and expansion for WeWork labs in the GCC/Middle East ### Mobility Lead, Syndicate Accelerators @ RocketSpace Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 | San Francisco Bay Area RocketSpace is a technology campus located in the heart of San Francisco, helping tech entrepreneurs, startups, and corporate professionals bring the future to market through programming, consulting, events, and office-as-a-service - with an a notable Alumni including Uber and Spotify. RocketSpace's Mobility Tech Accelerator enables later-stage startups and innovation-ready corporates to connect through a pilot-focused program to help fuel industry transformation and ultimately promote strategic investments, acquisitions, go-to-market partnerships, and licensing agreements. Our current corporate collaborators include BP, IBM, Magna, Allstate, Avis Budget Group, and VW. Find out more about our program and participating startups at : http://info.rocketspace.com/mobility-tech-accelerator • Product/program management: Lead the Mobility Tech Accelerator strategy and execution, engaging with 6 leading industry corporations and 11 global mobility startups focused on piloting and product validation • Business development: Served as product lead for all corporate mobility prospects, and lead product-side business development for all future industry accelerator products (retail, adtech, healthtech, fintech, and insurtech) ### Head of Ecosystem Engagement @ TechWadi.org Jan 2014 – Jan 2016 | San Francisco Bay Area TechWadi builds bridges between Silicon Valley and the Middle East (MENA) region to grow and expand the startup and technology ecosystem. In Silicon Valley, TechWadi connects and educates top technology leaders with channels to support high tech entrepreneurship in the Middle East. In MENA, TechWadi works with local partners to accelerate the region's most promising startups. • Product/program management: Developed product offerings and managed delivery of services including acceleration programs, member events/annual conferences, online learning workshops for network supporting the MENA region tech ecosystem • Partnerships & business development: Led growth strategy and business development, launching new programs and partnerships with global sponsors including Google & Microsoft, and creating opportunities to bring in regional partners • Executive oversight & operations: served as the organization’s executive lead and restructured the strategic vision and value proposition, with oversight for all program activities, operations, and finances ### Digital Marketing & External Relations Manager @ ICLEI USA Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 | Oakland, CA ICLEI USA is the leading association of smart cities and local governments committed to advancing deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability. •Marketing, PR, & communications: Developed integrated marketing strategy for programs/new product launches, and enhanced the brand with regular content across blog posts, press releases, e-blasts, and marketing collateral • Project campaigning: led outreach, recruitment, partnership development for Resilient Communities for America campaign for US elected officials, and instituted new marketing and recruitment strategies to increase campaign growth • Web management & social media: lead redesign/development, strategy, and website management for www.icleiusa.org, and strategy and management of all ICLEI USA-related social media accounts ### Program Operations & Development Fellow @ Relief International Jan 2010 – Jan 2011 | London, United Kingdom & Kabul, Afghanistan Relief International is an US & UK humanitarian, non-profit agency providing emergency relief, rehabilitation, and development assistance to communities of natural disasters and civil conflicts. LONDON HQ: • Project management: developed project plans, managed and trained field staff, and created reporting tools for education and economic development programs in South Asia and the Middle East • Business Development: drafted full-scope proposals (narrative, budget, logframe, etc) for high level RFPs including DfID and USAID/U.S. State Department , and and composed narrative briefs for new business and donor reporting KABUL FIELD OFFICE: •Project development: conducted market assessments, set strategy and project road maps, and recruited project teams to launch community development programs in rural Afghanistan •Technology/knowledge management: designed and implemented cloud collaboration portal for field and country office as a pilot project to strengthen global knowledge management • Monitoring & evaluation: conducted product assessment for struggling program in Nimroz province and developed reporting tools for improved field metrics and HQ communication ### Associate, Network Development Services @ The SEEP Network Jan 2008 – Jan 2010 | Washington D.C. Metro Area The Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network is the primary source for practitioners working in microenterprise development and microfinance fields. The Network Development Services (NDS) initiative is the leading provider of professional services, global standards, practical tools, and networking opportunities for microfinance associations worldwide. • Marketing & communications: developed newsletters and marketing materials, designed and marketed learning products, and created first annual program report for $11.2 million grant with the Citi Foundation • Project management: planned regional events and trainings, managed vendor contracts, tracked program budget and expenses • Community growth/recruitment: identified and liaised with microfinance associations for participation in SEEP activities, and doubled SEEP’s association membership in one year ### City Council Assistant @ City of West Hollywood Jan 2008 – Jan 2008 • Research and advocacy: performed due diligence on relevant issue areas, composed legislative briefing notes, and drafted resolutions for City Council • Event coordination: assisted in the planning and execution of large-scale city events including Women’s Leadership Conference, Chamber of Commerce Career Fair, and the 2008 Mayoral Inauguration • Community liaising: acted as a municipal representative between City Council and several federal, state, and county agencies; local businesses; and city constituents for Council and City-related issues ### Saban Center for Middle East Policy @ The Brookings Institution Jan 2008 – Jan 2008 | Washington D.C. Metro Area • Research: performed research and edited reports for project publications • Event logistics: liaised with international scholars and policymakers to organize the annual U.S. - Islamic World Forum, and provided logistical support and assisted high profile officials for elite U.S. Israeli dialogue conference ### Los Angeles District Office @ United States Congress: Rep. Henry A. Waxman Jan 2007 – Jan 2007 • Community liaising: assisted district constituents with casework involving U.S. Government agencies • Public outreach: composed salutatory greetings for public engagement events and responded to inquiry letters regarding district constituents on the Congressman’s behalf • Anti- corruption advocacy: participated in meetings with the Congressman regarding the corruption in U.S. Iraqi reconstruction efforts under the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ## Education ### Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science UCLA ### MSc in Democracy & Comparative Politics UCL ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/cashtary --- Source: https://flows.cv/christinaashtary JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/christinaashtary/resume.json Last updated: 2026-02-23