# Donna J. Bridge, PhD

> Principal Product Manager building AI products that translate strategy into revenue

Location: Oakland, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/donnajbridgephd

I don't ship features. I find real problems and translate them into tangible product solutions that drive outcomes that matter.

 

I have a PhD in Neuroscience and a track record of turning hard problems into real results, across academia and product.

 

At Alation, I've been trusted by the CEO repeatedly to take on the company's most ambiguous, high-stakes challenges and build the products and frameworks to solve them. I've spent my career solving at that intersection: understanding the human behavior that makes systems work and building products that drive value for users and the business at the same time. That's the throughline: I think in systems, translate hard problems into elegant product solutions, and ship things that create real impact.



Outside of work, I'm a long-time yoga practitioner and Iyengar Yoga teacher apprentice. It demands the same things I bring to work: depth, discipline, and systematic thinking.

## Work Experience
### Principal Product Manager @ Alation
Jan 2025 – Present | Redwood City, CA
Trusted by the CEO to lead the company's most critical go-to-market initiative, I built an internal AI platform for account intelligence and strategic selling end-to-end, from problem identification through research, strategy, and delivery. It became the fastest product in Alation's history, with 50% field adoption in week one of alpha and 213+ accounts researched in the first two weeks. I lead a cross-functional squad building AI-powered agents and agentic workflows for revenue teams, translating executive vision into tangible product decisions and proving out strategy with evidence and hands-on execution.

### Director of Product Research and Operations @ Alation
Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 | United States
Partnered with the CPO on product vision and strategy, creating materials for the board, company, and customers. Built and led Alation Labs, a structured beta program that brought customer insights directly into product decisions. Implemented a product operating model that trained PMs to innovate with product thinking, research, and an outcomes focus, and built the research practice that shaped roadmap priorities across the org.

### Sr Lead UX Researcher @ Alation
Jan 2021 – Jan 2024 | Redwood City, CA
Founded and scaled Alation's UX research practice from scratch, building the tools, templates, and end-user panel that enabled research across the org. Delivered insights that shaped direction for 20+ product initiatives, and created foundational assets including user journeys, personas, and frameworks adopted company-wide. Made the case for the ROI of UX directly to the CEO and executive team, securing greater investment and elevating research as a strategic function.

### Senior Design Researcher @ Target
Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco, CA
Joined Target's innovation team to lead research for 0-to-1 in-store experiences at Target's Open House in San Francisco. Delivered research published on the internal homepage, reaching 8,000+ employees and directly shaping design decisions from concept through execution.

### Research Assistant Professor @ Northwestern University - The Feinberg School of Medicine
Jan 2015 – Jan 2019 | Chicago, IL
Led an independent research program on human learning and memory at Northwestern University, securing over $1 million in NIH funding as Principal Investigator — a highly competitive process with less than 10% of grants funded. Published 13+ peer-reviewed papers, led a cross-functional team of scientists and clinicians, and mentored junior researchers across experimental design, analysis, and communication.

### Postdoctoral Fellow @ Northwestern University - The Feinberg School of Medicine
Jan 2012 – Jan 2015 | Greater Chicago Area
Conducted 30+ human subjects studies with 500+ participants, combining eye-tracking, behavioral responses, fMRI, and EEG to investigate learning and memory. Secured two highly competitive NIH fellowships to fund independent research. Work received national press coverage including NPR and the LA Times.


## Education
### Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Neuroscience
Northwestern University

### B.A. in Psychology | Women’s Studies
Syracuse University


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/donna-bridge
- Website: https://www.donnajobridge.com/
- Website: https://github.com/donnajobridge
- Website: https://www.lemongrass.team/

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Source: https://flows.cv/donnajbridgephd
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/donnajbridgephd/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-05