# Kai Jaffe > Human-Centered Design practitioner & evangelist | Bridging the gap between Strategy, Innovation & Execution Location: Berkeley, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/kaijaffe I'm someone who's been immersed in the world of design, product development, brand, and strategy for over 20 years. What drives me is the thrill of weaving these rich experiences together to drive top-line and bottom-line growth. I'm not your typical strategist; I'm the bridge between the big picture strategy and the nitty-gritty of getting things done. My purpose has always been to empower teams to shine, boost profits, and etch an indelible mark on brands or clients. Over the years, I've led lighting brands, held the reins of P&L responsibilities, and orchestrated profit boosts of up to 25%. One of my core strengths is assembling and empowering teams to breathe fresh life into existing products or reimagining groundbreaking new ones, ushering them from concept to market. My biggest wins have involved leading diverse teams on the exciting journey to uncover those nuggets of consumer behavior insights that open doors to thrilling opportunities. It's all about that magical connection between data and insights with our strategic vision. My journey started as a designer asking “why” and today, my work is helping designers and architects solve their problems. Together with my teams, we've won multiple awards for products and marketing, introduced new-to-the-industry benefits to over a million enrollees, and helped craft strategic roadmaps for a diverse range of companies, from big-league product companies to large SaaS companies and category defining manufacturers. TEAM LEADERSHIP • Leading with a strategic vision • Bridging team dynamics • Enabling high engagement & cross functional collaboration   INNOVATION STRATEGY & GROWTH • Top-line & bottom-line growth • Creating actionable strategic roadmaps • De-risking business strategy   PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & PROCESS • Uncovering operational efficiencies to reduce risk • P&L accountability across channels • Leading Human-centered design thinking ## Work Experience ### Outside Specification Sales Rep @ sixteen5hundred Jan 2024 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Collaborating with architects and lighting designers to bring exceptional lighting solutions to life in the Bay Area. ### Adjunct Professor @ California College of the Arts Jan 2023 – Present | San Francisco, California, United States Class: Communication by Design Program: MDes, Masters of Human Interaction Design ### Client Impact Lead @ propelland Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco, California, United States Lead engagements for Converse, Adobe, and Vitro Architectural Glass Propelland is a global strategy, design & engineering firm helping companies through digital transformation and uncovering new business opportunities through the lens of sustainability. - De-risked business strategy resulting in surpassing a $2M sales goal by evangelizing human-centered design and building robust client relationships - Drove success and solved customer problems by delivering expert guidance to clients, aligning innovation strategy with business strategy - Lead successful execution of innovation strategies by collaborating with clients to develop future-focused 3- to 5-year roadmaps - Delivered exceptional project outcomes and consistently exceeded expectations, leading to a 100% repeat business rate from clients - Achieved maximum impact and results by coaching the project team to prioritize time effectively - Increased engagement size by 25% through workshops and educational initiatives with clients ### Product Strategy & Innovation Manager @ Delta Dental Ins. Jan 2018 – Jan 2022 | San Francisco Bay Area - Collaborated with Product to identify strategic opportunity areas for growth by effectively using market research and competitive intelligence - Streamlined innovation and stage gate processes with a strategic framework resulting in cross-team alignment which saved 10 hours of weekly meetings - Partnered with an early-stage start-up to launch teledentistry mobile app during COVID-19 to 1.5 million enrollees - Led cross-functional team in launching digital benefit product to 300,000 enrollees, from concept to back-end technology integration - Facilitated 200 colleagues in human-centered design workshops and sprints, cutting product cycles, improving satisfaction, and reducing waste ### Brand Leader, Peerless Lighting @ Acuity Brands Jan 2010 – Jan 2018 | Berkeley, CA - Managed $65M P&L, from design strategy through global manufacturing and sales, increasing new product sales from 4% to 55% - Partnered with Sales and Marketing to deliver customer-specific innovation, building an innovation pipeline and increasing brand profitability - Developed human-centered design process for 50+ innovation colleagues, improving product outcomes and customer satisfaction - Drove brand strategy, research, customer experiences, and won most innovative product of the year at major trade show ### Lead Designer @ LittleFootprint Lighting, Inc. Jan 2009 – Jan 2010 - Designed and developed LED desk lamp for manufacturing - Implemented sustainability guidelines ### Senior Designer @ Williams-Sonoma Jan 2006 – Jan 2009 | San Francisco Bay Area - Executed global strategy and product development of a $50M tabletop business - Designed top selling core and seasonal products for various merchant teams - Co-lead the development and strategy of Williams-Sonoma’s initial sustainability initiative ### Designer @ Macy’s Merchandising Group Jan 2006 – Jan 2006 - Conceptualized and designed tabletop goods - Facilitated prototype process from CAD modeling to 3D printing ### Designer/Project Manager @ eenamaria Jan 2005 – Jan 2006 - Oversaw concept development, prototyping, production, and marketing of handbags featured on target.com ### Web Producer @ Law.com Jan 2000 – Jan 2002 ## Education ### MID in Master's of Industrial Design Pratt Institute ### BA in Religion & Art History Vassar College ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kaijaffe --- Source: https://flows.cv/kaijaffe JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/kaijaffe/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-05