# Karina Kotval

> Sr. Staff Product Designer

Profile: https://flows.cv/karina

I'm a fast-paced and people-first design leader with 12+ years of product expertise spanning healthcare, startups and big tech. I've worked on products I've personally used and loved, and I'm passionate about product-led growth with scalable & creative solutions. People management is my top skill - I'm a seasoned manager with the gift of being a proven thought leader, mentor, and coach. I love engaging design teams through intentional hiring, a culture of trust & clear leadership.

## Work Experience
### Sr. Staff Product Designer @ Handshake
Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco, United States
Design Leader Driving Gen Z Career Discovery at Scale — Powering a Network of 20M+ Students & 1M+ Employers on Handshake

### Director of Design - Viewer Experience @ Twitch
Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Led 12-person product design org for Twitch's core consumer experiences, including content discovery, personalized recommendations, and growth funnels across web, iOS, Android and living room devices.

### Sr. Product Design Manager @ Twitch
Jan 2019 – Jan 2022 | San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Worked on the viewing experience on twitch.tv, focusing on creating connections and matching viewers to their favorite content.

### Senior Product Designer @ Twitch
Jan 2018 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Designed viewing experiences on twitch.tv, focusing on new user/onboarding UX. Designed the Twitch Notifications Platform, used for internal and product notifications.

### Principal Designer @ Brightwheel
Jan 2016 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, United States
Led the B2B SaaS design strategy for Brightwheel, the #1 Childcare Management App in the US. Spearheaded the delivery of Brightwheel's Billing & Subscription, creating a revenue workflow that supports scalability and diverse payment needs.

### Senior User Experience Designer @ Kaiser Permanente
Jan 2016 – Jan 2016 | San Francisco, United States
Led the design for the iOS & Android experiences for wellness app. Designed mobile app to help users navigate wellness offerings and track health goals.

### Design Technologist @ UC Berkeley
Jan 2010 – Jan 2016 | Berkeley, California, United States
Led the design and development at UC Berkeley's Student Affairs websites, ensuring alignment with brand and accessibility standards.

### Front End Engineer @ Woot
Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | Greater Seattle Region, United States
Designed and developed digital marketing campaigns for brands. Created interactive web experiences and digital ads, optimizing engagement and conversion rates.


## Education
### Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
Jan 2009 – Jan 2013

### Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at The George Washington University
Jan 2009 – Jan 2011


## Contact & Social
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinakotval/
- Portfolio: https://www.karinakotval.com/
- Email: mailto:karina@placeholder.flows.cv

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Source: https://flows.cv/karina
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/karina/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-01-30