vanessa slavich

We believe in a future where everyone can prosper. Working on Celo—a mobile-first blockchain that makes decentralized financial (DeFi) tools and services accessible to anyone with a mobile phone, bringing the powerful benefits of DeFi to the users of the 6 billion smartphones in circulation today. With its interoperability, cross-chain compatibility, and vision for currency inclusivity, the Celo Platform enables native and non-native digital assets–both cryptographic and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)–to circulate freely, at extremely low costs and high speeds, across devices, carriers, and countries–making money mobile, global and accessible like never before. We're hiring and are passionate about building a company of people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. If you identify as underrepresented in tech and are curious about blockchain for social good and / or cryptocurrencies, I would love to meet you.

During and post grad school, I helped with design research, workshop facilitation, and partnerships for a UN innovation center based in the Netherlands. The Centre for Humanitarian Data is focused on increasing the use and impact of data in the humanitarian sector. The Centre is focused on four areas: 1) data services; 2) data literacy; 3) data policy; and 4) network engagement. Our vision is to create a future where all people involved in a humanitarian situation have access to the data they need, when and how they need it, to make responsible and informed decisions. https://centre.humdata.org/

While in grad school, I had the honor to work with the amazing team at the Kapor Center, including Dr. Freada Kapor Klein, Ellen Pao, Mandela Schumacher-Hodge Dixon, and Dr. Allison Scott, to advance diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. Because the Kapor organizations include a non-profit and a venture capital firm, I was able to contribute to systems-level changes in the tech industry through programs like Diversity Advocates.

Created the position at Square. Utilized the creative process to develop innovative programs and approaches to diversity and inclusion. Instructional design to create new content and learning modalities around inclusion.

Recruiting strategy, partnerships, program management

My initial mandate was “to help start the recruiting team and I can do whatever I want”. Welcome to startup life :) We were 70 people at the time and when I left we were close to 2,000. I learned SO much during my 5.5 years at Square, including that my strength is building more than maintaining. Every 3-6 months, I was tapped to start a new function—including learning and development programs, internal & external events, & employee wellness program.

Returned from Europe during the recession and got referred for a recruiting role at Apple—I loved Apple products so I gave it a go. I quickly realized recruiting wasn’t for me, but I learned some core skills and got really good at optimization, relationship building, process improvement, and event management. Also, when my boss left, he asked me to join him at his new company, Square.

Truthfully? Disliked traditional finance (making rich people richer) but loved working as a designer and traveling Europe at every opportunity.

CCA’s new Masters in Interaction Design program prepares students for the most in-demand design discipline. In an increasingly technology-rich world, opportunities abound for designers who can make technologies more meaningful, usable, and delightful. CCA is committed to the idea that interaction design should have a positive impact on society. Our students learn to humanize technologies, and to address critical, complex challenges in innovative, socially conscious ways. The core of our Masters program is a year-round Social Lab, in which all students address real problems with real stakeholders. Our approach is systemic and experimental. We’ll be collaborating with community members to identify local social challenges; we seek a holistic understanding of those challenges and their root causes; and we engage community members as partners in the process of designing tools and systems to address those challenges.

Modules in Managing Teams and Managing Information

Commencement Speaker: 2007, 2009