Summit Labs

As a Fractional CTO I help transform teams that are struggling to deliver results. I start with simplifying the processes and the platform to get results. 

I help companies to scale by:
1. Adding users
2. Adding features
3. Adding developers

As a seasoned technical product builder and startup advisor, I have been at the forefront of helping early-stage companies bring their ideas to life by building cutting-edge software products. With extensive experience in software development and a deep understanding of the startup ecosystem, I specialize in advising startups on the right technical decisions to make, helping them navigate through the complex process of product development, and providing strategic guidance on how to build successful and scalable products. 

Whether it's working with founders to identify the best technology stack for their product or leading development teams to build high-quality software, I am committed to helping startups achieve their goals by providing the technical expertise they need to succeed.

Fractional CTO | Principal Technical Advisor

Katilyst

Katilyst is leading the charge with products and services focused on shifting company culture toward security best practices through engaging security champion programs.

Investor and Advisor

ByDesign

As a technical advisor for ByDesign, I provide critical guidance and support to help the company navigate the complexities of the technology landscape and achieve their ambitious goals.

Through a collaborative and hands-on approach, I am able to help guide the development of  customized solutions that align with the ByDesign's specific needs and goals. Thanks in part to my guidance and support, the company continues to achieve significant success, rapidly scaling their platform and expanding their offerings.

Primary Venture Partners

As an Expert, I provide strategic advice and guidance to Primary and their portfolio network. Experts enjoy access to early-stage businesses, emerging trends and technology, and an expanded network of exceptional leaders, and resources through a top-tier seed-stage firm.

Primary is New York City’s premier early stage venture firm working alongside founders to build unicorns like Alloy, Chief, Electric, K Health, Slice, and many more.

Advisor / Expert

Techstars

As a technical mentor to early stage startups, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most innovative and exciting companies in the technology space.

My role has been to provide guidance, support, and advice to these startups as they navigate the challenges of building a successful business, with a particular focus on their technical strategy and execution.

Through a collaborative and hands-on approach, I have worked closely with the founders and their teams to help them develop the technical skills and knowledge they need to build robust and scalable technology solutions.

This has included providing mentorship and coaching on a range of technical topics, from software engineering best practices and architectural design to cloud computing, data science, and emerging technologies.

One of the things that sets me apart as a technical mentor is my ability to tailor my approach to the specific needs and goals of each startup. I take the time to understand their unique challenges and opportunities, and work closely with them to develop customized solutions that meet their needs.

Through my experience as a technical mentor, I have gained a deep appreciation for the unique challenges and opportunities that early stage startups face in the technology space. And I am committed to using my skills and expertise to help these companies succeed and thrive in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving landscape.

Mentor

goLance

At goLance we're leading the industry with technical innovation bringing together the right talent with the right clients.

As the Chief Technology Officer for a dynamic marketplace platform, I am instrumental in steering the technology direction and software development to bring together clients and freelancers. My role encompasses leading a talented tech team, enhancing our platform to meet and exceed user expectations, and driving innovation to ensure our technology stays ahead of the curve.

With a keen eye on the evolving tech landscape, I navigate through technological advancements to incorporate cutting-edge solutions that elevate our service. My approach is hands-on in solving technical challenges, ensuring our platform remains robust and reliable. I excel in demystifying complex technical concepts, ensuring seamless communication across teams and with our stakeholders, thereby fostering a collaborative environment that propels our platform forward.

My mission is to create a marketplace that not only meets the current demands of our users but also anticipates future needs, making it a go-to platform for clients and freelancers alike. Through strategic planning, technological innovation, and a commitment to excellence, I am dedicated to enhancing our platform's impact and success in the marketplace.

Chief Technology Officer

Calendly

At Calendly we're making scheduling easy.

As an application architect, I play a critical role in helping the organization design, build, and deploy complex software applications that meet their unique needs.

Through a deep understanding of software engineering best practices, application design patterns, and modern technologies, I have been able to develop scalable, reliable, and maintainable software architectures that support business growth and drive innovation.

Some of the key areas in which I have provided value include:

* Guiding the implementation of a microservices-based architecture for improved scalability and flexibility
* Designing and guiding development cloud-native applications for enhanced reliability, availability, and cost-effectiveness
* Advising on software engineering best practices and emerging technologies to keep applications current and competitive
* Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with business goals and objectives

Application Architect

WealthForge

As application architect for WealthForge, a fintech startup, I was responsible for designing and implementing cutting-edge solutions for the Altigo platform. With my deep expertise in software engineering, cloud computing, and financial technologies, I was able to deliver innovative solutions that simplified the overall architecture that allowed for better scalability and security.

My role involved working closely with our development teams to design and implement solutions that are scalable, reliable, and secure. Whether we were developing new features, optimizing existing applications, or building integrations with third-party platforms, I ensured that our solutions are aligned with our business objectives and meet the needs of the business.

Capital One

At Capital One, we're Changing Banking for Good. As a Master Software Engineer I have developed applications to improve visibility of key financial metrics. I have developed and continually contributed to inner sourced application frameworks that have decreased development time by 80% while improving application security and resiliency. As an AWS Solutions Architect, I have reduced cloud costs by 66% while increasing application resiliency.

As a trainer and teacher I have developed and lead training courses in Threat Modeling, Application Development, and Application Security.

Master Software Engineer

Provider Resources, Inc.

Application Developer

CTO at goLance • Making software simple • Startup Mentor

Building and scaling your product feels unpredictable and frustrating.

Now, imagine if you could:
- Have a clear roadmap for your tech decisions
- Build a system that supports consistent, scalable growth

You know there’s a better way to operate.

This is where I come in...

For startups and scale-ups, I offer Technical Advising Services:
- I provide high-level strategic advice, along with hands-on guidance to ensure execution aligns with your business goals.
- With over 15 years in the field and experience leading teams through high-growth phases, I specialize in helping companies avoid costly mistakes and create tech systems that scale.
- My frameworks have helped companies transform messy tech stacks into well-oiled machines, ready to scale.

I offer a limited number of advising slots to ensure each client gets personalized attention.
  
If you’re ready to take your technology to the next level, send me a message or schedule a call using the link in my profile.

Brian Childress

U.S. Bank

Building out the zeroheight documentation for the Shield Design System “Commons” (community component resource) across the three digital platforms (AEM, React and iOS/Android) to help UX designers best align on a definitive standard for finished components that are ready for reuse, i.e., a "Definition of Done" (DoD).

Partner with communications strategists to relay important updates in the Design Language System via the Zeroheight documentation system. This includes managing 'What's New' releases via the Shield Design System.

Supporting the UX content strategy initiatives for the Shield Design Language System. Coordinating the rollout of CMS components for design teams across the bank in coordination with product brand, helping to shape the UX Content Design practices for UX Writers (90+ writers across the bank).

Work closely with the Community of Practice (COP) to drive strategic content design initiatives for the digital space at U.S. Bank, including content designer role scope and objectives. Developing strategies around improved onboarding and hiring experiences for the Content Designer role.

Principal Content Strategist, Vice President — Shield Design System

*Content Strategy program was eliminated and UX Content team departed Calendly in 2022*

Partnered closely with a UX design strategy team and product research to develop better and more intuitive user experiences for the Calendly scheduling tools to make scheduling easy! 

Spearheaded the UX content strategy and design for the 'Make Scheduling Easy'(MSE) product transformation. I crafted the user narrative story that served as the foundation for the MSE prototype that was presented at the July 2022 Calendly company forum held onsite at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, replete with a professional voiceover narration and actor portrayal of the personas and user journey.

Calendly, a powerful yet simple automated scheduling tool, takes the work out of connecting with others so you can accomplish more. Millions of users benefit from an enjoyable scheduling experience, more time to spend on top priorities and flexibility to accommodate individual users and large teams alike. Calendly works with Google, Office 365 and Outlook calendars and apps like Salesforce, Stripe, PayPal, Google Analytics, GoToMeeting and Zapier for a seamless user experience.

Sr. Product Content Strategist (role eliminated)

UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)

Managing brand unification for UX content between the three product areas under UKG (Pro, Dimensions and Ready) to create a source of truth for UX writing guidance and tools, including the new Brand persona for UKG's voice and tone. UX Content design contributor to the new branding style guide for product design. 

Lead Content Designer for Benefits Open Enrollment following the UKG acquisition of EverythingBenefits, a platform for employers to run yearly benefits open enrollment. Worked directly with Product Research prototyping UI concepts with a particular focus on copy and user journeys in benefits enrollment. 

Work directly with teams in a subject-matter expert position on UX Content and Strategy, focused exclusively on the UKG Pro product suite. Host weekly office hours, twice a week, to consult with design teams across all product areas. 

Created a Slack channel #uxwritelikeapro to serve as a point of guidance and a place to crowdsource ideas and share feedback on copy, under my guidance. Designers interact in the channel on an almost daily basis. I did training sessions on how to write UX copy for each designer before granting them access to the channel and my office hours. This ensures the designers have copy and/or design prototypes ready to review and discuss in office hours.

Sr. User Experience Writer

At UKG, Our Purpose Is People. Built from a merger between Ultimate Software and Kronos that created one of the largest cloud companies in the world, Ultimate Kronos Group believes organizations succeed when they focus on their people. As a leading global provider of HCM, payroll, and workforce management solutions, UKG’s award-winning UltiPro, Workforce Dimensions, and Workforce Ready solutions help tens of thousands of organizations around the world and in every industry drive better business outcomes, improve HR effectiveness, streamline the payroll process, and help make work a better experience for everyone.  With more than 12,000 employees around the world, UKG's own workplace culture has consistently been recognized as a best place to work all over the world, including consecutive years on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list. To learn more, visit UKG.com

User Experience Writer

Ultimate Software

Recruited to Product UX as the first and only UX Writer at Ultimate Software (now UKG), founding the UX Content team in partnership with the Senior Content Strategist. Co-developed the content strategy and UI content for the new UltiPro rollout for mobile. I oversaw the creation of both copy and help guidance platforms for a seamless and engaging user experience.

Embedded directly within high visibility product teams, working remotely and on-site in San Francisco, Toronto, and Fort Lauderdale office locations to build UX content pattern guidance within the Ignite Design Language System. (40-50% travel)

Co-developed an on-site workshop for UX Designers and Project Managers across the product space to teach foundational UX writing principles and Ultimate voice/tone guidance (since I was the only UX Writer and could not be embedded in every product team), in coordination with reoccurring virtual UX office hours that I hosted twice a week. As part of the workshop, I co-developed a game card deck for each attendee to keep that provides detailed guidance in their UX writing work after the workshop. 

This card deck was developed with the understanding that writing is not a skillset that comes naturally to everyone, including writers where English is not their native language. The deck includes guidance for all of the foundational writing principles, voice and tone, and UI Do's and Don'ts examples. The deck was used to help build confidence in UX writing as well as cross-collaboration on feedback in the workshops. The workshops were well attended with stellar feedback reviews. Designers and Product Managers continue to reach out to me about the workshops as they continue to use these decks in their respective work with other design organizations after leaving Ultimate/UKG. [A portfolio of this work is available upon request].

UX Writer - NU Brand Design Team

Technical writer and Learning content developer for Ultimate Software’s cloud based HCM software, UltiPro. Content developer for the NU Ignite app and desktop platform, UltiPro Perception, UltiPro TimeBase, UltiPro TouchBase, and the UltiPro payroll and tax management product suite. Rapidly learning all things DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture)...it’s a whirlwind, but it’s fascinating stuff. DITA is the future of AI-intuitive content. 

I work with a truly amazing crew creating engaging and fun learning content - it’s my dream job.

Ultimate Software is a leading cloud provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions. With a commitment to always put people first, Ultimate’s award-winning UltiPro delivers HR, payroll, talent, compensation, and time and labor management solutions that seamlessly connect people with the information and resources they need to work more effectively. Founded in 1990, Ultimate supports thousands of customers, representing diverse industries and managing millions of employees worldwide. Consistently ranked on FORTUNE’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For since 2012, exemplifying our commitment to always putting People First. This philosophy is the underlying fabric of our corporate culture, partnership with customers, and strategic software design. 

FORTUNES #1 Best Workplaces in Technology List in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
FORTUNES #3 Best Place to Work 1000+ Employees in 2018
FORTUNES #7 Best Place to Work 1000+ Employees in 2017
FORTUNES #15 Best Place to Work 1000+ Employees in 2016
FORTUNES #21 Best Place to Work 1000+ Employees in 2015
FORTUNES #20 Best Place to Work 1000+ Employees in 2014 
FORTUNES #9 Best Place to Work 1000+ Employees in 2013
FORTUNES #25 Best Place to Work 1000+ Employees in 2012
Ranked # 1 Best Place to Work - Mid-Market Great Places to Work Institute (Twice)
Ranked # 1 Best SaaS Provider - American Business Awards
Ranked # 1 Best HRMS Provider - Forrester Research

Technical Writer - Learning Team

Upwork

Providing WordPress website development (graphics and copy) as well as other visual creative content on a project by project basis.

Freelance Writer/WordPress Development

Fieldwork, Inc.

Collaborative working relationship with market research firms and focus group respondents to help our clients gain insight into the minds of consumers. Worked directly with clients from various industries including pharma, medical, legal, entertainment, hospitality, restaurants, children's clothing and toys, automotive, food and beverage, retail, banking and finance, phone apps, computer hardware and software, etc., to analyze how consumers shop, which products they prefer—and why. 

- Consistently maintain knowledge and research of client recruitment goals and strategies, which steered recruiting education via online recruitment tools and call center operations.
- Devised recruitment scripts for call center employees based on individual client specs. Formulated to eliminate outliers and potential hindrances to a successful focus group. 
- Oversaw the research of demographics related to specific studies and worked with client to develop a spectrum of ideal study participants.

Client Researcher

Hi, I’m Shann👋🏻 

I design user experiences with words to make software feel and sound more human. I’m a cross between a UX Designer and a digital storyteller. Love delving into UX and product research to gain user insights, channeling data into stellar engagement in the user experience!

My skill set includes user experience (UX) writing, user interface (UI) and UX content design and strategy, desktop and mobile prototyping, UX journey mapping, Design Language System (DLS) pattern development and guidance, UX brand strategy, Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA), technical writing, and UX brand persona development. 

I’m a big proponent of servant leadership and an ego-free collaborative environment—it’s here where innovation truly thrives. I’m available for collaboration or as a soundboard for creative strategy! Feel free to reach out to me.

Portfolio available upon request.

taplio

The Battle

Brian Childress

Shann M.

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