Hi, I’m Contessa.

I'm a product designer with a decades-long love for all things design and digital. I discovered my passion for making websites when I was 13 (RIP Geocities) and haven't stopped making them since. I have a particular weakness for beautiful typography and smart design systems.

I'm currently a Principal Product Designer at Fundrise. Before joining the Fundrise design team, I was a UX designer and developer at The Kennedy Center where I designed web experiences that helped bring brand consistency to the website as well as a more efficient shopping experience for our patrons.

Previously, I served as the Deputy Director of Design for the Obama White House Office of Digital Strategy, where I helped lead the team in visualizing the short-term and long-term stories of President Obama's ongoing initiatives. I led the design effort to reframe the WhiteHouse.gov to tell the full story of President Obama's eight years of achievements in office, as well as designing graphics and landing pages to support the president's day-to-day news and events.

Before joining the White House, I was a senior designer at Blue State working with clients — such as EMILY's List, Freedom to Marry, and the American Hospital Association, among others — to build communities and solve problems through design.

In addition to being a graduate from Boston University's Center for Digital Arts, I have a B.A. in Communication Arts and earlier in my career worked as a reporter for The Gazette newspapers covering the suburbs in the Washington, D.C. metro area. While my day-to-day no longer involves sitting in city council meetings or attending press conferences, my love for storytelling now comes through in thoughtful, human-centered design.