Stepheni Mendez
Denver, Colorado, US
Open to advisory
Customer acquisition · Product · Engineering & Tech · Design & Brand
Stepheni is a operator who advises early-stage founders. Happy to help with practical next steps, reviews, and intros where relevant. Areas I advise on: Brand Design, Design, Customer Acquisition, Entrepreneurship, Product, Other, Industry, Operations, Personal, Achievement, Founder, Healthcare Technology.
Makes warm intros to
5
Hours / month
About Stepheni
I'm a designer, builder, and founder who believes AI is the most powerful tool for equity we've ever had — if we're intentional about who gets to use it and how.
That belief shows up three ways in my work right now:
At Maia Women's Health, I'm co-founder and CPO, building the front end of our AI-powered platform myself — using UX architecture, design sprint methodology, and 15+ years of product and brand design experience to create healthcare technology that serves women.
At Scrappy Sparrow, my boutique design studio, I work directly with women-owned and marginalized small businesses — building brands and websites powered by AI, and teaching owners how to use those tools themselves. Because access to great design and AI literacy shouldn't be gatekept by hiring budget or tech background.
In my advisory and consulting work, I partner with founders and leadership teams on AI strategy, design systems, and product infrastructure — bringing the same ethical lens and human-centered design methodology I apply to everything I build.
My background is in design, but my work lives at the intersection of systems thinking, psychology, and technology. I hold systems design expertise, a psychology background, and the conviction that how we build with AI is a design decision — and designers need to be in that room.
I believe AI can close gaps or widen them. I've made a career of closing them.
Skills
Human-Centered Design,
Consistently applies a human-centered design methodology across all build and advisory work.
Product Design
Possesses over 15 years of experience in product design, focusing on human-centered approaches.
Product Management
As CPO, leads product strategy and development for an AI-powered healthcare platform.
Systems Thinking
Works extensively at the intersection of systems thinking, psychology, and technology, with a focus on AI.
Ethical AI
Advocates for intentional and equitable use of AI, applying an ethical lens to all work.
UX Architecture
Utilizes UX architecture principles to design user experiences for healthcare technology.
Founder
Successfully founded and co-founded multiple ventures, including a design studio and a women's health tech company.
Entrepreneurship
Founded and co-founded companies, demonstrating a strong entrepreneurial drive.
Brand Design
Has over 15 years of experience in brand design and builds brands for small businesses.
AI Strategy
Partners with leadership teams to develop and implement effective AI strategies.
Healthcare Technology
Specializes in creating healthcare technology, specifically for women's health.
Design Sprint Methodology
Applies design sprint methodology in product development to innovate rapidly.
Gen AI Development
Actively building AI-powered platforms and solutions for healthcare and small businesses, with a focus on architecture, UX design and front-end development for rapid GTM.
Consulting
Provides advisory and consulting services to founders and leadership teams on AI strategy and product.
Design Systems
Partners with founders on product infrastructure and implementing design systems.
Web Development
Builds websites, often powered by AI, for women-owned and marginalized small businesses.
Teaching
Teaches small business owners how to leverage AI tools for their brands and websites.
Experience
job
Co-founder & CPO
Maia Women's Health
Co-founded and serves as Chief Product Officer, leading the development of an AI-powered platform for women's health.
Built the front end of the AI-powered platform, applying UX architecture and design sprint methodology with 15+ years of product/brand design expertise to create impactful healthcare technology.
job
Founder & Owner
Scrappy Sparrow
Operates a boutique design studio specializing in branding and web development for women-owned and marginalized small businesses.
Built brands and websites powered by AI, and educated owners on using AI tools, promoting access to great design and AI literacy without gatekeeping.
job
AI Strategy & Product Consultant
Independent Consulting
Partners with founders and leadership teams, providing advisory and consulting services on AI strategy, design systems, and product infrastructure.
Successfully guides teams with an ethical lens and human-centered design methodology, helping to close gaps and ensure intentional AI implementation.
job
Senior Manager Product Design
Genesys Ltd
Over three years at Genesys, progressed from managing a broken design system team to executive-level product influence — rebuilding both culture and craft in parallel, leading a full design system overhaul with cross-functional designers, engineers, and a PM, delivering a keynote to 400+ engineers and the C-suite to drive company-wide adoption, and ultimately shaping product strategy and design direction across the agent experience at organizational scale.