Stanford Life Design Lab Team
The Life Design Lab at Stanford teaches courses, delivers programs and tools, and conducts research applying the innovation principles of Design Thinking to the problems of life, education, and vocation.
BILL BURNETT
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Bill is the Executive Director of the Design Program at Stanford. He holds a number of mechanical and design patents, and design awards for a variety of products including the first “slate” computer. In addition to his duties at Stanford, he is on the Board of VOZ (pronounced “VAWS – it means voice in Spanish) a social responsible high fashion startup and advises several Internet start-up companies.
DAVE EVANS
Co-Founder
Dave Evans has been on a mission to help others find and pursue theirs ever since his undergrad days at Stanford. Along the way, he co-founded Electronic Arts and introduced the computer mouse to the world while at Apple.
KATHY DAVIES
Managing Director & Studio Lead
Kathy has 15 years of experience developing electromechanical and software products, and proudly holds five patents. She consults with Silicon Valley companies, teaches design thinking, conducts ethnographic research, and develops product strategies and concepts. Kathy is also the co-creator of “Designing Your Life for Women” and a passionate advocate for design thinking as a methodology to empower social change.
Life Design Fellows & Lecturers
SHANICE WEBB
Lecturer + Fellow
Shanice is committed to helping students gain insight, clarity and motivation towards creating a meaningful life, and has spent the last three years teaching and co-creating life design curriculum within higher education.
Through the International Coaching Federation, Shanice is a certified life coach, and has worked with both young professionals and college students helping them connect their curiosities to their purpose.
Shanice is passionate about living a healthy, well-balanced life, and received her MA in Health and Wellness from Tulane University.
URMILA VENKATESH
Lecturer + Fellow
Urmila aims to help people explore the depths of their past, experience peace of mind in the present, and find delight in possible futures. Her career in higher education began as a labor organizer for graduate teachers, then as an instructional and curriculum designer, and later as a career coach and team lead for PhD students seeking meaningful work.
Urmila is committed to integrating life design principles and to creating greater equity in design thinking practices. She brings a formal background in architecture, photography, and graphic design; her informal training includes perfecting the art of the follow-up question, opening people up by asking about their most cherished objects, and finding the right Spotify playlist for every occasion.
DUSTIN LIU
Lecturer + Fellow
Dustin strives to inspire awe, wonder, and surprise by noticing the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate experiences, ideas, and domains.
Outside of the Life Design Lab, Dustin works as a strategist supporting performance and impact transformations for purpose-driven organizations.
He is a self-described serial hobbyist, feeling most at home when he is learning something new (currently throwing clay!) You can often find him listening to Broadway soundtracks on repeat, attempting to find the perfect lemon at his local farmer’s market, and finding the perfect bowl of noodles.
Life Design Lab Fellow Alumni
Friends of the Lab
The Stanford Life Design Lab has been touched by so many individuals who have contributed to the work as facilitators, teaching team members and collaborators.
Collaborator, Co-Instructor, Facilitators
ALEX GOPINATHAN (DYL SP21)
ALIZA HOFFMAN (DtP S17)
ALLIE DA CAR (DYL SP19)
ANA MARTINS (DYL SP21)
ANDRES LAZO (DtP S17)
ANDREW EPIFANIO (DYL W19)
ANDREW EPIFANIO DYL W19
ANDREW SATANAPONG SGSI F17, DYS F16
ANGIE HAWKINS DtP SP20
ANNIE VLECK DYL F16
ARAME MBODJ DYL F20
ASHLEY EBERLE DYS SP20
BLANCA VIRREY DtP SP20
BROOKE ARMSTRONG DYL SP19
CARI COSTANZO DYS F17
CAYLA HATTON DYL W18
CHIARA GIOVANNI DYL F20
CHRIS GOLDE DtP S17
CIERRA GILLISON DYS W19, DYL SU20
COLLEEN McCALLION DYS F16, DYS F18
DANIELLE WOOD DYS W19
DANNY ALVAREZ DYS W18
DAVID GLASGOW DYS S17
DAYO MITCHELL DYS W18
DENISE BENATAR DtP S17
DIANA SUEDBECK DYS W19
ELIZA KLYCE DYL S17
ELLIS SCHRIEFER DYL W21
EM HAVENS DtP S18
EMMA CHENG DYL F17
ERIC WILBURN DYL F18
ERIKA M WELCH DtP S18
ERIKA NOBLE DYL F17
FAWN QIU DYL SP21
FIONA LEE SGSI F17
GENAI LEWIS DYL F17, DYL W18
GITANJALI BHATTACHARJEE DYL F18
GRAY FARLEY DYS SP21
HAYMITCH STEVENS DYS F19, DYS F20, DtP SP20, DYL W20
HIROSHI ISHII-ADAJAR DYL W17
IRINA STHAPIT DtP SP19
JEREMY HUNT SGSI F17
JOHANNA DAY SGSI
JOSLYN JOHNSON DYS F18
JUSTIN NEIMAN DYL W17
KADY RICHARDSON DYL F18
KATHERINE NOBLES DYL W17
KRISTEN AZEVEDO DYS F19
LARA SPENCER DYS W21
LAURA PICKEL DtP S18
LEELA SRINIVASAN DtP F18
LESLIE GARVIN DYL SP19
LINGTONG SUN SGSI F17
MAIJA CRUZ DYL SP19
MANUEL RINCON CRUZ DtP S18
MARISA MISSION DYL SU20, DYL F20, DYS W21, DYS SP21
MARTA HANSEN DYL SP19
MARYANN TUNG DYL W18
MATT MISTELE DYL S17
MEGAN DINO DYS W18
MEREDITH O’HARE DtP SP20
MICHAEL HAHN SGSI
MICHELLE HULL DYL F18
MICK SMYER DYS W17
MIRANDA SHEPHERD DYS F17
NATHANIEL BERGER DYS F17
NELIA RODRIGUEZ DYL F19, DYS W20, DYL SP20, DYS F20, DYL W21, DYL SP21
NELSON SHUCHMACHER ENDEBO DYL W21
NING DE-EKNAMKUL DYS S18
NORA BRACKBILL DtP SP19
OLIVIA MARTINEZ-STEWART DtP S17
QUINCY MINGO DYS S18
RACHELLE SLOSS DYL F17
REBECCA ROSE DYL F17, DYL S17
ROY ANG SGSI, DtP SP19
SARAH JOELSON DYL SP20, DYL SU20
SHANIA SANTANA DYS SP21
SHANNON BIRK JIBAJA DtP S18
SHELLEY WILLIAMSON DYS S17
SUSAN BURNETT DYL F16
TESSA FORSHAW DYL W18
TRACY BRANDENBURG DtP S17
VANESSA OCHAVILLO DYL F17, DYL S17