2016 MIMS Final Project Judges

Track 1: User-Centered Design

Isha Dandavate
User Experience Researcher, YouTube
MIMS 2014

Isha is a user experience researcher at YouTube (Google). She works closely with designers, product managers, and engineers to inform the development of better user experiences for YouTube viewers. Prior to Google, Isha worked as a storyteller and design researcher at SonicRim, a design research consultancy based in San Francisco. She has a master’s in information management and systems from the UC Berkeley School of Information, and a bachelor’s degree from New York University in international relations and journalism.

Carol Dunn
Director of Product Management, Ancestry.com

Carol Dunn is a strategic leader with fifteen years experience creating personalized product experiences, including implementing applied machine learning products, developing user-centered designs, and delivering recommendation platform systems. Carol is currently the director of product management at Ancestry.com and has also held leadership roles in product management at companies such as Pearl.com, Loomia, and BuilderHomesite Inc. Carol has a passion for education and has served as a guest lecturer in user experience and product management.

Satish Ramachandran
Head of Design and Interfaces, Nutanix

Satish Ramachandran is the head of design and user interfaces at Nutanix, a Silicon Valley startup that is redefining enterprise computing through design. In this role, Satish bridges the twin worlds of engineering and design. Prior to Nutanix, Satish held a variety of management and technical leadership roles over the past two decades at computing infrastructure companies such as DataDomain, Andiamo (Cisco), and Tandem. Satish holds an M.S. in computer science. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife and three children.


Track 2: Online Sharing and Collaboration

Ryan Baker
Web and Marketing Systems Engineer, TubeMogul, Inc.
MIMS 2014

With a background in strategic marketing, web and systems engineering, and UX design, Ryan Baker has always had a passion for exploring new ways to use technology to improve lives, communities, and businesses. His drive to understand what makes people tick and how to tap into those needs has led him to careers developing technology in the music industry and most recently in software. After earning his Master's in Information Management and Systems from the UC Berkeley School of Information in 2014, he joined TubeMogul, a fast-growing ad tech company in Emeryville, CA, where he is a web and marketing systems engineer. When not on the computer, Ryan is likely pursuing culinary delights, doing the Times crossword, seeing live music, or exploring the natural wonders of California.

Xavier Malina
Data Architect & Curator, Nest
MIMS 2015

Xavier Malina is currently a data architect & curator with the Nest business analytics team, which drives decision making at Nest across sales, marketing, and operations. Prior to joining Nest, Xavier served in various roles ranging from product management at Akamai, staff assistance in the Office of White House Personnel,  and senior communications database coordinator at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Xavier has a master's in information management & systems from the UC Berkeley School of Information, and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science from Tufts University.

Satish Polisetti
CEO & Co-founder, AdsNative
MIMS 2011

Satish Polisetti is the co-founder of AdsNative, the software that is powering advertising for the modern bannerless internet. He previously worked in mobile technology companies such as Qualcomm,  Amobee (bought by SingTel), MdotM and received the Mayfield Fund Fellowship in 2010. Satish is a guest contributor to several trade/news publications such as Digital Content Next, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Internet Advertising Bureau, MediaPost and more. He holds a patent for visual object identification for digital authentication (which inspired Google’s image-based CAPTCHAs) and has published articles with IEEE on nano-computing and network processors. Satish graduated from the Berkeley School of Information in 2011 with a MIMS degree and a certificate in management of technology. He has double majors in mechanical & electrical engineering and was recognized with a ‘30 Under 30’ award by his undergraduate alumni organization.


Track 3: Platforms and Connections

George Hayes
User Experience Architect, Eventbrite
MIMS 2011

George Hayes is a user experience architect focused on consumer experience at Eventbrite. He researches and designs the Eventbrite iOS and Android apps, along with search and browse on the web. Prior to working for Eventbrite, George was a user experience designer at Netflix. While there he led the redesign of Netflix’s web and Playstation search, along with designing and researching new social video paradigms. He received his B.A. in psychology and fine arts from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007. George also attended the UC Berkeley School of Information, where he received his MIMS degree in 2011. He currently lives in San Francisco.

Deb Linton
Product Designer, Vium
MIMS 2014

Deb Linton (MIMS ’14) has a passion for the analysis and design of human computer interactions and data-driven decision. She currently works as the product designer for Vium, a biotech startup combining sensors, computer intelligence, and biomedical science to help researchers get higher quality, more predictive data from pre-clinical studies. Prior to that, she was an information architect at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, developing technology to improve care for patients with dementia. Her career has included a wide variety of health-tech projects including technology for behavior change and medication adherence, domestic and international health hackathons, and medical interventions delivered in virtual worlds

Michael Radke
Founder & Chief Strategist, ION Studios

Michael Radke is the founder and chief strategist of ION Studios, a global social impact design firm, as well as co-founder and CEO of the Ubuntu Lab, a new kind of museum of human experience. Michael founded ION Studios after over fifteen years of work in education, research into social change movements, and immersive travel. This path led him to the realization that without genuine understanding, the global community would continue to be mired in an era of instability and injustice, and that he was uniquely positioned to build and lead an organization that offered a solution. Michael holds an M.S. in cross-cultural psychology from Brunel University and a B.S. in educational psychology from Michigan State University. He has led non-profit organizations of various sizes, serving in roles from middle management to executive director to board member. He has also worked in for-profit environments in recruitment and training and as an independent research and diversity consultant.

Last updated:

April 26, 2017