about me

Kelsye A. Gould headshotOver the course of my career as a strategic design consultant, I have worked with numerous clients on a variety of creative projects—everything from print and web design, to marketing plans, media relations, social media strategy, and community engagement processes. The stuff that really gets me excited is collaborating with others to develop strategic, innovative design solutions that none of us would have been able to create on our own.

The Back Story

My career as a strategic designer happened by happy accident. While studying French and Theatre-Business in undergrad, I had a couple of internships with design-forward theatre companies that inspired me to take a few classes in print and web design. My senior year, I worked as a graphic artist for the campus activities team, and after college, I started my freelance communication arts practice.

In 2011, I started working at Pillsbury House + Theatre. The organization was in the process of transitioning from a “community center with a professional theatre” to an “arts-integrated community center,” meaning the creative process was being infused across the organization—and with great success. The kids in the child care improved their motor skills through dance classes taught by professional dancers; after school kids learned poetry from local hip hop artists; and the theatre hosted new play readings for the patients of the free health clinic. During my four years at Pillsbury House + Theatre, I was exposed to the immense possibilities of Design across disciplines.

Fueled by a desire to use Design as a catalyst for positive change, I received my master’s degree in Nonprofit Management at The New School with a focus in innovation and change management. My academic and professional interests revolve around applying a creative, cross-disciplinary design lens to organizational and community challenges. As a complement to my degree, I also completed a post-masters certificate in Organizational Development with the goal of facilitating change more effectively.

Since 2017, I’ve worked with The Design Gym, a small innovation and strategy consultancy, where I’ve had the opportunity to wear many hats: designer, researcher, project manager, trainer, facilitator, coach, business strategist, and operations manager. Thanks to this hat juggling, I’ve realized my passion for facilitation in the most literally sense—making work easier by providing structures to sort through ambiguity, asking questions in moments of confusion, and fostering play to unlock creativity.