Turning
imagination
into innovation
From childhood dreamer to designer, I’ve transformed that creative spark into 18+ years of scaling products and design teams.









Design leadership at scale
With nearly two decades of experience across Upwork, Macy’s, and Hilton, I specialize in building high-performing teams, scaling design systems, and driving digital transformation.
I lead with design thinking, business acumen, and a human-centered approach—creating seamless user experiences that align with business goals and drive measurable impact. Whether it’s launching global design languages, pioneering accessibility programs, or optimizing enterprise platforms, I bridge vision and execution to deliver innovation at scale.
A few personal tidbits
I call Memphis home, where I live with my wife and our three pets. It’s home to social justice movements and music.
Travel runs deep in my blood. When I’m not exploring the world, I’m probably geeking out over the perfect coffee brew.



The work
Over the past 18 years, I have had the opportunity to shape products and design cultures. Here is a brief overview from the last few years.

Dark Mode
Led the creation of Upwork’s first theming system which spanned web and native experiences.
Director, Product Design – Upwork

Global Rebranding
Led the development of a global experience language across marketing, design, and engineering. Introduced new brand guidelines, photography, design and engineering tools, branded components, and design principles.
Director, Product Design – Upwork

Increasing connections with personalized recommendations
Design a mechanism for clients to get a list and quickly engage with a list of qualified freelancers who match their job needs.
Principal, Product Designer – Upwork

Craft elevation
Led office hours and reviews to coach and elevate the design craft for Upwork’s design organization.
Director, Product Design – Upwork

Accessibility Program
Led an organization-wide accessibility transformation via targeted remediation, training, and policy implementation, fostering a cultural shift toward inclusivity.
Director, User Experience Design – Macy’s

Design Systems
Established a new colleague design system and platform at Macy’s that enabled colleague teams to accelerate product development for stores by 75% by leveraging MUI, a React framework. This system featured theming for multiple brands Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and an option to scale to support Blue Mercury.
Director, User Experience Design – Macy’s

Design Leadership
Built and managed a team of designers tasked with envisioning the future of Hilton’s in-room technology, covering everything from IoT devices to TV interfaces with streaming features.
Director, User Experience – Hilton

Design Strategy
Directed a team of designers to revamp Hilton’s native apps, resulting in a $4B increase in bookings.
Director of User Experience – Hilton

Design and Product
Pioneered the development of a practice facility marketplace startup from inception.
Independent designer

Design Leadership
Led and managed a team of designers to revamp enterprise software for Hilton’s property and call center teams
Director, User Experience – Hilton
I count myself lucky
I’ve been fortunate in my career, exploring exciting products alongside incredible partners, daring and supportive leaders, brilliant team members, and sincere mentors.
“I highly recommend Charise’s design and design sprint capabilities. Charise took some high level bullet points from us and designed a beautiful, intuitive UI for our customers.”
VP, Engineering at a Medical technology company
“She holds her team to a high standard and leads by example instilling confidence, empathy, and trust in her team.”
Macy’s leader
“I really admire Charise as a person and for the way she leads. She achieved incredible things. She leveled up design in a way I haven’t seen before.”
Sindh Babu
Sr. Product Manager – Upwork
“She balances big-picture goals and day-to-day work flawlessly; she is a natural leader who never settles for the status quo. She pushes her team (and herself) to find the best solutions for user problems.”
Sami Harvey
Staff Content Designer – Underdog
“Working alongside Charise at Upwork was a defining experience in my career. she didn’t just manage projects—she inspired change.”
Brienne Moore
Manager, Product Design – Invisible