What it looks like when your brand shows up…in an RV

I joined Pinterest as their first Brand Creative Manager when the platform was pigeonholed as weddings, cupcakes, and women's fashion, and the company was less than 50 people. While they had strong user growth early on, this narrow perception was limiting their market potential during a critical monetization phase.

I helped reshape Pinterest from a mood boarding tool into an inspiration engine that helped people do the things they love in real life. I built out the brand design team, and scaled the discipline as the company grew. I was part of the initial design leadership team, which included brand design, product design, research, and writing.

Rather than copying formulas from other companies, I helped develop Pinterest's unique creative DNA through strategies that attracted male users and positioned the platform as a planning tool for everyone's interests—from home renovation to travel to hobbies.

Early Pinterest team

Team Pinnebago showing up at SXSW

Audience strategy with research team
and Altay Sendil
Photography by Helena Prince
Design by Alexandra Bond

Audience strategy with research team and Altay Sendil
Photography by Helena Prince
Design by Alexandra Bond

#Pinterventions:
Bringing digital inspiration
to physical spaces

When you think of Pinterest as a cultural institution rather than a social platform, everything changes. We developed #Pinterventions—real-world activations that proved Pinterest wasn't just about digital inspiration but actual making and doing.

The DIY dog park in Boston became our proof of concept. Instead of traditional marketing campaigns, we created physical spaces that demonstrated Pinterest's true potential: turning online ideas into tangible community improvements. We built actual things that dogs could play on, people could gather around, and communities could be proud of.

This wasn't content marketing or user-generated campaigns—it was Pinterest showing up in the real world. Most of the installation was handmade by the team, demonstrating how a simple idea can transform a mundane space like an everyday dog park into something magical.

Beyond designing, I architected the creative function itself—hiring 20 designers and strategists, managing nine-figure + budgets, and driving our first brand and media agencies. In a fast-moving startup environment, I created operational frameworks that allowed creative work to sprout while keeping business objectives front and center.

Rather than choosing between creativity and business pragmatism, I built systems that served both—establishing hiring standards that prioritized craft and strategic thinking, budget processes that maximized creative impact, and agency partnerships that extended our capabilities without diluting our vision. This operational foundation became essential as Anthropic scaled from startup to industry leader.