Lily (Lalitha) Chandrasekher 

Product Researcher and Urban Development Champion

SUMMARY: 

Experienced researcher, structured thinker, skilled in mixed methods. Driven by the art of navigating complexity and finding solutions through strategic analysis and collaboration. I thrive in environments where data tells a story, but context provides the meaning. Committed to understanding the world and making it a better place.

EXPERIENCE:

Google  Mixed Methods Researcher, Facilitator, Organizer,  San Francisco, CA                       Jan 2019 - Sep 2023

Understand growth opportunities, create retention strategies, and engage in climate work.

  • Spearheaded user research initiatives at Google, resulting in uptick in user engagement.

  • Executed qualitative and quantitative studies, identifying key pain points and opportunities, leading to the implementation of targeted retention strategies.

  • Employed advanced analytics to deliver actionable insights, positively influencing product design and driving user satisfaction metrics.

  • Leveraged 20% time to champion sustainability projects on regenerative agriculture, carbon markets, and sustainable supply chains. 

Topology Mixed Methods Researcher (Contract), San Francisco, CA                                 Sep 2018-Dec 2018

Hired as initial researcher to explore growth, retention, and branding for remotely sold 3D printed eyewear.

  • Established research practice for the firm.

  • Improved content and efficiency along buy-journey, leading to increase in customer growth and retention.

Coinbase Mixed Methods Researcher (Contract), San Francisco, CA                                 Feb 2018-May 2018

Hired as the initial researcher to establish a research culture, customer recruitment process, and test lab environment for cryptocurrency wallet and trading platform.

  • Introduced structured research processes and environments, ensuring a foundation for data-driven decision-making within the cryptocurrency wallet and trading platform.

  • Conducted comprehensive research studies across commerce, trading platforms, onboarding, and marketing teams, leading to a 15% increase in user satisfaction metrics.

  • Utilized research findings to enhance the understanding of user intentions, resulting in the revision of engineering and design backlogs and an updated roadmap to improve Net Promoter Score.

Embroker Mixed Methods Researcher and Designer, San Francisco, CA                            Sept 2016-Feb 2018

Responsible for generative and evaluative research and product design of business insurance platforms.

  • Designed and executed a longitudinal research cohort at Embroker, leading to the identification of a new client market in law firms.

  • Introduced innovative features based on research insights, resulting in a 20% increase in user retention within existing verticals (technology and hospitality).

  • Leveraged generative and evaluative research techniques to inform product design, contributing to Embroker's position as a leading business insurance platform.

Neighborly Mixed Methods Researcher and Designer, San Francisco, CA                            Oct 2015-Sept 2016

Shaped research practice for an online platform that connected citizens to local investment projects such as school upgrades and road improvements. 

  • Shaped the research practice at Neighborly, guiding strategies for an online platform connecting citizens to local investment projects.

  • Developed a product strategy based on empirical research with stakeholders in the public finance ecosystem, driving alignment with community needs.

  • Supported the design of the zero-to-one platform release, a groundbreaking achievement that marked the first publicly launched site available to public finance professionals.

General Assembly UX Design Instructor, San Francisco, CA         

May 2014-Nov 2017                                   

Created custom curricula for web development and user experience courses.

  • Educated over 750 students through in-person workshops and classes.

  • Topics included: user research, interface design, prototyping, HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript.

Contact: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalithasf/

lalitha.512@gmail.com

(609) 306.3665

EDUCATION: 

UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design, Berkeley California  2024 [IN]City Planning Certification 


Terra.Do, San Francisco, CA 2020 Climate Change Fellowship

Georgetown University, Washington, DC 2008-2009 Doctoral Coursework in Physiology and Biophysics

Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 2002-2006 Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, Cognitive Neuroscience; Music (Performance, Theory, Composition)

INTERESTS:

Cello, piano, urban economic vitality, climate change advocacy