Keith Kirkland
Product Innovation & Design Executive | Haptics & HealthTech SME | 0-to-1 Founder | Turning Complex Tech into Accessible Products
- Role
- Pitch Advisory Board at SXSW
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Keith Kirkland
Award-winning product and design executive with over 15 years of experience taking complex, zero-to-one concepts and turning them into globally recognized, first-to-market products. I specialize in leading multidisciplinary teams to solve ambiguous, high-stakes challenges at the intersection of emerging technology and human-centered design.As the Cofounder and Chief Haptic Officer of WearWorks, I led the end-to-end product lifecycle for Wayband®, a haptic wearable that made history by enabling the first blind person to run the NYC Marathon without sighted assistance. This founder-led experience required me to own the product vision, secure $1.5M in funding, build and mentor a diverse team, and forge strategic partnerships with organizations like The Smithsonian, TED, EY, Google, MINI Cooper and the Nelson-Atkins Museum. I have a proven track record of translating visionary ideas into tangible, high-impact business outcomes.I am currently seeking a Director or Head-level product/innovation role where I can leverage my unique expertise to lead a team in building the next generation of category-defining products. My goal is to build systems and experiences that are not only commercially successful but also accessible and meaningful.Specialties: Product Vision & Strategy | Haptic & Wearable Technology | Zero-to-One Product Launch | Team Leadership & Mentoring | Accessibility & Inclusive Design | Strategic Partnerships | Fundraising | Public Speaking & Evangelism
Experience
Pitch Advisory Board
Jan 2023 — Present · Austin, TX, US
Education
Keio University
Master of Industrial Design, Media Design
2013 — 2013
Rutgers University
Bachelor's of Science, Mechanical Engineering
1998 — 2004
Fashion Institute of Technology
Bachelor's of Fine Arts, Accessories Design
2008 — 2010
Fashion Institute of Technology
Associates of Arts and Science, Accessories Design
2007 — 2008
Pratt Institute
Master's of Industrial Design, Industrial and Product Design
2012 — 2015
Royal College of Art
Master of Industrial Design, Innovative Design Engineering
2014 — 2014
Zero To Mastery Academy
Certificate of Completion, Complete Mobile & Web Designer: UI/UX, Figma, HTML and CSS.
Skills
- Industrial Design
- Design Thinking
- Sketching
- Illustrator
- Sewing
- Technical Design
- Tech Packs
- Product Design
- Fashion
- Footwear
- Pattern
- Photoshop
- Handbags
- Fashion Design
- Mood Boards
- Leather
- Apparel
- Product Development
- Grasshopper
- Rhinoceros
- User Research
- Arduino
- Rapid Prototyping
- Haptics
- Keyshot
- Drawing
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Microsoft Office
- Concept Development
- Design Strategy
- Inclusive Design
- Accessibility
- Haptics (Touch-Based) Design
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