Rachel Romano

About Rachel Romano

Rachel Romano is a lifelong learner who has journeyed throughout multiple walks of life. She currently spearheads design storytelling at Microsoft, crafting human-centered articles and videos that showcase product innovation and elevate thought leadership. This role was an evolution from her prior work as a PR pro known for helping mission-driven startups scale their companies through compelling storytelling campaigns. Rachel didn’t, however, always know the meaning of an API or what a substrate is. Prior to venturing into tech, Rachel was a full-time writer, motivational speaker, and mentor. While still in college, she sold a book under a pen name that chronicled her childhood struggle within the family courts system. The book became a bestseller and though she nearly fainted during her first public speaking engagement, she went on to keynote dozens of national conferences and persuade lawmakers, social workers, educators, and parents to rethink their approach to child sexual abuse. She continues to counsel teens and families muddling their way through abuse, addiction, and myriad other issues that are far more common than most would believe. Rachel currently lives in Tacoma, WA with her partner, their now-toddling daughter, and a collection of dead plants that she still believes just need a little more water.

Experience

1. Director of Strategy & Communications

   Microsoft

   Mar 2017 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   I lead a Design storytelling team that crafts narratives used to drive product innovation and champion inclusive design. The stories we tell act like threads between product teams, marketing, and PR, with UX films and articles serving as tangible reference points to help product teams get and stay aligned. Internally, we work on ethos docs and white papers. Externally, we\'re the folks behind Microsoft Design\'s website and social media channels.

Education

• Georgetown University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), English

  2001 — 2004

Skills

• Books
• Strategy
• Digital Strategy
• Publicity
• Editing
• Public Speaking
• Editorial
• Writing
• Social Media Marketing
• Publicist
• New Media
• Content Strategy
• Social Media
• Publishing
• Non-Fiction Writer
• Copywriting
• Journalism
• Copy Editing
• Blogging
• Research
• Entrepreneurship
• Digital Media
• Public Relations
• Media Relations