As the practical side of Pracademic Coaching, co-founder and coach Kristen Connor brings 20 years of management experience in the tech industry to the coaching practice. 

Kristen began her career as a user experience designer in the client services industry, working for some of the world’s most recognized brands, including CVS/pharmacy, L.L.Bean, Morgan Stanley, Staples, Verizon, and more. In her early management career, she led large, multidisciplinary design teams in delivering enterprise design solutions. 

In the next chapter of her career, Kristen worked with multiple venture capital-funded startup companies. She held senior leadership roles in design and product management, helping to build and scale these functions. She also gained experience as an executive team member, and reporting to investors and board members. Two of Kristen’s past companies have been acquired, and one has completed an IPO via SPAC merger. 

Kristen is now excited to offer this practical experience in collaboration with co-founder and coach Lauren Rigney. Together, we have formed Pracademic Coaching’s unique approach to coaching peak performance: We enlist the power of thinking ahead to enable our clients to act with conviction now. 

Combining our backgrounds in psychology and practical management, we guide our clients to envision the desired future state. This vision is powerful, motivational, and actionable. Knowing where you’re headed enables charting a path to get there, while unlocking the ability to anticipate and overcome challenges along the way.

Partial list of past clients

• CVS/pharmacy

• L.L.Bean

• Morgan Stanley

• Staples

• Verizon

Past startup experience

• Yodle, VP of User Experience (acquired by Web.com)

• Animoto, VP of Product & Design (acquired by Redbrick)

• Better.com, Chief Experience Officer (NASDAQ: BETR)