Kelli Wilbert Becomes a DxD Advisor

Kelli Wilbert, Principal Program Manager for UX Equity at Workday, has become a DxD Advisor while she continues to manage the company’s DxD Intensives partnership with San Francisco State University School of Design.

As a member of Workday’s design operations leadership team, she works at the intersection of equitable and organizational design to advance change management around design culture and processes. 

“I am honored to contribute to the DxD mission and facilitate access and exposure to emerging diverse design talent, as I directly understand how important it is to have various lived experiences represented in the industry. I come from a community where many youth do not know design is a viable career option that can empower them to design the future they want to see.” 

Kelli took an untraditional pathway to a design career, coming from the nonprofit and public sectors (which included participation in the Fulbright Scholar program and work on the Obama Presidential reelection campaign). Those experiences led her to directing civic design projects that have made a real impact on society, such as bringing more inclusive public services to citizens and advancing health equity in hospital services. 

Having lived in Europe and South America, Kelli incorporates intersectionality, identity positionality, and being culturally informed into her design process. She enjoys speaking on how these topics relate to advancing equity in design culture at conferences like State of Black Design; meeting other equity-focused designers; and exploring collaboration on afro-futures thinking and speculative design. 

“Kelli brings a unique breadth of lived experiences to DxD which will positively impact both the DxD Intensives program and the coalition as a whole. Her expertise is invaluable as we continue to shape initiatives that address the racial inequities of the design industry,” said Andrea Pellegrino, CEO and founder of Impact Collaborative—DxD’s managing entity.