Civilla
Rachel Meade Smith is a versatile professional with extensive experience in content design, editing, and educational program development. Currently serving as Content & Learning Design at Civilla since May 2020, Rachel leads initiatives focused on ethical and human-centered design for public-sector professionals. In addition, Rachel operates as a Repair Artist & Educator at Repair Shop, providing workshops to promote repair skills in collaboration with various educational and governmental partners. As the Editor-in-Chief of Words of Mouth, Rachel connects a broad audience to interdisciplinary opportunities. Rachel's previous roles include content strategy lead at the NYC Office of the Mayor and part-time faculty at Parsons School of Design. With advanced degrees in Design Studies and Anthropology from Parsons School of Design and New York University, Rachel combines a rich educational background with practical expertise in design and accessibility advocacy.
Civilla
Civilla is a non-profit design studio dedicated to changing the way our public-serving institutions work. We believe that the best and fastest way to scale change in society is through our public-serving institutions. Our process is deeply rooted in human-centered design, an approach to service delivery that focuses on creating enduring solutions that fit peoples’ lives. By putting humans first, we help our partners deliver significant change and lasting impact in the institutions they lead. We’re researchers, designers, and strategists working shoulder-to-shoulder to foster change at scale. We wake up every day with the goal of positively impacting one billion people through institutions that are more compassionate, more effective, and less expensive to operate. Our work was recognized by Harvard Kennedy School as one of the Top Innovations in American Government. We were listed as one of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers by GovTech Magazine. We received a global Core77 Design Award for Service Design and were honored by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) as one of the Top Organizations Moving Society Forward.