Kara Pastour

Kara Pastour has a diverse work experience spanning over two decades. Kara is currently working as a UI/UX Designer Lead at Growers Edge, a position they started in 2022. Prior to that, Kara held roles at various companies such as Google, where they served as a Google Trusted Tester since 2016. Kara also worked at Source Allies Inc. as a UX Strategy & Product Design professional from 2016 to 2022.

Kara's earlier work includes being the Owner/Co-Founder of Absolute Aerating, a manufacturer of commercial-grade turf aerators, from 2006 to 2022. Kara successfully secured a partnership with DR Power Equipment and developed direct sales channels for the company's products.

At Principal Financial Group, Kara was the Assistant Director - Digital Experience, Center of Excellence from 2014 to 2016. Kara managed the UX Center of Excellence and led a team of designers responsible for developing digital experiences.

Kara's prior experiences also include working as a Sr. Web Architect at General Dynamics Information Technology from 2010 to 2014, a Technical Lead at Iowa Foundation for Medical Care from 2008 to 2010, and as an Information Architect at Wells Fargo in 2007.

Before that, Kara held positions at CitiFinancial International, where they worked as a Manager of Usability Services from 2006 to 2007, and as a User Centered Designer from 2005 to 2006. Kara started their career as a Multimedia Designer at August Home Publishing from 2001 to 2005.

Throughout their career, Kara has demonstrated expertise in UI/UX design, product strategy, brand experience, and team leadership.

Kara Pastour completed their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Iowa State University from 1997 to 2001. Prior to that, they attended The University of Kansas for Graphic Design in 1996-1997. Kara Pastour completed their high school education at Valley High School from 1992 to 1996. Additionally, they obtained certifications such as AWS Technical Professional and AWS Business Professional from Amazon Web Services in 2017 and 2016 respectively. Kara also holds a Certified Usability Analyst certification from Human Factors International obtained in 2014.