Kristen Thayer

Kristen Thayer has a diverse work experience spanning over two decades. Kristen is currently working as an Engineering Manager at Seesaw Learning, where they lead a team of 6 engineers and collaborates with various cross-functional teams to deliver customer-facing features.

Prior to their current role, Kristen worked at Microsoft for several years. Kristen served as a Senior Software Engineering Lead/Manager in the C+AI division, where they led a cross-team engineering effort to modernize Microsoft's flagship product. Kristen also influenced their team and the broader engineering organization to implement remote-first practices.

At Microsoft, Kristen also held the position of Software Engineering Lead/Manager in the Xbox division. Kristen successfully launched the XboxData reporting site while managing other mission-critical projects. Kristen implemented agile best practices and collaborated with management to improve product design and engineering cycles.

Before joining Microsoft, Kristen started their career as a Founder/Manager/Instructor at various organizations, including Goodwill, Colorado State University, and Self. Kristen held this role for over a decade before transitioning into the tech industry.

Kristen's early experience in the tech industry includes working as a Software Engineer and Software Engineering Apprentice at Microsoft. In these roles, they designed and built websites and applications related to Xbox Live service health and the Xbox Operations Center.

Overall, Kristen Thayer has a strong background in software engineering and leadership roles, with a focus on delivering customer-centric solutions and driving organizational improvements.

Kristen Thayer's education history includes various programs and degrees. Kristen attended Kal Academy, where they studied Advanced Object-Oriented Programming in C#, Algorithms, and Data Structures. The specific duration of their time at this institution is not specified. Kristen also completed the Front-End Certificate program at freeCodeCamp. Again, the start and end years for this program are not provided. Furthermore, they obtained a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing from Colorado State University. The dates of their enrollment are not mentioned. Lastly, Kristen earned a Bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in Religious Studies and Spanish Language and Literature. The exact start and end years of their undergraduate studies are not given.

In addition to their formal education, Kristen has obtained certifications outside of their academic pursuits. Kristen completed the "Hiring and Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace" certification from LinkedIn in August 2022. Similarly, they acquired the "Dealing with Microaggression as an Employee" and the "Difficult Conversations: Talking about Race at Work" certifications from LinkedIn in May 2022. There is another certification listed as "Front End Development" from freeCodeCamp, but the specific date of completion is not mentioned.