About Jonathan

Who be he/they be?

location Raleigh,  North Carolina,  United States

I’m a fractional product design and engineering leader. Also a: typographer, designer, writer, developer, photographer, disc golfer, and a reader with many piles of many books in many places.

I've been crafting websites & products for over 15 years, from small businesses to global, industry-leading companies. After 10 years of living & working in Amsterdam, I'm now based in Raleigh, North Carolina with my partner and border collie, Freyja Shadowstorm.

A photo of me from my wedding day. I'm smiling, adjusting my ivory colored cravat, with a white, button down shirt on and a blue vest. The vest is navy blue with lighter, shiny images of flowers and butterflies going down it.

Professional USP's

I build inclusive, curiosity-driven organizations, rooted in design thinking to shape vision & strategy. I excel at aligning people, processes, and products to achieve organizational goals.

  • Multidisciplinary background
    Diverse experience in design, engineering, and leadership roles, enabling a holistic approach to problem-solving and driving end-to-end solutions.
  • Innovative systems thinking
    Expertise in design thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, enabling innovative approaches 
to address complex challenges.
  • Technical Expertise
    Technical knowledge in front-of-the-front-end web development, combined with experience designing, building, maintaining, and optimizing multi-platform products.
  • Strategic, long-term vision
    Proven track record in leading organizational & technological evolutions, optimizing operations, and defining long-term strategies for growth and success.
  • People-focused leadership
    Balancing empathetic support with strategic vision to nurture talent and achieve transformative results.
  • Data-driven storytelling
    Ability to simplify information, facilitate collaboration, and drive insights-driven decisions through effective communication and storytelling.

By choosing compassion over apathy and collaboration over rank, we make things better— together.

Values

  • Inclusion
    I value diverse perspectives, creating safe spaces, and ensuring all are heard.
  • Accountability
    I take responsibility for my actions, transparently manage expectations, and follow through.
  • Context
    I meet people where they are, situationally adapting to fit the needs of the team, company, or purpose.
  • Collaboration
    I believe success lies in working together to achieve a shared goal—diversity is our strength.
  • Adaption
    I embrace change with curiosity & introspection—actively listening to feedback; adjusting course as needed.
  • Iteration
    I create by embracing a test-and-learn, growth-oriented mindset, focused on delivering compounding value.
I'm facing a mirror while sitting at a table with a candle beside me. My Leica camera is pointing at the mirror, as I hold it at chest height. My face is neutral, my hair is up in a messy bun. A typical brown bar setting in the Netherlands with wooden surroundings, beer bottles with the special drinks listed in the top right corner, and on the left is an open window letting in the natural light.

Approach

The what of my job varies, but the how remains constant. I do this by:

  • Connecting people's strengths, filling gaps to multiply efforts towards shared goals.
  • Building inclusive, collaborative teams that sparks innovation and create value.
  • Nurturing, talent while guiding people to grow and develop new skills.
  • Facilitating process and culture by fostering trust, empathy, and belonging.
  • Balancing strategic thinking with focused execution for sustainable results.
  • Cultivating change through curiosity, actively listening, and embracing diverse views.
  • Organizing and communicating clearly, simplifying complex problems into do-able tasks.
  • Tracking progress with data, pivoting strategies based on insights and feedback.