Danielle Dyess

Durango, CO 81303 • (206) 972-0624 • danielle.c.dyess@gmail.com • LinkedIn.com/in/ddyess• danielledyess.com

Product Leader & Strategist

AI Innovation | 0-1 Product Dev | Product Ops Strategy | Internal Tooling | Process Optimization

Accomplished product leader with 10+ years of experience building and scaling SaaS solutions in EdTech and health sciences. Proven expertise in 0-1 product launches (including AI-driven products), platform transformations, internal tool development, and data-informed product strategy. Adept at aligning cross-functional teams, reducing friction through optimized operations, and driving multimillion-dollar growth. Recognized for marrying user empathy with technical fluency and commercial impact. Known for blending user empathy, technical skills, and business acumen to achieve impactful results.

SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS

  • Launched 0-1, AI-driven product at Sketchy to increase new customer acquisition and improve retention and cross-sell. The project was delivered in under 6 months.

  • Spearheaded full platform redesign + native app launch resulting in 14% YoY growth in DTC business while maintaining an NPS of 90.

  • Built a $3.1M ARR Evidence-as-a-Service product from the ground-up, productizing professional research services.

  • Led development of an administrator reporting suite that increased weekly usage by 200%.

  • Successfully delivered a compliant, localized product for the $20B+ China EdTech market.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Sketchy, LLC – Principal Product Manager
 Remote | Jul 2023 – Present

  • Led cross-functional team of engineers and designers to launch an AI-powered patient simulation tool, from ideation to MVP, driving new revenue and customer acquisition.

  • Managed end-to-end product operations for a company-wide platform redesign and native app launch; increased DTC revenue by 14% YoY and hit an NPS of 90.

  • Directed customer support operations, reducing ticket volume by addressing core product issues and implementing data-driven UX improvements.

  • Championed product strategy by aligning features with business KPIs and identifying retention and expansion opportunities.

LearnPlatform by Instructure – Senior Product Manager
 Remote | Jan 2022 – Jul 2023

  • Developed and launched a 0-1 SaaS Evidence-as-a-Service solution, generating $3.1M revenue in its first year.

  • Owned product operations and process design, creating systems for fast delivery, decreased time-to-value, and improved team velocity.

  • Supported strategic partnerships and grant-based funding by modeling product-market fit, unit economics, and service delivery at scale.

Newsela – Product Manager, Reporting & Insights
 Remote | Mar 2021 – Jan 2022

  • Built a 0-1 administrator reporting suite, increasing average weekly usage 3x by surfacing actionable insights for district leaders.

  • Conducted paywall interaction testing and positioned new feature monetization opportunities to improve renewals and expansion.

  • Led ideation, prototyping, validation, and cross-functional delivery for reporting features across multiple personas, managing roadmap and lifecycle.

Learning A-Z – Product Manager, Platform & Technology
 Tucson, AZ | Feb 2020 – Mar 2021

  • Led 0-1 development of a Mainland China–localized EdTech platform, fully compliant with legal and infrastructure constraints.

  • Delivered 139% margins on platform product releases by aligning engineering efficiency with commercial value.

  • Built and prioritized ROI models to evaluate new feature proposals, connecting content, engineering, and go-to-market efforts.

Learning A-Z – Director of Research & Evaluation
 Tucson, AZ | Jan 2018 – Feb 2020

  • Built and scaled a research function that increased market and user insights 8x in the first year

  • Drove product-market fit by integrating market research into design sprints, product validation, and go-to-market decision-making.

  • Partnered with academic researchers to conduct efficacy studies used in external marketing and internal development cycles.

Additional Roles:

  • Implementation Manager, Learning A-Z (2013–2016)

  • Sr. Product Implementation Specialist, Headsprout (2011–2013)

  • Special Education Teacher, Teach For America (2009–2011)

EDUCATION

Master of Business Administration – Colorado State University (in progress)

M.A. Special Education – Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
B.A. History – Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING

  • Product Management Leadership – Mind the Product, Jul 2023

  • Product Analytics Certification – Pendo & Mind the Product, Mar 2023

  • Certified Product Management III – Pragmatic Institute, Apr 2020

  • Agile Fundamentals – Business Analyst, Aug 2020

  • The Business of Big Data – Pragmatic Institute, Oct 2020

  • Certified K–5 Teacher – Arizona Board of Education, Jun 2011