Top Talent like Matthew are on Pangea

Pangea, a YC company, connects companies with fractional talent. Fractional hiring allows companies to move faster and work with more specialized talent, while giving talent more flexibility and independence. If you are talent open to fractional work, apply here. If you’re a company looking for high-quality fractional talent, learn more here.

Matthew Stephens

Product Designer •
Available for hire fromNegotiable
Contracts
Fractional Head of Design + AI. Co-Founder @deviantart. Emphasis on the business value of design, AI, ethics, privacy, accessibility, & gamification.
Based in Austin with over 25 years at the intersection of design, technology, and business. As a fractional design leader, I collaborate with early-stage to Series C startups to build robust design and research capabilities that drive innovation and accelerate growth. I specialize in establishing and scaling teams that deliver exceptional customer experiences in competitive markets. Previously, as VP of Design at The Zebra, a billion-dollar insurtech company, I built a high-performing design organization of 22 amazing individuals, increasing annual net revenue from $1M to $100M while maintaining a 100% team retention rate. Before that, I co-founded DeviantArt.com, the world’s largest art community with over 550 million works of art and 75 million users, gaining firsthand experience in operating and leading at the largest scale.

Work History

Z

Chief Design + AI Officer

ZAG InternationalAt ZAG, I lead brand, strategy, and design—repositioning the company from an industrial supplier to a tech-enabled sustainability brand. I drive everything from brand development, website design, AI integration, and automation strategy.
R

Fractional Head of Design

REALLYAt REALLY, I lead design and product strategy for a privacy-first wireless carrier built from the ground up. I own the user experience—from dashboard UX to brand voice to onboarding flows—making privacy features like encrypted calling, private browsing, and location masking usable and human. We’re building the anti-carrier: honest, anonymous, and radically user-first.
L

Fractional Head of Design

Lady Bird Talent
I

Member, Design Leadership Forum

InVisionThe mission is to advance the practice of design leadership by fostering a community where the world’s best can learn from one another. We strive to make the Forum inclusive and relevant to those confronting the challenges of leading design teams.
M

Fractional Head of Design

MarbleDec 2020 - Jan 2024 • 3 yrs 2 mos
R

Fractional Head of Design

RenewAug 2021 - Oct 2022 • 1 yr 3 mosServed as a Fractional Design Leader, driving innovation and building design as a discipline within the org. Played a key role in hiring and mentoring the company's first full-time designer, while defining design processes and fostering a collaborative environment for improved product and brand experiences.
H

Fractional Head of Design

Homebuyer.comDec 2020 - Jan 2022 • 1 yr 2 mos
T

VP of Design

The ZebraJun 2018 - Sep 2020 • 2 yrs 4 mosDesign org leader who built and managed teams dedicated to product design, marketing design, design ops, and research. I also worked with other leaders to apply design thinking across the organization.
T

Lead Product Designer

The ZebraSep 2016 - Jun 2018 • 1 yr 10 mos
O

Head of Design

OneSpotApr 2008 - Apr 2014 • 6 yrs 1 mo

Education

T

The University of Texas at Austin

BS, Radio-Television-Film, Digital Media2000 - 2004
S

Second Wave Dive

Strategic Business Thinking for Designers2019

How Pangea Works

Effortlessly discover top talent

We’ve distilled the candidate search from endless hours down to just a few minutes. Using Pangea’s AI-powered search tools, you can find top fractional talent able to take on your next project. Our system looks at your company’s niche and your needs to find the perfect match faster than any traditional hiring platform.

Start working with talent today

The top talent on Pangea is ready to get started with you right now. You can message or hire a candidate right from their profile page and start assigning work as soon as they respond. And the best part? Pangea’s fractional contract structure lets you start small and ramp up as your needs change, keeping your costs manageable and your team’s capabliities flexible.

Track work and invoices in one place

Assign tasks, track progress, and complete invoices all on Pangea. We’ve combined every part of the hiring process into one platform to eliminate the miscommunication that’s unavoidable on other freelance platforms. We even send out 1099s to your contractors at the end of the year!

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call
Fractional Head of Design + AI. Co-Founder @deviantart. Emphasis on the business value of design, AI, ethics, privacy, accessibility, & gamification.
Based in Austin with over 25 years at the intersection of design, technology, and business. As a fractional design leader, I collaborate with early-stage to Series C startups to build robust design and research capabilities that drive innovation and accelerate growth. I specialize in establishing and scaling teams that deliver exceptional customer experiences in competitive markets. Previously, as VP of Design at The Zebra, a billion-dollar insurtech company, I built a high-performing design organization of 22 amazing individuals, increasing annual net revenue from $1M to $100M while maintaining a 100% team retention rate. Before that, I co-founded DeviantArt.com, the world’s largest art community with over 550 million works of art and 75 million users, gaining firsthand experience in operating and leading at the largest scale.

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call

Top Talent like Matthew are on Pangea

Pangea, a YC company, connects companies with fractional talent. Fractional hiring allows companies to move faster and work with more specialized talent, while giving talent more flexibility and independence. If you are talent open to fractional work, apply here. If you’re a company looking for high-quality fractional talent, learn more here.

Matthew Stephens

Product Designer •
Available for hire fromNegotiable
Contracts

Work History

Z

Chief Design + AI Officer

ZAG InternationalAt ZAG, I lead brand, strategy, and design—repositioning the company from an industrial supplier to a tech-enabled sustainability brand. I drive everything from brand development, website design, AI integration, and automation strategy.
R

Fractional Head of Design

REALLYAt REALLY, I lead design and product strategy for a privacy-first wireless carrier built from the ground up. I own the user experience—from dashboard UX to brand voice to onboarding flows—making privacy features like encrypted calling, private browsing, and location masking usable and human. We’re building the anti-carrier: honest, anonymous, and radically user-first.
L

Fractional Head of Design

Lady Bird Talent
I

Member, Design Leadership Forum

InVisionThe mission is to advance the practice of design leadership by fostering a community where the world’s best can learn from one another. We strive to make the Forum inclusive and relevant to those confronting the challenges of leading design teams.
M

Fractional Head of Design

MarbleDec 2020 - Jan 2024 • 3 yrs 2 mos
R

Fractional Head of Design

RenewAug 2021 - Oct 2022 • 1 yr 3 mosServed as a Fractional Design Leader, driving innovation and building design as a discipline within the org. Played a key role in hiring and mentoring the company's first full-time designer, while defining design processes and fostering a collaborative environment for improved product and brand experiences.
H

Fractional Head of Design

Homebuyer.comDec 2020 - Jan 2022 • 1 yr 2 mos
T

VP of Design

The ZebraJun 2018 - Sep 2020 • 2 yrs 4 mosDesign org leader who built and managed teams dedicated to product design, marketing design, design ops, and research. I also worked with other leaders to apply design thinking across the organization.
T

Lead Product Designer

The ZebraSep 2016 - Jun 2018 • 1 yr 10 mos
O

Head of Design

OneSpotApr 2008 - Apr 2014 • 6 yrs 1 mo

Education

T

The University of Texas at Austin

BS, Radio-Television-Film, Digital Media2000 - 2004
S

Second Wave Dive

Strategic Business Thinking for Designers2019

How Pangea Works

Effortlessly discover top talent

We’ve distilled the candidate search from endless hours down to just a few minutes. Using Pangea’s AI-powered search tools, you can find top fractional talent able to take on your next project. Our system looks at your company’s niche and your needs to find the perfect match faster than any traditional hiring platform.

Start working with talent today

The top talent on Pangea is ready to get started with you right now. You can message or hire a candidate right from their profile page and start assigning work as soon as they respond. And the best part? Pangea’s fractional contract structure lets you start small and ramp up as your needs change, keeping your costs manageable and your team’s capabliities flexible.

Track work and invoices in one place

Assign tasks, track progress, and complete invoices all on Pangea. We’ve combined every part of the hiring process into one platform to eliminate the miscommunication that’s unavoidable on other freelance platforms. We even send out 1099s to your contractors at the end of the year!

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call
Pangea empowers fractional work across the world for marketing and design roles.