curriculum vitae

PETER BARTSCH

A seasoned product professional with a knack for creating transformative, and often fun, experiences for customers and enterprise users alike.

With a rich career in diverse tech startups and large multinationals, Pete harnesses natural curiosity and intuition to find the hidden value. And he loves new challenges.

 

 

DIGITAL TOOLS: CURRENT FAVS

  • Figma / Figjam
  • Obsidian MD
  • OBS
  • Plasticity 3D
  • Blender 3D
  • Descript.com
  • Cursor.com

 

© 2025 Peter Bartsch
Handmade with ❤️ and 🤖
in Illinois.

Peter Bartsch
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Thios

Founder

Modular Open Source Shelters

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Founder Thios
Senior Lead UX John Deere & Co.
Lead UX FourKites.com
Consultant: Agile + UX MavenWave Partners
Member, Board of Directors How Weird Street Faire
Product Marketing Manager Nokia (HERE Maps)
Product Manager Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi
Principal Dig the Pixels / D7TV.com
Snowboard Instructor The Burton Chill Program
Product Manager Cognistar.com
Product Manager SkyMall.com
Principal tronicmedia
Interactive Specialist Life Fitness
BA: Humanities Arizona State University
Student@Large School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Founder F. A. Skates

 

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Thios

Founder + CEO

June 2024 - Present

  • open source solutions through innovative modular shelter system
  • Leading product strategy, design, and development of scalable urban farming solutions
  • Building cross-functional teams and establishing product manufacturing processes
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John Deere & Company

Senior Lead UX Designer: Digital Customer Experience

August 2020 - June 2024

  • Spearheaded UX design of enterprise-wide digital transformation with goal of 10% increase in global recurring revenue through self-service license sales
  • Led end-to-end design strategy for unified global customer experience for user account creation and management
  • Team member of company-wide initiative to Figma and to establish a design system
  • Key Achievements:
    • Architected unified global user authentication system serving millions of customers
    • Designed and launched enterprise-wide customer header, establishing consistent UX
    • Created scalable license management platform supporting multiple product lines
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FourKites.com

Initial and Lead User Experience Architect

January 2017 - August 2020

  • Scaled design organization from sole practitioner to leading team of 10, delivering 6 new products
  • Established UX practice and design operations in high-growth environment (hire #28)
  • Developed and implemented comprehensive design system, leading successful migration from Sketch to Figma
  • Delivered strategic vision through high-fidelity prototypes, directly contributing to major customer acquisitions and funding
  • Led annual user conference workshops, growing attendance 10x year-over-year
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MavenWave Partners

Consultant: Agile + UX

January 2014 - January 2017

  • Led enterprise UX transformations for departments of Fortune 500 clients including; Abbott, Nike, and OptumRx
  • Embedded UX practices within scaled Agile frameworks, improving delivery efficiency and quality
  • Built and mentored cross-functional design teams while evangelizing design-thinking methodologies
  • Consistently expanded scope through demonstrated value and maintaining timelines
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How Weird Street Faire

Member, Board of Directors

May 2001 - November 2024

  • Member of Board of Directors for 501.c.3 Non-Profit, in good starting with both state and federal for over 20 years
  • Donated proceeds for local SF based womens shelter and STEM educational center in Vallejo, CA
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Nokia (HERE Maps)

Product Marketing Manager

August 2012 - January 2014

  • Led product marketing strategy for real-time traffic infrastructure and big data initiatives
  • Developed innovative GPS probe visualization tools and viewing applications
  • Managed agency relationships and creative direction for product marketing
  • Drove product strategy for HERE Real-Time Traffic and Trapster App
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Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi

Product Manager: Signature Services

April 2008 - August 2012

  • Joined pre-launch product team, scaling service across major US airlines
  • Conceived and launched successful inflight tracker product, creating new sponsorship revenue stream
  • Created and maintained FAA-compliant documentation for commercial fleet systems
  • Pioneered social media integration through FourSquare Mile High Badge program
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Dig the Pixels / D7TV.com

Founder / Principal Designer

August 2004 - April 2008

  • Awarded Best Designed Site at Drupalcon 2008 Boston
  • Featured in TechCrunch as "The Next MTV for Mobile Content"
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Cognistar.com

Co-Founder

June 2000 - August 2004

  • Led production team in creating 80+ online video courses
  • Scaled operations to achieve $2M+ annual revenue
  • Established production workflows and quality standards
  • Managed end-to-end course development lifecycle
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SkyMall.com

Title

August 1998 - March 2000

  • Spearheaded DVD catalog production and distribution
  • Created detailed 3D product models for DVD-ROM integration
  • Enhanced digital shopping experience through interactive content
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tronicmedia

Founder

August 1997 - December 1998

  • Provided custom web development and hosting solutions
  • Specialized in creating animated 3D GIFs for early web applications
  • Managed client relationships and project deliverables
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Life Fitness

Interactive Specialist

August 1994 - March 1997

  • Developed and tested Exertainment Systems prototypes
  • Created and launched first lifefitness.com website
  • Demonstrated products at major events including MTV Beach House and CES
  • Collaborated with production team on system optimization
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A.S.U.

B.A. Humanities

August 1989 - May 1993

  • Focus on Architectual Theory
  • (and vert ramp skateboarding)/li>
  • Minor in snowboarding
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School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Student@large

September 1987 - June 1989

  • Oil Painting
  • Copper Sculpture
  • Neon
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F. A. Skates

Title

August 1985 - March 1988

  • Founded and operated independent skateboard retail business
  • Managed inventory, sales, and customer service
  • Built local skateboarding community through events and promotions
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Burton Chill Foundation

Title

November 2000 - March 2002

  • Instructed underserved high school students at Wachusett Mountain, MA
  • Taught snowboarding fundamentals to ~70 students per season
  • Participated in youth mentorship and development program
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