Kristen Kator
Kristen Kator is a distinguished product design leader and UX professional with over 20 years of experience in creating user-centered technology experiences. She has extensive expertise in both interaction and visual design, enabling her to craft elegant and practical interfaces across mobile apps, responsive websites, TVs, and emerging technology platforms. Kristen’s career includes leadership roles at Samsung, where she contributed to flagship products such as the Frame TV, Samsung TV Plus, and the Samsung Gaming Hub, as well as early smart-fridge displays, earning multiple patents for her work in IoT and consumer electronics. Her approach combines deep technical knowledge with a keen understanding of business needs, ensuring that the products she designs deliver value to both users and organizations.
In addition to her corporate experience, Kristen has dedicated herself to education and mentorship, teaching user experience design at UC Berkeley Extension and guiding emerging designers through practical, hands-on instruction. She has also volunteered with organizations such as the HER Foundation, supporting women managing hyperemesis gravidarum, and remains active in local community and family-focused initiatives. Kristen’s philosophy centers on practical problem-solving, community building, and mentorship, viewing her success as measured not only by product impact but also by the growth and development of others around her.
Kristen’s professional journey has been shaped by a commitment to global design perspectives, beginning with her BFA in Graphic Design from Utah State University and a transformative summer design program in Switzerland. Her international experiences, combined with work stints in London and business trips to Korea, broadened her design perspective and strengthened her ability to work across diverse teams and markets. Currently, she is taking a career break to focus on family and personal growth, including exploring motherhood after her son’s autism diagnosis, while also working on a book that reflects her experiences navigating systemic gaps affecting women in professional and personal contexts.
• Certificate in user experience design from Stanford
• Utah State University- B.F.A.
• USU Design Academy in Switzerland
• Stanford University
• Photo Center Northwest
• 2022 New Generation of Old Main Award
• 2021 CES Innovation Award Honoree for Samsung TV Plus
• 2017 CES Innovation Award for Frame TV
• Magna Cum Laude
• Freshmen Honors Program
• Phi Kappa Phi
• Business Professionals of America
• HER Foundation
• PJCC - Peninsula Jewish Community Center
What do you attribute your success to?
When I look at my career, there's been lots of big projects that I've worked on, but I think my best achievement really is being a manager and being able to help those people that I manage to reach their goals. When I was working at Samsung, I took management really seriously, so I think that would be my best achievement, just helping other people grow. That's what I'm most proud of in my career.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to stay adaptable and embrace change. Navigating health challenges during my pregnancy and my son’s diagnosis taught me to pivot when life throws obstacles my way, and it’s allowed me to get more involved in my community and focus on meaningful projects, like writing a book.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to believe that you can make a real difference in the lives of others while achieving great success, and to use the journey as an opportunity to learn more about yourself through healing and self-discovery.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—in my field right now is balancing full-time motherhood, navigating the complexities of raising a child with autism, and finding the time and energy to write my book.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
One thing that's come out of all this craziness in the past few years is that I've realized the importance of community and volunteer work. For me, it's about connecting with other women and sharing stories. I've learned that it's women who are holding these communities together. You can learn so much from other people. They can learn from you, and you can learn from them, and everybody can kind of bounce ideas, which is pretty big.