Coaching research, Strategy & Business Communications
I partner with cross-functional teams to boost autonomy, enable ethical AI thinking, and foster data fluency across product and operations.

Coaching

Methodologies

  • Strategic Coaching – Planning & Stakeholder Alignment
    Guiding teams in developing research and product strategies that align with AI governance frameworks, compliance milestones, and cross-functional business objectives while fostering stakeholder trust and engagement.

  • Research Coaching – End-to-End Design & Best Practices
    Mentoring team members on study design, ethical considerations, moderation techniques, and optimized use of unmoderated methods—ensuring research outputs are reliable, reproducible, and integrated into AI/product decision-making.

  • Delivery Coaching – Insight Synthesis & Adoption Enablement
    Training teams to synthesize complex findings into actionable recommendations, present results persuasively to executive audiences, and build organizational buy-in to embed research outcomes into the product and AI development lifecycle.

  • Change Management Coaching – Leading AI & Process Adoption
    Equipping teams and leadership with the skills to successfully transition from manual or legacy processes to AI-powered, automated, or data-driven workflows—mitigating resistance, ensuring smooth onboarding, and accelerating operational impact.

Determining When to Use Unmoderated Studies – Applying governance criteria to decide when unmoderated methods are appropriate, balancing efficiency with risk management, ethical review requirements, and stakeholder oversight.

  • Selecting the Optimal Research Platform – Evaluating tools not only for UX capabilities but also for data governance compliance, integration with AI lifecycle tools, and ability to maintain an auditable record of insights.

  • Integrating Research Plans into the AI/Product Lifecycle – Designing study plans that directly align with product roadmaps, AI model milestones, and responsible AI review gates to ensure findings are actionable at each development phase.

  • Systematic Feedback Collection & Traceability – Implementing structured feedback loops that are both user-friendly and compliant, linking qualitative insights to model performance metrics, risk assessments, and post-deployment monitoring.

Documentation

  • Establishing the Value of Research Documentation – Positioning documentation as a governance asset that ensures auditability, transparency, and compliance with internal and regulatory standards, while also accelerating innovation cycles.

  • Phase-by-Phase Documentation Best Practices – Aligning deliverables with each phase of the AI and product lifecycle (discovery, development, deployment, and monitoring) to ensure insights are relevant and actionable across cross-functional teams.

  • Structuring and Organizing in Confluence – Designing knowledge repositories with intuitive taxonomy, linked datasets, and role-based access to support both creative collaboration and compliance reviews.

  • Archiving and Storing Research Artifacts – Implementing structured version control and secure storage protocols to preserve model training data, decision rationale, and experimental outcomes for governance traceability.

  • Maintaining a Living Study Appendix – Creating continuously updated knowledge hubs that link research findings to key product metrics, policy decisions, and risk assessments, enabling faster decision-making and reducing duplication of effort.

Business Communication

  • Overcoming Introversion in Client Engagement
    Developing techniques to confidently lead discussions, build rapport, and communicate value—even in high-stakes, cross-functional environments.

  • Facilitating Remote Meetings
    Designing structured, outcome-focused virtual sessions that maintain engagement, encourage participation, and drive consensus across distributed teams.

  • Mastering Effective Remote Communication
    Leveraging digital tools, clear documentation, and asynchronous communication to ensure alignment and minimize misinterpretation.

  • Communicating Business & AI Impact
    Translating complex technical or research findings into clear business outcomes, demonstrating ROI, compliance benefits, or operational efficiencies.

  • Receiving Feedback & Driving Targeted Improvements
    Actively listening to stakeholder input, discerning high-impact changes, and incorporating them into iterative cycles without scope drift.

  • Practicing Assertive, Professional Communication
    Balancing confidence with empathy to address misalignment, negotiate priorities, and advocate for research or compliance initiatives.

  • Stakeholder Influence & Management
    Identifying key decision-makers, tailoring communication to their priorities, and building coalitions for AI governance or product adoption.

  • Business Acumen for AI & Product Strategy
    Applying market, operational, and compliance knowledge to inform decision-making and strengthen strategic recommendations.

  • Negotiation for Strategic Outcomes
    Navigating competing priorities to secure resources, timelines, and scope alignment in cross-disciplinary, high-visibility projects.

Testimonials

  • "I highly recommend Selena for mentoring and research leadership roles due to her exceptional expertise in UX design. Under her guidance, my professional growth was significantly influenced, and my skills in UX design and strategic thinking were greatly enhanced."

    Diego Rivera, Visual Designer Engineer

  • "Selena is a natural mentor, inspiring me and those around them to continuously strive for excellence and always reminding everyone that humans come first. With their wealth of experience and exceptional research skills, Selena is a valuable asset to any organization."

    Daniel Johnson, UX/UI Designer

  • "As a UX Researcher, she cares about the user’s goals and experiences when using an application, and strives to help make a product better. She was my mentor, and I learned so much. Her instructional material and presentation style are clear and easy to understand."

    Vespera Palmeras, UX Product Designer