Rachael Carson

As a design director, Rachael Carson leads Civilla’s work to bring human-centered design into the unemployment insurance and child welfare systems. She specializes in large-scale technology projects, previously leading the redesign of Michigan's benefits portal which provides access to more than one million people each year. Her work also spans adjacent systems, including health and human services and the department of state.

She’s a thoughtful listener, who’s quick to pick up on important findings in research and help bring them into focus. She’s known around the office for her contagious laughter and love for learning.

Before joining Civilla, Rachael spent six years in Vietnam, where she helped to build a social enterprise focused on ethical design and manufacturing. She studied Mandarin Chinese and East Asian studies at Union College and was selected as a Minerva Fellow in 2010, a post-graduate program in social entrepreneurship. Today, living in Detroit, Rachael shops at Eastern Market and H-Mart any chance she can get.