Gary Keeler

Founding mentor

✨ 10 sessions

Director of Product Design @ Pager Health

4testimonials Minneapolis, MN, USA Chicago (UTC-6) 15+ yrs in design

About

I am Director of Product Design at Pager Health. Over 15 years, I have built product design systems for platforms serving 8 million active users and processing $1 billion in annual transaction volume. Today, I help enterprise product teams deploy AI to cut administrative drag and protect design quality. At Pager Health, I lead product design in complex healthcare environments. I focus on building code-aligned design systems and using AI to eliminate process friction between design, product, and engineering.

How I can help

Designers need to understand how design impacts a business. If you can't explain it in the language the rest of the company uses you'll lose influence and get caught in red tape. I teach designers how business works so you can connect design decisions directly to business goals. Helping you move from executing daily tasks to driving product strategy, positioning yourself for senior roles, and transition into management.

Ask me about

IC to manager

Agency to in-house

Pivot into design

Returning from a break

Layoffs

A failed launch

First or only designer

A reorg

Getting passed over

Influence without authority

Stakeholder standoffs

Presenting to execs

Imposter syndrome

Building a design system

First design hires

Craft to strategy

Growing into leadership

Expertise

What mentees say

4 testimonials on Hop

Mentees say:specific · 1honest · 1went over time · 1

Gary was incredibly honest about what the industry demands right now and what is the best way to break into it. He gave me some really great portfolio advice and made sure I knew where to improve and how to improve. Talking to him gave me a clear direction for my design journey moving forward.
specifichonestwent over time
Aditi · Oct 2026 · 1:1 session
Gary Helped me a lot in how I can enhance my portfolio as well as how I can reach and can connect with US clients, his guide helped me a ton, Thanks Gary.
Muhammad · Aug 2026 · 1:1 session
As someone starting her career path into UX Design, I am happy for have had the chance to connect with Gary! Gary is a very welcoming and great listener. He geared our conversation based on the questions and background information I shared - from what steps I can take to keep working on transitioning into UX Design as well as recs for sites to look for jobs.
Diana · Aug 2026 · 1:1 session