Theater kid gone rogue, Laurel made the cross-country move to California in 2011, and has been working in Silicon Valley ever since. Startup junkie, data wonk and avid GIF enthusiast, Laurel got her start at Eat24 where she focused on turning a community of ‘hangry’ customers into a zealous, socially engaged group of happy fans. Using a blend of clever content, clear communication and real-time response, Laurel discovered an ability to transform frustrated customers into motivated brand evangelists, consequently falling in love with data, and how it can be used to interpret the emotions behind online interactions. What makes a customer respond in a certain way? How can we actually enhance the customer’s life with our product? How does social-media amplify the connection between a living being, a product and an experience? It was this kind of thinking that drove Laurel to Mayfield Robotics, where she’s now answering questions like this on a larger scale, working to launch a new kind of home robot with a team of clever engineers, designer and roboticists in Redwood City.
“Social media addict by nature, intuitive fact finder by choice. Ferociously curious. Equally clumsy. Geeky people person, whether I like it or not.” -Laurel Wilde