Chris Motz

I’m a multidisciplinary design student, working in the fields of product design and design engineering. Throughout GID, I’ve worked on a number of projects on topics such as healthcare, personal information management, and independent work. Over the past few years, I’ve lived in Canada, the United States, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Singapore, adding a global perspective to my work.

Previously, I studied at The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania, graduating cum laude with concentrations in Finance and Marketing & Operations Management, as well as a minor in History. 

I’ve had the pleasure of working at a few amazing companies: OrderIn, a Cape Town-based online food delivery service and Thumbtack, a local service marketplace out of San Francisco. At both companies, I worked in growth marketing roles, helping them refine their customer acquisition efforts across various channels. At Thumbtack, I split my time on the brand team and led the initial production of their first TV commercial to feature a real customer.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to connect.

Though not unlike others, I came to GID from a less traditional path with a background in business and very little experience in design. However, what these disciplines share is a focus on solving problems. I came to GID to sharpen my design and technical skill sets, and, of course, to see the world.

I learned rather quickly that GID is a programme of uncertainty. Over these two years, we’re thrown around the world, learning new cultures, languages, and ways of life – only just starting to figure them out before we had to pack up and do it all over again.

This experience is reflected in my work: from Healthcare, the Future of Work, Global Mobility, all the way to Digital Identity. My projects revolve around the idea of the global citizen, living and working independently and not bound by borders.

GID got us out of our comfort zone, presented us with problems we still don’t know the answer to, and taught us how to connect with new people even if we don’t speak the same language. GID has taught me that it’s okay to be scared and not know what to do because this is how we learn to rise up and overcome these obstacles.

I know that whatever is waiting for me, I will be ready for it.