Getting to know Persefoni: Meet Justin Schwartfigure

1. And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?" (Tell us your journey?)

I was born and raised in a small town called Conneaut, right where Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Lake Erie all touch corners. I've been a creative since childhood ever since picking up a pencil, camera, or musical instrument. I'm always intrigued and fascinated by the evolution of technology and how it works hand-in-hand with my lifestyle as a digital creator. I began my career in 2012 in the graphic design field. My experience has allowed me to progress from print design to web design with a primary focus on UX/UI. Throughout the years I've accomplished studies not only in Multimedia Graphic Design from the Erie Institute of Technology but also earned my Bachelor of Science in Music Production from Full Sail University.

2. And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile. (What do you do at Persefoni?)

Currently, I'm the Manager of Product Design and a member of the product leadership team here at Persefoni, leading all end-to-end UX/UI design for our product. I'm responsible for aligning software design and capabilities with users’ needs while continuously enriching the carbon management platform experience. I oversee a team of pixel perfectionists while maintaining cross-functionality with product managers, designers, and engineers to ensure the smoothest product development process.

3. And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?" (What are your hopes for your time at Persefoni?)

I never simply focus on just continued acceleration in my career and growth at Persefoni, but more so continued focus on Persefoni succeeding as a company. If you do well and ensure that you're shooting for excellence, growth opportunities are always on the horizon at Persefoni. My hopes are that we, as a company, stay focused on our mission and core values while creating the best-in-class carbon management and accounting platform and giving users the ability to track their carbon emissions with confidence and trust in our expertise.

4. And you may say to yourself, "My God! What have I done?" (Why is Persefoni a great home for you?)

This is hands down the best company culture that I've personally been a part of. The level of transparency from the CEO downward has always been much appreciated on my end and it's hard to receive that at other organizations. With being at Persefoni since 2020, I consider my fellow Persefonites family, and we are always working together with passion to achieve the same goal. We always hold each other accountable and stick to our company values; sustainability, collaboration, impact, and equality. This is all aside from the fact that I'm also tremendously passionate about how our software directly impacts our planet earth.

5. And you may find yourself in another part of the world... (Tell us about your life/hobbies away from work?)

Designer by day, music producer by night, and photographer by weekend. I absolutely thrive from being a digital creative and find myself in flow states throughout all three bodies of work. have a bit of a techy nerd side to me where I change my work-from-home desk setup every few months with new arrangements, technology to advance my workflow, and featured products contracted through my brand ambassador work on social media. Alongside my passions and side projects, I'm recently married to my beautiful wife Angela and have two dogs (Boz & Blue). Angela and I enjoy outdoor activities such as traveling out of the country, hiking and/or nature walks, swimming in our pool, and WOW we love food! We have many local Houston restaurants that we admire and visit regularly. I'm really looking forward to starting a family while also still getting out there in the world and traveling to countries I've yet to visit!