Denver Startup Week Q&A: Rebecca Flavin, EffectiveUI

Founded by Anthony Franco in 2005, EffectiveUI is one of the foremost user experience (UX) firms in the country. Now approaching 100 employees, the company has a number of name-brand customers in a wide range of industries. Rebecca Flavin, EffectiveUI CEO since 2009, recently talked with Confluence as part of a series of Q&As for Denver Startup Week.

What's the big news at EffectiveUI?

There's a lot of exciting things going on. We continue to diversify our client base and have a number of new clients.

We're really excited about with some work we're doing with Water for People, a Denver-based nonprofit. We spoke at SXSW about the reporting platform we developed for them. Donors don't see the outcome of their contribution -- there's sometimes a disconnect with nonprofits about transparency. That's where we came in: to create a platform called Re-Imagine Reporting. This reporting platform allows donors to really see what their impact is. It's really about data visualization and seeing some of the outcomes they helped create.

Our business is really about hiring specialized talent -- not just developers and designers, but people who are trying to rethink and reshape the online ecosystem.

What do you like about Denver's startup scene?

What I really see is a ton of great energy around town. We've seen a renaissance of beautifully designed technology, not just in Denver but across the country. We're really excited about this because it hits our sweet spot.

Technology only lives up to its promise when it's well designed. In the technology and startup community, you're starting to see more focus on the design aspect.

What are some of your favorite spots in Denver?

I'm sure this sounds cliche, but I live in Wash Park and I love Wash Park. I run there all of the time. It's one of the best parks in Denver.

Red Rocks is another area I love. I love it for the music as well as the exercise.

A great new restaurant that opened up in south Denver is Cafe Bar. They have great bison burgers.

Any other hobbies?

Besides running, I love mountain biking. I'm a huge yoga fan so I also love to do yoga.

Something that shocks people being a female CEO, I love mixed martial arts. I really enjoy watching it and studying it. I'm pretty much stuck on it when I'm not working.

Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Eric Peterson with tips and leads for future stories at eric@confluence-denver.com.
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