Lauren Foster

I design human-centered products and experiences that turn everyday challenges into opportunities for connection, growth, and impact.PdM-P Product Manager, PdM-AI Leader, Dual Citizen (US/CAN)

The human experience is the business case.

I've spent 20 years at the intersection of how people feel and how businesses grow. My work is grounded in a simple conviction: when you design for the whole person, the results follow. That belief started at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, deepened through years of customer research, journey mapping, and UX leadership, and now runs through everything I build at EQera. Whether I'm shaping a product roadmap, designing a brand, or advising on AI integration, the customer's experience isn't a consideration I get to at the end. It's the strategy.

Creative vision, commercial outcomes.

Most leaders are good at one side of this equation. I've spent my career holding both. I've built brands from the ground up, led UX for multi-site e-commerce platforms, owned the product roadmap, and driven the GTM strategy, often on the same initiative. The result has been measurable: 210% year-over-year e-commerce growth, a successful online competitor acquisition that migrated an entire customer base with a 4.7/5 satisfaction rating, and product launches that converted because the experience was right, not just the promotion. I bring the same rigor to consulting that I brought to building, and I know where creative decisions become commercial ones.

AI that stays human.

There are two kinds of AI practitioners right now: those who build because they can, and those who ask whether they should. I'm a certified AI Product Leader (PdM-AI) who has built AI-powered tools, implemented automation workflows, and shipped a proprietary emotional intelligence assessment with AI-driven outputs. But what I bring to every AI engagement is a filter: does this serve the human on the other end? That question is what separates implementation from strategy. I help founders, product teams, and business owners cut through the hype, find the right use cases, and integrate AI in ways that strengthen their customer relationships rather than erode them.

Leading through complexity with emotional intelligence.

The hardest part of any product or transformation isn't the roadmap. It's the people. I've led cross-functional teams through platform migrations, brand pivots, and product launches where the stakes were high and the path wasn't clear. I've held stakeholders, customers, and creative teams through ambiguity, and I've done it by listening before directing, and by knowing when alignment matters more than speed. EQ isn't just the name of my company. It's the lens through which I build, lead, and consult. For the leaders and teams I work with, that difference tends to show up exactly when it's needed most.

I'm mission-driven and drive growth when I know the product or service I'm building will make customers lives better.

I'm currently open to senior leadership roles in product, e-commerce, or creative strategy, remote or in Canada or the United States (dual citizen). I'm energized by companies building products that genuinely improve people's lives and by teams that want a leader who brings both strategic rigor and creative depth to the work.If that sounds like where you're headed, I'd love to connect.

Thank you for visiting and I'd love to connect.

Building long-lasting connections is a passion of mine, so feel free to connect with me via email or LinkedIn. Check out my work experience on LinkedIn or request my resume.

© 2026 Lauren Foster