Design Leadership, Team Culture, Education.
Originally from Argentina and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. I specialize in building, scaling, and coaching design teams. I am formally trained as a graphic designer with 15 years of experience designing and launching user-centered digital products. Throughout my career, I have overseen various design teams in the United States, Latin America, and Europe, working with multiple clients and industries.
Currently, I’m the founding designer at Paloma Learning, where I lead design and UX research initiatives, harnessing AI to unleash parents' untapped teaching potential in their children's education.
In addition to my role as founding designer, I mentor and provide career advisory to designers. I’m also conducting research and writing about design leadership, and team rituals to enhance team cultures.
I have a deep connection and passion for education. Not only have I served as a design professor throughout my career, but I also actively participating in classes for the Design Management MPS at Pratt Institute, Strategic Design and Management MS at Parsons, and collaborated with Colectivo 23 as an educational content creator.
Experience
Apr 2024 - Present
Founding Designer
Paloma Learning
Aug 2023 - Present
Mentor and Career Advisor
DesignLab
Monstarlab
Head of Design
Aug 2021 - Mar 2023
Globant
Design Director / Design Manager / UX Designer
Apr 2012 - Aug 2021
Avantrip
User Experience Designer
Jan 2012 - Apr 2012
Licenses & certifications
Interaction Design Foundation
Feb 2024
Project Management Institute, Inc.
Sep 2023
Words from my collegues
“As my design director, Leandro fostered an environment of creativity and innovation in our work. His unwavering passion for design discipline and leadership truly left a lasting impact on me. As a design director, he fostered a collaborative atmosphere in our design culture, allowing for critical thinking and creative confidence within me and each team member to flourish. He provided growth opportunities with his mentorship and guidance and pushed me to reach my potential as a designer. Also, his remarkable attention to detail and questioning attitude consistently elevated our work. I feel fortunate to have worked with him. His passion, curiosity, and ability to inspire others will make him an invaluable asset to any team.”
“Having Lean as my leader has profoundly transformed my perspective on teamwork. I am now much more interested in fostering genuine connections with others, where trust and clear communication prevail. I regard Lean as an exceptional facilitator and mentor, to the extent that I have followed him through different projects and organizations. Wherever Lean is involved, I can confidently assert that a team culture thrives, one that fosters support, invites personal development, and consistently places human interactions at the forefront.”
“Being part of the Baby Yoda team (Leandro's team) expanded my perspective on the importance of leadership in fostering community during 100% remote work. I was able to learn the significance of developing strategies that promote team bonding, effective communication, and providing recognition to maintain motivation and a sense of warmth within a team. I brought this initiative to my design studio, and today it is the most vibrant initiative as it connects, supports, and gives me a sense of belonging. On the other hand, it has undoubtedly tested and developed my leadership skills, which I can apply in various aspects of my life.”