Robel Mengistu — AI Product Leader

About

Product is a team sport.
I take that seriously.

Senior PM · AI Product Leader · Los Angeles

I've spent 15 years at the intersection of product strategy, technical execution, and people leadership — building things that work, then making them work better. I've run agencies, led enterprise campaigns for LinkedIn, Cruise, and Natera, and built civic mapping and public health tools for the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Rutgers University, and UCSF.

What sets me apart isn't just the range — it's that I actually build things. HTML, CSS, JS, PHP, WordPress, Shopify, and AI-powered tools deployed on AWS using the Claude API. I can read a pull request, catch a UX bug, and ship a fix.

I actively integrate AI into my daily product workflows — spec writing, QA, roadmap generation, and stakeholder communication — and I bring teams along with me. I've built and deployed live AI tools that demonstrate this, available at romengistu.com.

I build trust before I build roadmaps

Teams ship their best work when they feel heard. I run retros, remove blockers, and protect my engineers from scope creep.

I speak engineer and executive

I've presented roadmaps to C-suites and pair-programmed with devs on the same day. Both rooms trust me.

I use AI as infrastructure

LLMs are in my daily workflow — not as novelty, but as force multipliers. I ship faster and bring teams along with me.

I've owned business outcomes end to end

Running DVLPstudio taught me what real accountability looks like — building systems, managing client relationships, and scaling revenue from zero.

Selected work

Where I've made
a real difference.

Design in Mind

Enterprise campaigns for LinkedIn & Cruise

Led end-to-end delivery of brand and marketing campaigns across web, video, print, and presentations. Rebuilt intake and feedback systems from scratch.

+30% delivery speed6 concurrent campaigns

Campaign PMProcess designCross-functional

Slicedbread Agency

Agile transformation across a 15-project portfolio

Owned a portfolio of 15+ concurrent web, eCommerce, and SEO projects. Redesigned agile process from the ground up with a team of 8.

25% faster deliveryReduced churn

AgileeCommerceAnalytics

GreenInfo Network

Interactive civic mapping tools for CA agencies

Maintained and enhanced web mapping tools used by public agencies, nonprofits, and planners across all 58 California counties to guide park access, grant applications, and statewide investment decisions.

Gov't scaleAI-assisted QA

Civic techGeospatialRemote-first

DVLPstudio

Built a digital agency to six-figure recurring revenue

Founded and scaled a boutique digital agency from zero to six-figure recurring revenue, delivering 50+ WordPress and Shopify projects with consistently high client retention and renewal rates.

100% YoY retention50+ launches

WordPressShopifyFounder

AI practice

I don't just talk about AI.
I build with it.

Most PMs are still figuring out where AI fits. I've already shipped working tools that solve real PM problems — try them yourself.

Live tools — try them now

Live

→

AI Sprint Planner

Paste a project goal and get a complete sprint plan — epics, user stories, acceptance criteria, team roles, and timeline — in seconds.

Sprint planning User stories Claude AI

Live

→

Retro Facilitator

Drop in raw team notes and get synthesized insights, concrete action items with owners, and a team health pulse — ready to share.

Retrospectives Team health Claude AI

These tools were designed, prompted, and deployed by me — powered by Claude AI. More tools coming soon.

How I use AI day-to-day

⚙

Workflow integration

I use LLMs to accelerate spec writing, PRD generation, stakeholder summaries, and QA — compressing days into hours.

◆

AI product consulting

I audit workflows and identify where AI saves 10+ hours per week, then build lightweight proofs-of-concept.

■

Team enablement

I bring engineering and design along — workshops that show how AI reduces toil, not jobs. Adoption beats mandate.

▲

Prompt engineering

Structured prompts that produce consistent outputs — specs, briefs, roadmap drafts, user stories — at scale.

Experience

15+ years. Every role
built on the last.

Sep 2025 – Apr 2026

GreenInfo Network, Contract

Lead Interactive PM

Civic technology platform serving California state agencies, LA County, Rutgers University, and UCSF with web-based mapping and data tools that power public health research, park funding decisions, and statewide planning.

Served as primary PM liaison for California DPR Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS), overseeing roadmap and enhancements for tools used across all 58 California counties
Led delivery of the LA County Regional Park and Open Space District Parks Portal, managing over $1M in project budget
Enhanced the NJ Cancer Registry mapping tool for Rutgers University, adding mortality mapping and WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance
Partnered with UCSF on California Health Maps accessibility and data enhancements for public health researchers statewide
Applied AI-assisted workflows to cut documentation and QA cycles from days to hours across all client engagements

Oct 2024 – Mar 2025

Design in Mind

Senior Project Manager

Creative agency delivering brand and campaign work for mission-driven and enterprise clients.

Led end-to-end delivery of integrated campaigns for LinkedIn, Cruise, and Natera spanning web, video, print, and executive presentations
Redesigned intake and feedback processes, resulting in 30% reduction in revision cycles and faster campaign turnaround
Managed 6+ concurrent campaigns with zero missed deadlines while maintaining brand integrity and budget alignment

2019 – 2024

Slicedbread Agency

Senior Project Manager

Digital agency specializing in eCommerce, web, and SEO for fast-growing consumer brands.

Managed portfolio of 15+ concurrent projects including web, eCommerce, SEO, and retainer accounts with a cross-functional team of 8
Reduced average project delivery time by 25% through agile process redesign and improved sprint hygiene
Conducted proactive product audits of client sites to identify conversion gaps and growth opportunities, driving client re-engagement and expanded retainer scope
Used Amplitude and GA to design A/B tests that improved conversion rates across multiple eCommerce platforms

2017 – 2019

House Ear Institute

Senior Program Manager

Nonprofit medical research and education organization focused on hearing health and auditory science.

Spearheaded launch of responsive website and SEO and SEM strategy driving a 40% increase in organic traffic
Defined KPI frameworks across digital programs and reported quarterly results directly to board and executive stakeholders
Orchestrated cross-departmental collaboration between education, technology, and fundraising teams

2014 – 2019

DVLPstudio

Founder — Product & Program Manager

Boutique digital agency built from zero to six-figure recurring revenue.

Founded and scaled agency from zero to six-figure recurring revenue by building repeatable service packages and SEO-driven client acquisition programs
Delivered 50+ custom WordPress and Shopify projects as sole product owner, PM, and delivery lead
Built QA frameworks and post-launch support models that drove consistently high client retention and renewal rates
Managed a network of freelance developers, designers, and content specialists across a distributed delivery model

I lead from within
the team,
not above it.

Product is a team sport.
I take that seriously.

Where I've made
a real difference.

Fractional PM & AI consulting

I don't just talk about AI.
I build with it.

15+ years. Every role
built on the last.

Open to the right
full-time role.

I lead from withinthe team,not above it.

Product is a team sport.I take that seriously.

Where I've madea real difference.

Fractional PM & AI consulting

I don't just talk about AI.I build with it.

15+ years. Every rolebuilt on the last.

Open to the rightfull-time role.

I lead from within
the team,
not above it.

Product is a team sport.
I take that seriously.

Where I've made
a real difference.

I don't just talk about AI.
I build with it.

15+ years. Every role
built on the last.

Open to the right
full-time role.