Michelle Polyak is passionate about connecting communities with resources to grow and thrive. She utilizes design thinking methodologies to learn from and advocate for clients when developing experiences, products, and services. Currently, she is a Customer Experience Manager at AARP.
Michelle is an effective leader who empowers team members to succeed through collaboration, compassion, and mentorship. Previously, she worked in government, healthcare, arts, and media sectors where she developed digital consumer content, operationalized federal policy, and consulted with national foundations. She works at the intersection of business and design to solve complex problems through research rooted in co-creation and listening. Past projects include designing a digital navigator with behavioral health resources, improving recycling containers for city residents, and leading the Technology Transformation Service Research Guild.
Michelle was a Design Fellow in the inaugural cohort of the US Digital Corps where she worked at the Digital Service at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She earned a MA in Design Leadership from the Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) and a MBA from Johns Hopkins University. She is an Oberlin College graduate with a BA in Art History.
In her free time, you’ll find her exploring nature trails in the DMV area with her husband and dog, cooking up vegan food in the kitchen or perusing her local library.
Throughout her career, Polyak had always worked in mission-driven organizations. Starting out in nonprofit administration at the local level and moving to social impact consulting for national foundations, her drive to serve the public is apparent.
As a human-centered designer in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, her work involves designing, creating, and implementing technologies that serve the needs of the American public as they interface with the U.S. healthcare system.