Howdy! I'm
Melinda McClure Haughey, PhD— a founder, researcher,
and developer
based in Seattle.
With experience spanning startups, research, and complex systems, I design and build resilient, human-centered technologies — translating ambition into structure and ideas into real-world solutions.
I’m the Co-Founder and CTO of Proxi
Proxi Interactive Maps was born from a need in my own neighborhood—to make local knowledge visible, shareable, and easy to navigate with maps. What started as a side project became a venture-backed company now supporting thousands of organizations—from tourism boards to neighborhood groups—in creating custom maps that boost event turnout, support local businesses, and connect people to the places that matter most. I led the company through Techstars Seattle, raised capital, built and scaled the team, and now serve as CTO and lead developer.
Visit Proxi.Co
I support early-stage tech founders—especially women
Through mentorship, public speaking, and advisory work, I aim to support women and underrepresented founders in navigating the early, messy moments of building a company—often while also balancing family, caregiving, or the invisible load of everyday life. I offer honest, practical feedback grounded in experience—balancing candor with care. Founding is hard, and my goal is to make it a little less lonely and a lot more doable.
Your Go-To Tech Gal
I build the systems, automations, and integrations that make everything click into place.I’m a hands-on technical partner who can jump in fast, figure out what’s broken (or missing), and build workflows that actually work. From stitching together MVPs to scaling internal systems, I bring a wide-ranging toolkit and a try-hard mindset—I care deeply about getting it right, not just getting it done. I’ve helped early-stage teams integrate AI, launch smarter CRMs, and streamline operations using a mix of no-code tools, scripting, and custom builds.
My experience spans:
AI & Automation: GPT-4, Gemini, Claude, prompt integration
No-Code & Systems: Airtable, Webflow, Notion, Zapier, Make, Typeform
Business Tools: Zoho Flow, Hubspot, Salesforce, Slack, Discord, Stripe
Data & Dev: REST APIs, Python/JS scripting, SQL/Postgres, Azure, Rust
Spreadsheets & Dashboards: Excel (incl. VBA/macros), Tableau
Analytics: GA4, GTM, Amplitude, custom tracking setups
Ops & Project Infra: Notion, GitHub, ClickUp, Trello
UX Research That Connects Insight to Strategy
I help founders and teams understand what’s working, what’s not, and where to go next—through fast, focused, and actionable research.
I design and run independent UX evaluations to test your product with real users, uncover friction, and surface insights that inform both design and business direction. Whether you're looking to validate a new flow, understand user drop-off, or stress-test your onboarding, I bring a clear process and usable outputs—not just a pile of notes.
My methods include:
Usability Testing: “Are people getting stuck? Why aren’t they finishing onboarding?”
I run structured sessions to observe how real users interact with your product—surfacing points of friction, confusion, and missed expectations. You'll walk away with specific fixes and design priorities.
Heuristic Evaluation “Can you just take a look and tell me what’s off?”
I review your product against established usability principles to quickly spot obvious (and not-so-obvious) issues. This is especially helpful before launching or reworking a feature.
User Interviews: “What do my users actually care about—and what are we missing?”
I conduct and synthesize interviews to help you understand motivations, barriers, and needs—turning qualitative input into clear, strategic takeaways for your team.
I specialize in turning findings into momentum—connecting the dots between user feedback, product priorities, and broader business goals. I deliver clear, structured insights through decks, reports, or even light design recommendations—whatever helps your team move.
Past clients and employers include early-stage startups, Accenture, Dell, Meta, and the U.S. government—where I focused on evaluating digital tools for end users, often in high-stakes or complex environments. If you're launching a product or rethinking an experience, I can jump in quickly and help you see it through your users’ eyes.