penguin riding a horse

Mike Gudenau

Education-rooted Product Designer & entrepreneur. Challenging the status-quo through the discipline of developing solutions in the service of people.

Mike Gudenau

Education-rooted Product Designer & entrepreneur. Challenging the status-quo through the discipline of developing solutions in the service of people.

Mike Gudenau

Education-rooted Product Designer & entrepreneur. Challenging the status-quo through the discipline of developing solutions in the service of people.

CASE STUDIES

Work that I'm proud of

Mela Mela

PRODUCT DESIGN

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PRODUCT STRATEGY

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B2B EDTECH

Reimagining Special Education Workflows

Reimagining Special Education Workflows

As co-founder, I led product strategy, management, and design efforts. Since March 2024, I’ve helped turn Mela Mela from an idea into a scalable product for classroom teams, driven by a mission to support the hardest-working people in education.

As co-founder, I led product strategy, management, and design efforts. Since March 2024, I’ve helped turn Mela Mela from an idea into a scalable product for classroom teams, driven by a mission to support the hardest-working people in education.

95% reduction

time spent synthesizing data

$720/year

estimated time saving per teacher

Mela Mela

PRODUCT DESIGN

/

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

/

B2B EDTECH

Standardizing Data Collection for Special Education Teams

Standardizing Data Collection for Special Education Teams

Data collection in special education is essential, but rarely easy. This case study explores why consistent, data-driven decisions are so hard to achieve in real classrooms, and how thoughtful design can help close the gap between compliance and daily practice.

Data collection in special education is essential, but rarely easy. This case study explores why consistent, data-driven decisions are so hard to achieve in real classrooms, and how thoughtful design can help close the gap between compliance and daily practice.

+3.7 satisfaction points

teacher efficiency (scale 1-7)

+185% confidence

rise in perceived data accuracy

Mela Mela

PRODUCT DESIGN

/

PRODUCT STRATEGY

/

B2B EDTECH

Reimagining Special Education Workflows

As co-founder, I led product strategy, management, and design efforts. Since March 2024, I’ve helped turn Mela Mela from an idea into a scalable product for classroom teams, driven by a mission to support the hardest-working people in education.

95% reduction

time spent synthesizing data

$720/year

estimated time saving per teacher

Mela Mela

PRODUCT DESIGN

/

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

/

B2B EDTECH

Standardizing Data Collection for Special Education Teams

Data collection in special education is essential, but rarely easy. This case study explores why consistent, data-driven decisions are so hard to achieve in real classrooms, and how thoughtful design can help close the gap between compliance and daily practice.

+3.7 satisfaction points

teacher efficiency (scale 1-7)

+185% confidence

rise in perceived data accuracy

Product Design

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PRODUCT MGMT

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B2B ED TEch startup

Mela Mela

Standardizing Data Collection for Special Eduction Teams

Data collection in special education is essential, but rarely easy. This case study explores why consistent, data-driven decisions are so hard to achieve in real classrooms, and how thoughtful design can help close the gap between compliance and daily practice.

+3.7 satisfaction points

teacher efficiency (scale 1-7)

+185% confidence

rise in perceived data accuracy

Product Design

/

STRATEGY

/

B2B ED TEch startup

Mela Mela

Reimagining Special Education Workflows

As co-founder, I led product strategy, management, and design efforts. Since March 2024, I’ve helped turn Mela Mela from an idea into a scalable product for classroom teams, driven by a mission to support the hardest-working people in education.

95% reduction

time spent synthesizing data

$720/year

estimated time saving per teacher

TESTIMONIALS

People who like working with me

“Mike is one of those rare people who just gets it done. He’s reliable, on time, and pays attention to the little things that make a big difference. He puts real thought into every problem, combining creativity and logic. You can tell he genuinely cares about making things the best they can be. Always a pleasure to work with.”

- Sam Ezadmanesh, Business Operations

"Mike consistently demonstrates the ability to conduct thorough research and analysis, execute usability testing, and craft designs that put users at the center of the experience. His dedication to understanding user needs, motivations, and translating them into impactful solutions that our team understands is impressive.”

- Vince Vo, Product Designer

“Mike’s leadership brings clarity, direction, and genuine collaboration to every initiative. He holds a lot of passion for learning and high standards for his craft which makes my job easier as an engineer.”

- Ludie Lambright, Engineer

"Mike is a tireless advocate for the user, bringing that mindset to every facet of his work—from design execution to collaborative problem-solving to strategic decision-making. He’s deeply empathetic, and his work reflects a sharp sensitivity to the user experience. Mike is always seeking out new perspectives, frameworks, and feedback to sharpen his skills and expand his impact. His point of view is rooted in continuous improvement—and it shows in everything he does."

- John Patrick Higgins, Strategy & Operations

Mike Gudenau is a product designer who believes education deserves better tools. He’s curious about human behavior, obsessed with clarity, and always learning.

Mike Gudenau is a product designer who believes education deserves better tools. He’s curious about human behavior, obsessed with clarity, and always learning.

Mike Gudenau is a product designer who believes education deserves better tools. He’s curious about human behavior, obsessed with clarity, and always learning.