Megan McKeever Nelson
Boston
Summary
Strategic UX research leader specializing in financial habit formation and trust-building within regulated fintech ecosystems. I translate behavioral insight into product strategy across savings, borrowing, and early wealth-building experiences, partnering closely with leadership to drive long-term growth and customer confidence.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Lead Researcher, Teen & Young Adult Banking
Cash App (Block)
08.2022 - 02.2026
- Led research to unlock savings yield access for teens, defining how to position interest as a healthy financial habit, shaping product messaging around long-term wealth formation rather than short-term gains.
- Conducted young adult banking acquisition research, identifying behavioral and trust barriers preventing Gen Z from adopting Cash App and informing targeted positioning strategy.
- Led college banking benefits exploration, clarifying features influencing perceived value and early investing readiness among college students.
- Drove research for Cash App Borrow, uncovering drivers of trust and transparency expectations that informed responsible lending UX.
- Built the strategic foundation for teen and young adult financial growth, synthesizing behavioral research, competitive investing dynamics, and financial identity development into executive-level growth priorities adopted into leadership roadmaps.
- Directed product decisions by facilitating rapid experimental research within a growth pod.
- Contributed to the company’s first Teen Safety Whitepaper and led public-facing customer storytelling initiatives, reinforcing responsible financial innovation and brand trust.
Staff User Experience Researcher, Yield
Coinbase
10.2021 - 07.2022
- Led end-to-end research strategy for Coinbase Yield, a $1B+ portfolio segment spanning staking, wrapped tokens, stablecoins, and DeFi, shaping product vision and long-term growth strategy through foundational and pathfinding research.
- Established Yield's first formal research program, creating annual strategic roadmap, product excellence metrics, customer segmentation, and Jobs-to-be-Done frameworks, while de-risking and optimizing major launches including ETH Staking and DeFi Yield.
- Uncovered and addressed key participation barriers, driving 8% lift in monthly ETH staking transacting users.
Senior User Experience Researcher, Voice & Migrations
GetGo (Formerly LogMeIn)
06.2018 - 10.2021
- Led portfolio-level research strategy during company-wide product unification, establishing direction across voice and communications product lines.
- Directed the UX strategy for migrating Grasshopper users to GoToConnect, mitigating attrition risk while improving customer satisfaction and product cohesion across the suite.
- Developed and scaled 'Train the Team' enablement program, empowering Product and Design partners to conduct high-quality user interviews and integrate research into daily decision-making.
User Experience Researcher, Grasshopper
GetGo (Formerly LogMeIn)
05.2016 - 06.2018
- Led product research roadmap and evaluated Customer Support operations for the $50M ARR Grasshopper telephony business (hardware, desktop, and mobile), influencing the decision to move Support in-house.
User Experience Researcher
Constant Contact
04.2014 - 05.2016
- Led 50+ generative and evaluative research initiatives across core customer segments and desktop/mobile products, partnering in design sprints to advance Design Thinking adoption and presented customer insights, personas, and user trends to CMO, CPO, and CEO to inform product and marketing strategy.
User Experience Researcher
PayPal
Boston
05.2013 - 03.2014
- Led usability studies for ‘PayPal Here’ payment processing hardware, enhancing user experience across US and international markets.
User Experience Researcher
Fidelity Investments
Boston
08.2012 - 05.2013
- Conducted qualitative research in laboratory setting to evaluate user experience of 401(K) account management.
Reporter, Education Beat
The Washington Post, Gazette and Carroll County Times
Washington
08.2008 - 05.2011
- Published 100+ times across all outlets on national higher education issues, trends, and controversies.
Education
Masters of Science - Interactive Design and Information Architecture
The University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD01.2013
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA01.2008
Skills
- User experience design
- Behavioral insights
- Strategic research
- Data synthesis
- Behavioral analysis
- Product testing
- Executive presentation
- Communication strategy
Timeline
Lead Researcher, Teen & Young Adult Banking
Cash App (Block)
08.2022 - 02.2026
Staff User Experience Researcher, Yield
Coinbase
10.2021 - 07.2022
Senior User Experience Researcher, Voice & Migrations
GetGo (Formerly LogMeIn)
06.2018 - 10.2021
User Experience Researcher, Grasshopper
GetGo (Formerly LogMeIn)
05.2016 - 06.2018
User Experience Researcher
Constant Contact
04.2014 - 05.2016
User Experience Researcher
PayPal
05.2013 - 03.2014
User Experience Researcher
Fidelity Investments
08.2012 - 05.2013
Reporter, Education Beat
The Washington Post, Gazette and Carroll County Times
08.2008 - 05.2011
Masters of Science - Interactive Design and Information Architecture
The University of Baltimore
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism
The Pennsylvania State University