Gage Holtz

Background

About Gage Holtz

Hi, I'm Gage! I have devoted my life to taking care of the little guys- helping to be the voice for those who need it most. Throughout college, I worked in a position at my school as a mental health advocate. I made it my mission to support those in need and help them through their negative self-perceptions. To do that, I took classes to receive my mental health first aid certification. From there, I spent three years working to help people through hard times: suicide ideation, sexual trauma, relationship and familial abuse, and more. When one of the college professors, one that I didn't even know at the time, came to me, telling of the impact that I'd had on his students, and thanking me for what I'd done, I knew that I was making a difference. I knew what my purpose was. From there, I pivoted my career path. Many people believe that being first responders or a healthcare professionals are the only ways to help others, but for me,'helping' takes on a very different face. I work towards utilizing my skillset as a creative to create systematic change- change that can effect numerous people, oftentimes without them even knowing it. In my professional life, the shape that takes is through the role of a User Experience Researcher. While there is a lot that this role entails, the highlight of my job is getting to interview people all across the world to understand their struggles and the hardships in their life. In turn, I use that information to help create product directions that will allow those people to feel supported and give them a chance to get a leg up. In my current job, I am conducting research to help give impoverished peoples and refugees the leg up that they need to be able to travel to work and get a job. One of the biggest blockers for these individuals, the reason they struggle to gain and hold employment, is unreliable access to transportation. My organization seeks to solve that. In my private life, I'm a huge animal guy. Reptiles are my major passion area; they are the most unloved and mistreated animals, but they deserve just as much care and respect. For that reason, I take in many rescues, saved from bad situations. I work hard to train and socialize these animals to break the stigma and prove that these creatures deserve just as much love and respect as more traditional pets. This is the heart of who I am, and if any of that speaks to you, I would love to connect. I am always open to new roles and opportunities for personal education and career advancement, so please don't hesitate to reach out!