Innovator, Veteran, and tech enthusiast based in Washington, DC. Currently leading product and innovation teams at Deloitte Consulting.
My philosophy
Innovation is all about human connection. Breakthroughs thanks to diverse perspectives. Epiphanies thanks to the right conversation. Disruptions thanks to competition. People make all the difference.
(‘14 - Present)
Deloitte Consulting
Intrapreneur. Strategist. Mentor.
“Jason is the best manager I have ever had… Deloitte needs more team leads like Jason Criss. He is such an unbelievable asset to the firm.”
- Anonymous feedback
“Jason is the best leader and mentor I’ve worked with at Deloitte.”
- Anonymous feedback
“Jason has this undeniable leadership quality where people naturally want to follow him.”
- Anonymous feedback
“Jason is an EXCELLENT manager. Jason has shaped one of the strongest projects here at Deloitte, the Innovation Task Force, and I feel so grateful to work for him… He is amazing and I will follow him anywhere.”
- Anonymous feedback
“Jason is the best team-builder I’ve ever encountered.”
- Anonymous feedback
“Jason is the best listener and judge of people I have ever met. His ability to know when and where to push people on his teams and/or have difficult conversations when needed is uncanny.”
- Anonymous feedback
(‘10 - ‘14)
US Army
Leader. Reconnaissance scout. Mr. Vice.
“Jason is hands down one of the best leaders that I've served under. He empowers his people, allowing them to grow, and his proven track record of creating future leaders is evident by the countless success stories, me being one of them. If you're looking for what the epitome of leadership is, look at how Jason does things.”
- Soldier on my team
“Outstanding work ethic that drove him to solve complex problems that many others could not. Was the vital gear that kept the organization running.”
- Peer Army Officer
Create.
Sample work:
01
Hello, world!
A federal client needed an overview video capable of covering a lot of ground: informative to others in TSA, compelling to vendors who might work with TSA, and intriguing to the general public. I led a Deloitte Digital studio team to produce the video, to include storyboarding, scripting, shooting onsite, and edits.
02
Get animated
TSA’s Innovation Task Force needed to help people imagine what the future of airport security could look like. I recommended a video and corresponding storyboard, which they greenlit. I led a Deloitte Digital studio team to produce the video, which included storyboarding, scripting, and edits.
Later amid COVID-19, the client wanted to again articulate its vision of the future to the public and the aviation industry. The video highlighted solutions that were applicable during the pandemic, but timeless enough that they would still be relevant three years later. I led a Deloitte Digital studio team to produce the video, which included storyboarding, scripting, and edits.
03
UX insights
A social impact fashion retailer in Guatemala wanted to boost online sales in the US market. As a member of a 5-consultant pro bono team, I was focused on user experience. In just one week, we researched then presented 65 pages of recommendations. I focused on their website itself: the shopping experience, the customer journey of the target market, how to improve conversion (converting browsing to sales), the layout, and more.
04
Pivot
A business incubator focused on coaching the next generation of Kenyan entrepreneurs wanted to transform their business model amid the global pandemic and other market pressures. I led a team that was asked to propose concepts for virtualizing and monetizing training for entrepreneurs. Whereas all previous mentoring was hands-on, in-person, and live, we designed the concept, curriculum, and pricing strategy for an online, self-paced learning platform where the client could funnel subscribers for established modules and recorded content.
05
Let’s connect
A relatively new federal innovation program wanted to create a public-facing website to better interact with the public and keep industry informed. I worked with a content strategist and designers to pitch a wireframe that was then built by the client’s in-house IT services. After being built, my team continued to curate the site’s content.
06
Industry Day
The client held industry days yearly in Arlington, VA, but COVID-19 necessitated a change. I led the team that hosted TSA’s first-ever YouTube Live, adapting a previously in-person Industry Day model for the virtual world, planning the event, and running the technical support for it. It has received over 14,000 views to-date.
We also helped plan and run the client’s prior industry days. Another is featured here. Coincidentally, the pop-up conference booth (a.k.a. “shell scheme”) that we designed as part of our rebrand appears in the background.
07
On the Hill
TSA faced a lot of scrutiny in the summer of 2016 with long lines permeating national news. Earlier in March, terrorists attacked the Brussels airport and focused where people had crowded. TSA faced a crisis. TSA’s Innovation Task Force (ITF) was born as a reaction, seeking to rapidly eliminate technological gaps to reduce long lines and keep travelers safe. Several months after its launch, TSA was called to testify to Congress as to the progress-to-date of the program, where I helped draft testimony for an executive client.
About me
People call me when they want to launch new products or services. I lead teams of technology strategists in Doblin, Deloitte’s product and innovation consultancy. With a decade of experience harnessing data and research to drive outcomes, I devise strategies to explore, pilot, and scale new and emerging technology. I partner especially well with CIOs and CTOs exploring transformative tech or just trying to do something that has not been done before.
I am a strategy and operations professional, sales leader, user experience and service designer, adept facilitator, and experienced manager of teams sized 3 to 100. I look for opportunities to apply my tech fluency to emergent needs and for the chance to launch new programs or pilots, following that up with UX insights, brand strategy, marketing, data analytics, and employee or industry engagement.
Prior to joining Deloitte, I served in the US Army as a cavalry officer posted overseas in Germany and Afghanistan, learning almost everything I know today about leadership. I also volunteer as a mentor for Veterans.
I live in DC with my wife and two dogs, escaping to a hike or a beach whenever possible.
Disclaimer
All works on this site are the property of my clients. Only publicly accessible work is featured.