Elizabeth Mercado
About Elizabeth Mercado
Elizabeth Mercado is a Product Owner based in Houston, Texas, with a strong background in social work and product management. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and has experience in various roles, including technical product management and family engagement.
Current Role as Product Owner
Elizabeth Mercado currently holds the position of Product Owner at Gordian, where she has been employed since 2023. In this role, she manages and writes user stories, facilitates refinement sessions, and participates in daily stand-ups for two scrum teams. Her responsibilities include ensuring effective communication and project alignment within the teams. She collaborates closely with UX/UI design leads and strategic business teams to align product roadmap goals and objectives, focusing on delivering valuable software solutions to clients.
Previous Experience at Gordian
Before her current role, Elizabeth served as a Junior Technical Product Manager at Gordian from 2022 to 2023. During her time in this position, she worked remotely and contributed to various projects aimed at improving product functionality and user experience. Her experience at Gordian laid the groundwork for her transition to the Product Owner role.
Educational Background
Elizabeth Mercado has a strong educational foundation in social work and sociology. She earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in Mental Health from the University of Southern California. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology from California State University, Long Beach, and an Associate of Arts (AA) in Sociology from El Camino College. Furthermore, she completed a Certificate in Computer Programming from CareerFoundry.
Professional Experience in Educational Organizations
Elizabeth has held various roles in educational organizations. She worked as the Family Engagement Manager at Family Voices of California for four months in 2019. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Bay Area Organizing at the California Charter Schools Association from 2017 to 2018. In 2019, she transitioned to Leadership for Educational Equity as the Director of Program and Organizing, a position she held until 2020. Earlier in her career, she was a Parent Organizer at the California Charter Schools Association from 2015 to 2016.
Community Engagement and Collaboration Initiatives
In her role as Product Owner, Elizabeth developed and implemented a bi-weekly Product Owner Community of Practice (CoP). This initiative aims to enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing among peers in product management. Her focus on community engagement reflects her commitment to fostering a supportive environment for professional development.