About
Hi, I am Russell Schmidt — a product leader and builder who loves taking big, technical ideas and turning them into beautifully usable systems. I have spent the last decade leading digital products in the electric vehicle infrastructure and SaaS space, blending design, data, and engineering to scale sustainable technology.
What I do
I lead product discovery and delivery, shape UX, and collaborate tightly with customers, users, design, and engineering to ship value and ship reliably. My toolkit ranges from strategy and storytelling to prototyping and process engineering — I try to be the umbrella for the team so they can focus on what they do best.
Current
I am the Vice President of Digital Products at InCharge Energy, where I lead the team behind InControl — the software platform powering one of North America’s largest EV charging networks. We have grown MRR 9 times, launched a many millions ARR white-label platform for a global OEM, and found ways to cut our customers' energy costs 45%with dynamic load management.
Before that
At EVgo, I led the launch of native iOS and Android apps for one of the largest public-charging networks in the U.S. — over 250 K downloads later, those apps are still humming along with solid ratings. Earlier at Synacor, I managed multi-team development for AT&T's news aggregator web property and launched an Android companion mobile app, driving tens of millions in ad revenue and measurable growth in user engagement.
Education
I earned my Master of Science in Business, Design, and Technology from the University of Southern California's Iovine & Young Academy, where I focused on technology innovation and storytelling. I was humbled to be handed my diploma from two of my heroes, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.
Harvard University, A.B. in Economics (cum laude). Covered all the usual fun subjects like game theory, linear algebra, econometrics and stats in addition to the standard micro and macro fare. Additional coursework and mentorship in CS fundamentals at a time when we were taught C and assembly (I barely survived that iteration of the famed CS-50).
Timeline
- 2022 — PresentVice President of Digital Products • InCharge Energy
Lead product strategy and delivery across cross-functional teams (UX, Product, Salesforce/Enterprise Software, Data Analysis).
- 2019 — 2022Product Owner • EVgo
Lead product management for the EVgo mobile apps; coordinated closely with design, engineering, and QA to ship new features and improve UX.
- 2018 — 2019Product Manager • Synacor for AT&T
Oversaw product development for AT&T’s consumer news aggregator portal and companion app; collaborated with UX, engineering, and stakeholders to drive ad revenue and user engagement.
- 2017Developer / Cofounder • The Good Doctor App
Built a doctor & insurance recommendation app (React Native + Firebase); accepted to Bixel Exchange incubator.
- 2016 — 2017Developer • Climate Cents
Sole developer for an environmental crowdfunding Rails app (Rails 5, PostgreSQL, Stripe).
- 2015Intern Developer • GameTree
QA + full-stack commits for a Meteor app (Node, MongoDB, CoffeeScript/ES6).
- 2005 — 2015Chief Executive Officer • Extenda Communications
Shifted telecom firm to VoIP and hosted telephony; successful exit to ex-Cisco investors.
- 2001 — 2005Senior Analyst • Beecher Investors
Stock analyst that fell into programming by automating trading workflows with VBA across Excel/Access/Word for a 9-figure hedge fund.
Outside of work
I'm into art and history museums, ballparks, family adventures, yoga, and building things that make life smoother. I'll watch or read any sci-fi you put in front of me. Eclectic music taste and in my pre-dad era I went to many concerts. Avid book purchaser, aspiring reader. Father to two amazing boys and husband to an incredible wife who lets disappear into my work for long stretches.
Let's connect
If you're working on something in product, sustainability, or useful AI — or just want a thoughtful partner to shape and ship — I'd love to talk.