Leaders in product design and management join UMSI Advisory Board

Two new members of the UMSI Advisory Board will bring expertise in product design and management, strong areas of interest among University of Michigan School of Information students. 

In this volunteer role, they will offer guidance to UMSI leadership, connect with students and alumni, and contribute to the school’s mission through philanthropic support. 

UMSI alumnus Matt Raw (MSI ’06) is deputy head of product design at the New York Times, where he helps lead an 85-person design organization that creates products for curious people who want to understand the world. In this role, he has led AI adoption on two fronts: shipping the Times’ first AI-powered product experiences for news, and building the design team's own AI-native prototyping practice. 

He is an adjunct faculty member at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he teaches in the Interaction Design program. A designer and leader for nearly two decades, he holds a Master of Science in Information degree from UMSI. 

Raw was inspired to join the UMSI Advisory Board after sitting in on a board meeting last fall and meeting two current students. 

“Two things happened. First, I became so energized talking with students who were launching their careers in information and tackling problems the world has never seen before,” Raw says. “And second, the experience and wisdom of the board members themselves was invigorating. I immediately wanted to help. I joined the board so I can give back that same kind of excitement and energy I felt, and help the school grow into the next generation.”

Laura Raines (BA ’13) is a Chicago-based entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of avec, a social app that eases social logistics and makes getting together in person more seamless. It sits at the intersection of social coordination, connection and technology, building directly on her education at UMSI.

Before founding avec, Raines worked on programmatic display and video at Google and in ad operations at Rocket Fuel. She also leads technology advancement for The Raines Group, her family’s top real estate brokerage in Columbus, Ohio.

Raines holds a bachelor’s degree from U-M, where she majored in communications and informatics. Through the informatics major, then a shared program between UMSI and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, she was one of the earliest undergraduates to study at UMSI. The Bachelor of Science in Information degree launched the year after she graduated.

She stays connected with her alma mater as co-chair of U-M’s Chicago Campaign Council, serves on the Wolverine Pathways admissions review panel, and supports U-M Intergroup Relations student facilitators and study abroad scholars. Outside of work, she is an endurance athlete who has climbed Kilimanjaro and raced the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, an avid traveler and a fan of the maker lab. 

During their renewable three-year terms, Raines and Raw will use their industry expertise to offer guidance on matters including curriculum development and research initiatives, while supporting students directly through mentorship opportunities and philanthropy.