Renovate America
Led the transformation of Renovate America's HERO Program from a B2B to a B2C model, redesigning the core user experience to better serve homeowners seeking clean energy financing. Redesigned core business drivers, including financing applications and contractor search features.
The Challenge
Understanding the key problems that needed to be solved
Contractor Dependency
The program was heavily dependent on contractors and channel partners to drive consumer acquisition and manage application flows.
Process Opacity
Many homeowners found the process opaque: applying, finding a contractor, understanding financing terms, and navigating eligibility were cumbersome.
Inconsistent Experience
Contractor onboarding and lead allocation were inconsistent, and many contractors lacked visibility or tools to manage their leads or customers.
My Approach
The design process and methodology that guided this project
Strategic Repositioning
Defined the shift from channel-first to hybrid (B2C + contractor network) growth strategy.
Product & UX Redesign
Led the redesign of the financing application, contractor search/selection features, and dashboards for both homeowners and contractors.
Stakeholder Alignment & Rollout
Coordinated with internal teams (engineering, operations, legal, compliance) and contractor partners to phase in changes without disrupting existing operations.
Performance Monitoring & Iteration
Established KPIs, ran usability tests, A/B experiments, and user feedback loops to continuously refine the flows.
Results and Impact
The specific features and solutions designed and delivered
Direct-to-Consumer Access
Expanded market reach by enabling direct-to-homeowner access, reducing dependence on contractor-only lead flows.
Improved Conversion Rates
Increased consumer application completion and conversion rates due to smoother, clearer application and contractor discovery.
Enhanced Contractor Tools
Improved contractor engagement: better lead quality, faster response times, and visibility into performance.
Scalable Growth Platform
Enabled HERO to scale more flexibly across new markets and to more diverse customer segments.
Massive Financial Impact
By July 2017, HERO had financed more than 100,000 homes and facilitated over $1.75 billion in improvements across ~75,000+ homes.
Key Insight
Transitioning HERO from a pure B2B model to a hybrid B2C + contractor ecosystem required both strategic product vision and careful execution. By redesigning application and search flows and giving contractors better tools to manage leads and customers, we unlocked new growth channels, reduced friction, and strengthened the platform's long-term scalability.
Designs
