June 25, 2020 by Emil Hessel

Talk: Good Products in Tough Times

2020 has fundamentally transformed the landscape for local businesses and the customers they serve. For many of us, where and how we get food, shop, and even exercise are dramatically different than they were four months ago. With this, the need to stay up-to-date and connected with the businesses in our communities is more universal than ever. One of Yelp's newest products, Yelp Connect, is designed to fill this need. Join us as we talk about how we built an idea into a product used by thousands of businesses to help in their fight for survival. We'll explain what Yelp Connect is, how it's helping businesses and consumers in today's environment, and some key product insights we picked up along the way.

Speaker:

Emil Hessel, Product Manager

Bio: I'm Emil! I started as a Product Manager at Yelp 1.5 years ago to build a new product called "Yelp Connect" that helps you stay up to date with the local businesses you love. I grew up in Raleigh, NC before going to Georgia Tech to study Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science. Since then I've worked at NASA, a large consulting firm, and a mobile-gaming start up before finding a home at Yelp. I have a passion for building incredible things with even-more-incredible teams, and am always curious to learn from curious people!

Moderator:

Marybeth Stankovits, Head of Technical Recruiting (North America)

Bio: I head up Technical Recruiting for Yelp in North America. I've been with Yelp for 9-years, starting as a Technical Recruiter in 2011. I'm proud and grateful to work with an amazing team of individuals dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce.

About this event

Yelp’s mission is to connect people with great local businesses, and one of the teams working behind the scenes to make that happen is our five star engineering and product teams.

Playing an active role in our community is a value that we have strongly prioritized over the years. Typically we would invite you to come to Yelp’s HQ to network, grab a slice of ‘za, and learn about the technology and culture behind Yelp. With stay-at-home orders across the globe, Yelp (like many of you) has had no choice but to adapt to these changes. We understand that this is a strange and challenging time for many, so we’d like to invite you to join us as we navigate this new normal for the tech community together.

To stay connected, create space for folks to collaborate and share some of the things Yelp has been working on, we are launching our very own virtual tech talk series. This series of talks will feature Yelpers from engineering and product and will focus on themes such as career development, technical skills, workplace challenges and Yelp’s response to COVID-19.