Who we are
Hi there!
We’re Nicole and Andreas, and together we create uxcon vienna.
What started as a shared idea has grown into an international UX community based in Vienna, shaped by curiosity and the belief that better experiences emerge when people learn from one another.
uxcon is more than a conference. Alongside our annual flagship event, we host workshops, labs, and smaller gatherings throughout the year – independently curated and driven by what we believe is relevant, thoughtful, and useful for the community.
As a small, hands-on team, we value personal connection and staying close to our community. We care about creating welcoming environments and taking different perspectives seriously, so people feel comfortable being part of the conversation.
uxcon is a forever-learning project. We enjoy experimenting with new formats that encourage learning, connection, and shared development. And we’d love you to be part of our story.
Nicole Swoboda
Andreas Ablasser
Strategic advisors
Mirjam
de Klepper
Mirjam is originally from the Netherlands, but Vienna has been her chosen home.
Over the years, her desire to keep things meaningful and create a positive impact has led her to focus on digital health products. There she built upon her background in anthropology and developed her UX research and operations skill set.
Beyond her role as moderator at uxcon, she's been with us since the beginning, and we're really proud of that.
Tina
Ličková
Tina, who is originally from Slovakia, currently resides and works in the lovely city of Vienna, just across the border.
She has a lot of experience as a service designer and research lead with Re-Ops and moderation skills and mostly works on projects in meteorology and finance, but at uxcon, she's taking on a different role as a strategic advisor and a fantastic moderator.
Plus, she's an awesome podcast host too!
Tom
Zahler
Tom is a seasoned UX and digital product design expert with 20+ years of experience.
He's great at guiding clients through digital transformation challenges and motivating diverse teams and enjoys teaching. His expertise includes various UX and design thinking techniques like participatory design and rapid prototyping.
As our advisor, he's always there to lend an ear and dive into action for uxcon whenever needed.
Annemarie Shrouder
Annemarie has over 20 years of experience in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDIB) as a facilitator, consultant, and speaker.
Organizations turn to Annemarie to build supportive environments where people can learn, feel valued, and where diversity is seen as a strength.
We’re very grateful that Annemarie brings this expertise to uxcon, helping us foster belonging and awareness.
Kathy Toney
Kathy started her career as a technical writer before finding her way into UX and later design leadership. Along the way, she has built and led several UX and CX teams and gained experience across many parts of the business.
She leads our Pulse of UX research project and supports uxcon with insight, care, and a genuine commitment to strengthening the UX community.