Meet Haley Seymour, a software developer on Cognitiv's Experience (UI) Team and our April Brain Behind Our Brand. With nearly three years at Cognitiv, Haley brings a user-first mindset to everything she builds, shaping the interfaces behind ContextGPT and AudienceGPT with a focus on real-world usability. Before pivoting to tech, she spent years on the sidelines as an athletic trainer, evaluating injuries and reading MRIs,  proof that her knack for diagnosing problems runs deep.

• Pronouns: She/her
• Role: Software Developer
• Team: Experience (UI) Team
• How long you’ve been at Cognitiv: Almost 3 years!

Inside The Office

What does a typical day in your role really look like?

A typical day has evolved over the last few months as we integrate AI into workflows more and more. My day involves a lot of parallel work, and I’ve built systems that handle my tasks–from writing and reviewing code to generating documentation, managing priorities and projects, and handling smaller engineering tasks with minimal oversight. That frees me up to focus on shaping problems, guiding implementation, and ensuring what we’re building aligns with our user and business needs–especially for our ContextGPT and AudienceGPT products.

What’s the part of your job you love most (that might surprise people)?

Translating business needs into tools that work for real users in their day-to-day. I like to think about problems from the user’s perspective and whether what we’re building actually solves them in practice. Interfaces are often built to reflect the underlying system design, but users don’t think in those terms—they think in outcomes. I like closing that gap.

‍What’s one innovation in adtech that excites you, and why?

What we’re doing with AudienceGPT. Traditional audience targeting relies on static segments–essentially snapshots of past behavior that go stale over time. AudienceGPT replaces that by using deep learning to evaluate each impression in real time against an advertiser’s goal, rather than relying on fixed segments. This allows targeting to stay dynamic and aligned with the campaign intent.

What advice would you give someone joining #TeamCognitiv?

Stay curious and keep asking questions–even the ones you’re embarrassed to ask, especially with people outside your team. I’ve learned so much by asking questions–things I might not have discovered if I had waited for the knowledge to come to me. People here want to help and will engage with you. The more you understand the company as a whole, the better everything you work on will be.

Outside The Office

‍What’s one unusual thing about you that might surprise coworkers?

I’ve always been interested in human physiology and the musculoskeletal system. My degree is in athletic training, and I spent years on the sidelines of different sports, evaluating concussions and injuries and working alongside sports medicine physicians reviewing x-rays and MRIs. While I’m no longer in that field, I really value the knowledge I gained from that experience.

‍What’s your go-to comfort food or guilty pleasure snack?

My go-to comfort food is pho with tons of veggies. There’s nothing better than broccoli soaked in a rich, flavorful pho broth. My guilty pleasure snack is definitely Simply White Cheddar Cheetos Puffs. They’ve perfected the crunch and are so good. 

‍What hobby or skill would you love to pick up if time weren’t an issue?

I would love to become a wine sommelier. I find viticulture and the science behind wine really interesting–how climate influences flavor and why certain grapes pair with certain foods. Even within the same region, small differences in site and conditions can go a long way–like how in Lake Chelan, WA, vineyards just across the lake can produce noticeably different products in the same year. Plus, I love a good glass of wine! 

‍If you could take a year off to do anything, what would you do?

I’d want to live a slow, intentional life–somewhere remote and abroad, doing something outside like leading kayak tours by the sea or working as a ranch hand in the mountains. I like the idea of walking everywhere, exploring neighboring towns and enjoying good food with good company.

Rapid-Fire Fun

• Sweet or savory? Sweet! Lemon bars are a favorite, or anything chocolate.
• Early bird or night owl? Early Bird–the best days start with a good workout and a nice cup of coffee.
• Favorite childhood TV show or movie? I always loved Zenon–or Rocket Power.
• Last song you listened to? “Caught Up In The Country” by Rodney Atkins 
• Beach, mountains, or city for a vacation? Beach–lake or ocean, it doesn’t matter! 

Team Shoutouts

“Haley has a deep understanding of how our products work and consistently applies that knowledge to improve the user experience. She’s also highly dependable, consistently delivering projects on time, making her an incredible asset to the team. We are lucky to have her at Cognitiv!” — Sydney Martin, Product Designer II

‍