Veteran Continues her Lifelong Mission with Axon
Nov 10, 2021
When Bridget Sheffler wrapped her Army career, she knew she wanted to use her experiences to solve complex problems in society. This led her to join a masters program in Human-Computer Interaction and Design from the University of Washington. When Bridget began to research potential employers upon graduation, she knew she wanted to work at an ethical company where she could leverage her unique background.
Bridget first learned about Axon while listening to the Built On Purpose podcast. Luke Larson, Axon President and fellow Veteran, was on the podcast discussing unconventional software in the military. Just weeks later, she attended an Operation Code event, sponsored by Axon and learned more about Axon’s products and mission to Protect Life from Anshuman Srivastava, Director of Engineering. After talking with Anshuman, Bridget knew she wanted to be part of Axon’s mission.
After talking with Anshuman, Bridget knew she wanted to be part of Axon’s mission to protect life and in October 2019 she joined the Real-Time Operations team as a Product Designer. Bridget couldn’t have imagined a more ideal company to work for, where she could use her vast experiences to help first responders and the public at their most critical moments. She now works on Axon Dispatch, a system which connects 911 dispatch calls to first responders with the focus on saving lives. “It’s a challenging product to build, but equally rewarding and I love it. Every second of it.”
When Bridget Sheffler wrapped her Army career, she knew she wanted to use her experiences to solve complex problems in society. This led her to join a masters program in Human-Computer Interaction and Design from the University of Washington. When Bridget began to research potential employers upon graduation, she knew she wanted to work at an ethical company where she could leverage her unique background.
Bridget first learned about Axon while listening to the Built On Purpose podcast. Luke Larson, Axon President and fellow Veteran, was on the podcast discussing unconventional software in the military. Just weeks later, she attended an Operation Code event, sponsored by Axon and learned more about Axon’s products and mission to Protect Life from Anshuman Srivastava, Director of Engineering. After talking with Anshuman, Bridget knew she wanted to be part of Axon’s mission.
After talking with Anshuman, Bridget knew she wanted to be part of Axon’s mission to protect life and in October 2019 she joined the Real-Time Operations team as a Product Designer. Bridget couldn’t have imagined a more ideal company to work for, where she could use her vast experiences to help first responders and the public at their most critical moments. She now works on Axon Dispatch, a system which connects 911 dispatch calls to first responders with the focus on saving lives. “It’s a challenging product to build, but equally rewarding and I love it. Every second of it.”
Bridget values being part of a mission-driven company. Recently, she traveled to Fresno, California to train police officers on Axon Respond and understand how the product acts in the field.
When she connects with peers in tech, Bridget has found many don’t understand the scope at which Axon works with public safety professionals. “It’s been eye-opening for people in tech to see our customers and realize how hard their jobs really are. Coming from a 24/7 operation environment while in the Army, I understand how crucial these scenarios can be.'”
Bridget has also noticed how hard it is to onboard new employees to public safety products like Axon Respond, and has taken initiative to improve those training processes. “There is a learning curve when people start. We have more complexity than most people realize. I’ve been working with the People team and Leadership to change our onboarding approach. We did just that; I was surprised that my opinion mattered and was heard. Any employee can affect change and that’s one of the things I love most about our company culture.”
As the 2021 and 2022 Vice President for Axon’s Veterans Affinity Group, Bridget mentors fellow Axon Veterans. “I feel like I have the best of both worlds” said Bridget. “I have a job I truly love with very rewarding work and I have the opportunity to regularly help fellow Veterans navigate careers in tech through the Affinity Group.”
If you’re looking for a new mission, join Axon and Protect Life!