Kenzie is a Growth Marketer at Stream, where she helps the world’s top apps drive engagement through best-in-class chat, video, and activity feeds. With a background spanning sales, partnerships, and event marketing, Kenzie brings a cross-functional lens to every campaign she leads. She’s passionate about helping teams deliver meaningful user experiences, and about building the kind of communities that keep users coming back.
In your own words, what’s your role in the app business right now?
I help innovative app teams turn engagement into retention, because today, connection is the new retention. As a Growth Marketer at Stream, we partner with companies across industries like social, dating, telehealth, and marketplaces to build richer in-app experiences using chat, video, and feeds. My role lives at the intersection of storytelling and strategy: identifying where real-time communication can create meaningful relationships and helping teams bring those experiences to life.
How did you end up working in apps?
I got my start in SaaS and have always had a love for technology, but joining Stream is what really pulled me into the app world. What’s been exciting is getting to work with the same kinds of apps I use every day — social, fitness, marketplaces — and helping them create better user experiences. It’s been a natural evolution: from loving tech to now helping power the engagement layer behind some of the most-used apps out there.
What are you most excited about in apps right now?
I’m most excited about the shift toward building more human, community-driven app experiences. Whether it’s a fitness app helping people connect over their goals, a telehealth platform reducing patient friction, or a marketplace adding real-time buyer-to-seller communication, there’s a growing recognition that connection isn’t just a feature, it’s a differentiator. I’m also excited about how AI is being used to enhance communication, not replace it — things like smarter content moderation, real-time translations, or chatbot experiences that make interactions feel more relevant and frictionless.
Is there anyone you’d like to shout out to who has influenced your journey in the app industry?
I’ve been lucky to work with people who lead with clarity and curiosity, and that’s been incredibly influential. At Stream, I’ve learned so much from teammates across sales, engineering, and marketing who are constantly thinking about how to make things better for builders and users alike. It’s also been inspiring to collaborate with customers who are pushing boundaries in how apps foster community. Seeing how they think about engagement at scale has definitely shaped how I approach my own work.
What’s in your app tech stack?
Our core app tech stack includes Stream’s Chat, Video, and Feeds APIs, which power real-time engagement for a wide range of use cases, from social and dating apps to marketplaces and telehealth. Internally, we use tools like HubSpot, Google Analytics, Apptopia for market intelligence, and Claude. For internal collaboration, Linear keeps us organized and Notion helps with cross-team alignment.
What do you like most about working in apps?
I love how fast-moving and creative the app space is. There’s always a new use case, behavior shift, or product idea to learn from. But what I enjoy most is helping teams turn their vision into something users actually connect with. Whether it’s improving communication, building community, or just making things feel more intuitive, it’s rewarding to work on products that people interact with every day, and to play a small part in making those experiences better.
What one thing would you change about the app industry?
I think there’s still a huge opportunity to design for depth over downloads. Too many apps focus on acquisition and short-term engagement metrics, but real value comes from building meaningful, lasting experiences. That’s especially true in categories like social, health, and education, where trust and connection are critical. I’d love to see more teams invest in features that foster real community, not just surface-level interaction. The apps that get this right will win on retention, not just reach.
If you weren’t working in apps what would you be doing?
If I weren’t working in apps, the dream would be in the sports industry, ideally leading strategy for a professional team. I love cross-functional collaboration and thinking through complex problems with smart people, and sports offers a fascinating mix of data, human behavior, and high-stakes decision-making. For me, it’s always been about strategy and impact, no matter the field.
iOS or Android?
iOS.
What apps have been most useful to you over the last year?
Runna — I am training for a half marathon.
Any TV show recommendations?
Modern Family.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I’m a strategist at heart who loves bringing people together to solve real problems. I thrive in collaborative environments, especially when there’s an opportunity to shape something meaningful for users. Outside of work, I’m probably planning my next trip, going for a hike, or testing out a new baking recipe.
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