Craig Wattrus is a seasoned product design leader and entrepreneur with a proven track record of shaping and scaling innovative technology products. From being an early employee at high-growth startups to leading design teams at major tech companies, Craig brings a unique blend of startup agility and enterprise rigor to every venture he undertakes.

Currently, Craig serves as Director of Product Design at Crafty, where he leads a team dedicated to enhancing workplace efficiency through tech-enabled food, beverage, and supply solutions. His work at Crafty includes spearheading generative AI-powered tools to drive operational efficiency and upskill teams, reflecting his passion for blending emerging technologies with user-centered design.

Alongside his work at Crafty, Craig is the founder of Maatskappy, a venture focused on hyper-local sustainable manufacturing and design. Through Maatskappy, he is developing MakerOS, a generative AI-powered CAD/CAM documentation platform for small-scale manufacturers, underscoring his commitment to empowering makers and advancing sustainable fabrication methods.

Craig’s career began during university when he co-founded a sentiment analysis startup that earned recognition in the Microsoft Imagine Cup, winning multiple awards. This early entrepreneurial experience set the stage for his journey into technology and product innovation.

As one of the first employees at Yoco, a leading fintech startup in South Africa, Craig helped establish the company’s design team, shaping its growth from the ground up. At Braintree (a PayPal company), he contributed to the development of the Braintree GraphQL API, pay with Venmo on web and worked on integrating technologies like Venmo and PayPal Credit into high-profile clients’ platforms, including Uber and Lyft.

Craig transitioned into leadership roles at Tegus, Foxtrot, and Medallion, where he built and managed design teams, drove product strategies, and delivered measurable impact. At Foxtrot, his work optimizing the company’s e-commerce platform led to a projected $3 million increase in annual revenue. At Tegus, Craig led initiatives to enhance the investor platform with advanced search and NLP capabilities while cultivating a strong design team culture.

His expertise spans a wide range of industries and technologies, including more recently his exploration of 3D printing, CAD, and CNC machining. As a maker at heart, Craig brings his passion for craftsmanship to projects like his signature lighting designs (Chrono Lamp and Arches Lamp), blending timeless aesthetics with innovative materials.

A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Craig now resides in the USA, where he continues to lead and innovate in both the startup and maker communities.