Kristen Gismondi

I’m Kristen Gismondi, and I’m an Education Facilitator on iFixit’s EDU team.

In 2014, I started my journey at iFixit as Product Photographer. In 2015, I joined the EDU team where I began guiding thousands of students through the iFixit Technical Writing Project. In short, I teach students from over 80 universities across the US about technical writing and the importance of repair. Among other things, I curate content on iFixit.com, manage the EDU website, and help to coordinate the iFixit Technical Writing Symposium.

I’m also involved in Community Management on iFixit Meta.

I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio—home of Brier Hill pizza. In 2014, I moved to San Luis Obispo, California where I learned what tri-tip was. I relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2018 where you can get pierogies literally anywhere.

I graduated from Youngstown State University in 2013 with a BFA in Photography. In summer 2012, I studied language and architecture in Berlin, Germany through the IES Abroad program—and of course, ate döner on the regular.

Berlin, Germany

Hallstatt, Austria

I mean, probably. But you can also fix your phone—I believe in you!

Honestly, my repair experience was pretty minimal before working at iFixit. I’d mended tears in clothing and hemmed pants, but that was about it. I was never really afraid of electronics repair… I just didn’t know how much was actually possible.

A whole new world opened up for me at iFixit, and I’m proud to say I’ve added a few (mostly successful) repairs to my repertoire.

I have, however, always been diligent about reusing, recycling, upcycling, and basically doing whatever I can to keep stuff out of landfills. Did you know you can even recycle your old clothes? I wrote an article about it!

My husband Chris and I have a black cat named Ziggy Pawdust.

I’m a huge animal lover. Currently, I volunteer at Animal Friends, a local rescue that cares for dogs, cats, and rabbits in search of a loving home. My dream is to open an animal sanctuary for animals with special needs—but, in the meantime, I have plenty of other things to keep me busy.

I’m a movie enthusiast and member of Row House Cinema, a local movie theater. I have an ever-growing to-read list, and I never leave a bookstore empty-handed. I collect vinyl records and go to way too many concerts.

I love to travel. My favorite place on earth is Yosemite. Pictures don’t do it justice, but here’s one anyways.

Mirror Lake

When I’m not talking about eating food, I’m usually cooking or baking. I’m also pretty crafty—I’m into crocheting, cross stitching, and creating art in general. I’ve dabbled in a few printmaking methods—here are some of my favorite creations:

Screenprint

Intaglio

Linocut

From Riches to Rags: The Afterlife of Your Old Clothes

It’s Always a Good Time for Repair: Inside a Watchmaker’s Workshop (photography)

Lit By Love: The Volunteers Restoring Point San Luis Lighthouse

Five Toilet Repairs You Can Totally Handle Yourself