About our Conference Chair

George Garrastegui

George Garrastegui, Jr. is a design educator and creative consultant in New York City. He has a background in publishing, marketing, and strategy, which has allowed him to craft solutions for brands such as Esquire, Ford, Cadillac, and Popular Mechanics. George now focuses on teaching strategic problem-solving at CUNY’s NYC College of Technology (City Tech) and hosts a podcast, Works in Process, that explores artists’ and designers’ methodologies.


George is fueled by the pursuit of uncovering ways to give emerging designers access and opportunities as a member of both the AIGA DEI initiative and 100 Roses from Concrete.


Over the years, he’s learned that there’s no one way to be a creative, but endless possibilities fueled by passion, purpose, and process.

Fireside Guests

Tim Riley

Tim Riley
Sr. Director, Experience Design
Warby Parker

Scott Belsky

Scott Belsky
Chief Product Officer, EVP
Adobe

Attica Alexis Jaques

Attica Alexis Jaques
Head of Global Brand Marketing, Consumer Apps
Google

All Speakers

Hebah Abdelqader
UX/UI Product Designer
Toby Allen
AMV BBDO
Deputy ECD
David Hisaya Asari
California College of the Arts
Sr Adjunct Professor
Scott Belsky
Adobe
Chief Product Officer, EVP, Creative Cloud
Aba Blankson
NAACP
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Jeff Bleitz
Ringling College of Art and Design
Department Head Graphic Design
Williams Chechet
Williams Chechet Atelier
Visual Artist
John Clark
Team
Co-Founder, Creative Director
Fatma Collins
Ten Little
CEO and Co-Founder
Stewart Davies
Wolff Olins
Creative Director
Meaghan Dee
Virginia Tech
Associate Professor
Richard Fischer Estrada
Haymaker
Creative Director
Diane Gibbs
Univeristy of South Alabama
Professor of graphic design
Amy Globus
Team
Co-Founder, Creative Director
Mitch Goldstein
Rochester Institute of Technology
Associate Professor, College of Art and Design
Tanja Grubner
Essity
Feminine Care Global Marketing & Communications Direction
Ann Harakawa
Two Twelve
Principal
Rachael Hardy
More Than A Vote
Creative & Brand Strategist
Gaby Hernández
University of Arkansas
Endowed Associate Professor of Graphic Design
Ariba Jahan
The Ad Council
Vice President, Design & Innovation Strategy
Attica Alexis Jaques
Google
Head of Global Brand Marketing, Consumer Apps
Bennie F. Johnson
AIGA, the professional association for design
Executive Director
Matt Johnson
Haymaker
Chief Strategy Officer
Jay Kamath
Haymaker
Chief Creative Officer
Meena Khalili
University of South Carolina
Associate Professor of Design
Ryan Letada
NextDayBetter
CEO and Co-Founder
Jessica Levitz
Shoppe Theory
Designer
Nick Longo
Longo Designs
Agency Owner / Design Professor
Connie Lui
YummyColours
Creative Director
Diego Marini
YummyColours
Co-Founder & Creative Director
Luke McCarthy
Pim-Pam
Creative Director
Francis Mekhail
TikTok
Global Visual Design Lead
Shel Perkins
Shel Perkins & Associates
President
Martin Pohlmann
Ringling Design Center
Designer
Katwo Puertollano
rezonate
Co-Founder & Design Director
Nico Puertollano
rezonate
Co-owner + Executive Creative Director
Alberto Rigau
Estudio Interlínea
Creative Director
Tim Riley
Warby Parker
Sr. Director, Experience Design
Elisa Pacheco Rivera
Learning and Organizational Development Director
Geoff Seeley
Afterpay
Chief Marketing Officer
Alistair Stephenson
AB Partners
Chief of Staff
David Walker
Austin Peay State University
Associate Professor of Art in Graphic Design
Ida Woldemichael
Wide Eye
Associate Creative Director
Sophia Yeshi
Yeshi Designs
Illustrator and Graphic Designer