Jon is a senior industrial designer at Verily, Alphabet's healthcare & technology company, where he leads design and UX for a range of medical devices and their connected services. He collaborates with scientists, engineers, clinical experts, designers, and researchers to break technology out of the lab, and productize cutting edge innovations to help people live healthier lives.

Previously, he was an industrial designer at frog in San Francisco, where he consulted with startups and corporations to turn research insights into product opportunities.

Alejandra is an Industrial Design Lead based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, currently working at Fjord - part of Accenture Interactive. Born and raised in Mexico City, she holds a BA in Industrial Design and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Design. Alejandra has over 10 years experience working with multiple Fortune 500 companies, as well as early stage startups, helping them transform ideas into reality. She specializes in designing solutions that take place at the intersection of digital and physical. Over the years she's worked on a variety of projects that range from design research, usability testing and alignment workshop facilitation all the way to end-to-end design and shipping of full-fledged, consumer-facing experiences and products.

Prior to joining Fjord she worked for other design consultancies such as frog design. Most recently, she had the opportunity to lead the physical experience design, interior architecture and custom tech solutions of concierge-style medical facilities for Forward, an innovative Healthcare startup named one of Time Magazine's best 25 inventions.

Ara Acle is a Bay Area native currently based in Oakland, CA. After graduating from San Jose State University, Ara spent time at many of the top San Francisco design consultancies. For 4 years he was an Industrial Designer at Frog where he led projects for clients in sectors ranging from consumer electronics, AR experiences, medical products, and environmental installations. Ara is currently a Senior Industrial Designer at Casper where he is helping the brand build sleep products that bring a sense of joy and comfort to consumers.

Jonathan is a Senior Industrial Designer based in Toronto, Ontario. After 5 years of working in San Francisco as a core part of frog's industrial design team, Jonathan moved to Canada in early 2020 to pursue a new adventure with e-commerce powerhouse, Shopify. His experience as a design consultant spans across leading brands and start-ups in the tech, retail, automotive, government, and healthcare industries. As a part of Shopify’s budding hardware division, Jonathan works at the forefront of commerce innovation, bridging the gap between digital and physical in the retail arena.

Born and raised in the Northern Virginia/ DC area, Jonathan is an east-coast creative looking to make lasting, meaningful products and experiences. Though his expertise lies in physical products, he believes that excellent, culture-shifting design comes from the convergence of multiple disciplines and diverse perspectives.

Stephanie is a Senior Visual Designer at Enlisted Design, a visual and industrial design agency based in Oakland, CA where she brings brands to life through tangible visual design. Previously, she was a freelance brand designer, working with small Bay Area startups and large companies such as: Clif Bar, Nestlé, Ancestry, and Waymo (Alphabet). These projects ranged from packaging design to digital product illustrations to copywriting and art direction. Her diverse experience led her to specialize in helping clients hone their brand stories to better resonate with customers. Stephanie is particularly passionate about bridging the gaps between design and business strategy, and helping more people engage their own creative thinking.

Kevin Bethune is the Founder & Chief Creative Officer of dreams • design + life, a "think tank" that delivers design & innovation services using a human-centered approach. Kevin's background spans engineering, business and design in equal proportion over his 25+ year career, positioning him to help brands deliver meaningful innovations to enrich people's lives.

His work represents creative problem-solving that brings multidisciplinary teams together to see the future through an open aperture, and a deep industrial design approach to inform and influence desirable, feasible and business-viable design outcomes.

Kevin began his career as a mechanical engineer in the nuclear power industry. This chapter gave him deep product experience working with high performing teams across 14 nuclear reactor upgrade campaigns. After his MBA, Kevin joined Nike, Inc. in a business capacity, but quickly navigated to the Global Footwear product engine to drive advanced digital product creation capabilities, discovering the world of design in the process. After solidifying his creative foundation through further studies at ArtCenter College of Design, Kevin co-founded distinct design & innovation capabilities at two Tier 1 management consulting firms in Booz & Co. and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). As Vice President of Strategic Design at BCG Digital Ventures, he led a large cohort of designers that would influence and shape every corporate venture spun out from the incubator. Kevin left BCG Digital Ventures to carve his own path under the banner of dreams • design + life, focusing on unlocking human potential through strategic design, industrial design and the building of new ecologies.

Kevin also serves as a Board Trustee for ArtCenter College of Design and a Board Director for the Design Management Institute (DMI).

Folake Knudsen is a Product Designer at Workday in Copenhagen where she is focused on Peakon, a platform for measuring and improving employee engagement, inclusion, and growth.

Previously, Knudsen has worked at Bang & Olufsen, where she was responsible for the consumer-facing mobile app and software/hardware interactions, BMW, helping to build its connected mobile app for its fleet of luxury vehicles.

Knudsen previously earned a Master’s degree in Human-computer interaction from DePaul University.

Liliana is the founder of STUDIO LILIANA BECERRA Inc. a firm advising global companies on strategic design foresight and advanced CMF Design. Clients include AT&T, Simple Human, Sonos, Nestle & Lenovo. Her latest book, CMF Design is the first publication about the professional discipline of color material and finish design. She also an editorial contributor to design publications including Viewpoint Design and Viewpoint Color. She is an adjunct professor at Art Center College of Design and formerly, she served as the Head of Design Insights at Nokia where she led global, multi-disciplinary teams, trend research initiatives and key design strategies.

Magdalena is the co-founder and CEO of LabTwin. She is a passionate design-driven entrepreneur with over 15 years of design and hands-on execution experience in building digital products and leading cross-disciplinary teams in an agile fashion.

In her previous role as Director at BCGDV, she was responsible for building up from scratch more than ten corporate-backed start-ups in Europe and the U.S., primarily focused on the healthcare space.

Before joining BCGDV, she worked as a Senior Innovation Strategist at Toyota, where she was responsible for identifying and implementing emerging technologies in mobility and robotics such as autonomous vehicle design.

Hector Silva brings over 7 years of teaching experience at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Notre Dame, the Academy of Art University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Rochester Institute of Technology at their nationally-acclaimed industrial design programs. Recognized for his contributions in academia, Hector was awarded the Young Educator of the Year by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). An active professional in the field, Hector works as an industrial design contractor through his own studio, H Design, partnering with Crate & Barrel, DesignLab, Nickelodeon, LeapFrog, Foster Grant, Insight Product Development, Lund & Company Invention, as well as various entrepreneurs. Hector is also the founder of the design nonprofit, Advanced Design (AD), an organization awarded the Special Achievement Award by the IDSA for making design education more accessible and through disrupting the mediums through which design education has been traditionally offered. AD continues to grow today, connecting students and working professionals to foster a community of design excellence. Most recently, Hector founded Offsite, a 12 week pilot program catered towards furthering design education outside of traditional academia space. This program was developed to translate the needs of the industry into course content taught by design industry leaders. The goal is to help students develop the right skill set and mentorship to thrive on the job and support them along the way.

Alex explores design, technology, sustainability and emotional attachment as means to elevate quality of life. He is Professor and Graduate Director of Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology, and Research Fellow Emeritus at Autodesk. At RIT, Alex leads a top-ranking program focused in interdisciplinary collaboration, accessible technology and applied design research. Alex and his students have partnered with Autodesk, AT&T, Colgate-Palmolive, General Electric, Makerbot, Stryker, Staples and Unilever, in projects covering digital fabrication, sustainable behaviors, learning futures, generative design, and everyday living. Alex holds a MFA from University of Notre Dame and a BID from Universidad Rafael Landivar.

Danielle is a full-stack and mission-driven product designer passionate about creating products that are inclusive and accessible for all. As a recognized thought leader, she has spoken at a number of distinguished conferences including SXSW, Interaction Design Conference and International Design Conference, covering topics from design, cultures, technology and anything in between. She writes a newsletter called "Designing Culture“ dissecting how technology has changed our human cultures. She holds a Master’s in Integrated Product Design from University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s in Product Design from Drexel University.

When she’s not doing design-related work (which is rare), you can find her leveling up her improv skills, going for hikes and making her next sourdough bread.

Kat Reiser is a strategic thinker, driving innovation by understanding what to make and why it matters. In her time as a designer, Kat has consulted and participated in in-house design teams. She has had the opportunity to work with companies focused on housewares and packaged goods including Pampered Chef, PepsiCo, Chevron, P&G, AB InBev, and Oculus.

Kat is also an instructor at Offsite, where she helps designers build the tools they need to seek employment while guiding the students through understanding and reflecting upon who they are and how they present themselves as designers.

Laura Silva is Bank of America’s Vice President, Accessibility Technology UX Design Lead. Previously, she worked at Amazon in the Global Search team as Accessibility and D&I designer. She’s originally from Bogota, Colombia but calls the U.S. her home. In her work, she focuses on inclusion, diversity and equity for her customers and coworkers.
Her experiences being “the first and the only one” as a Afro-Latina in tech inspire her to advocate for the business and cultural benefits of highlighting the intersectionality of their customers.

Sloan Leo (they/them) is an artist and the Founder/CEO of FLOX Studio Inc. FLOX Studio is a community design and strategy studio that works with curious optimists who are committed to getting things done. FLOX is on a mission to increase the community design capacity of mission-driven enterprises so that the entire ecosystem is more brave, creative and resilient. Prior to founding FLOX Studio, Sloan Leo spent 15 years leading non-profit staff and volunteer teams at the Environmental Defense Fund, The Trust for Public Land, and other organizations at the intersection of community, justice, and design.

Alvin Schexnider (he/him) is a BizOps Lead, Service Designer, Equity Designer, and an Illustrator. He endeavors to help civic institutions become more effective, citizen-centered, innovative, and equitable. He is currently the Chief People Officer for the Illinois Department of Human Services. Previously, he worked as their Operations Program Manager (BizOps & Service Design), where he drove strategy, operations, design, and community-focused projects deemed critical by the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of Operations. He’s also Adjunct Professor of Social Design at Loyola University Chicago, and outside of work his projects include Distributive Designers Project (schex.design) and the Racial DeckEquity Cardset found on his Etsy shop schexdesign. Alvin lives in Chicago.

Julius Tapper is an innovation strategist working to redesign systems to value equity, inclusion, culture and prosperity. Julius has over a decade of professional experience spanning product and experience innovation, customer strategy, and social impact. Julius has led project teams across strategy and creative, for organizations including the UN, American Express, and UBS.

Julius leads equity-centered design initiatives at Doblin, Deloitte’s human-centered design and innovation consulting practice. Prior to consulting, Julius worked at TD Bank, founding their impact investing and social finance program and issuing TD’s first Green Bond. Julius earned an MBA from MIT, an MPA from Harvard, and a BCom from the University of Toronto.

Lora Appleton is a thought leader, celebrated designer, curator, gallerist and founder of kinder MODERN and Female Design Council. Leading the charge for womxn in design, she is working to shift the narrative away from “traditional” gender roles and family structures and towards womxn’s technical skills, artistry and professional merits.

Appleton formed the Female Design Council as a direct response to the long history of imbalanced representation of gender in the design industry. FDC is dedicated to engaging equity and tangible gender parity in design. Appleton continues to focus her furniture and rug design efforts on thoughtful, practical and sustainable design in the family home. She serves on the NYCxDESIGN Steering Committee and is a Board Trustee at the Blue School in Manhattan.

Stacey Panousopoulos has extensive management and customer service experience in the creative sector. Stacey earned a BA in creative writing and classical studies at Hunter College in NYC. At AIGA NY, she builds relationships with the existing 3,000 members, the board of directors, sponsoring corporations and a range of external partners.

Wesley Hall, a Senior Designer at Douglas Elliman is a skilled graphic designer, illustrator, and creative consultant with 20 years of experience working with clients to generate design-driven solutions for marketing collateral, instructional design, print, and project management needs. He is the Co-Operator of FLOX Studio.

Tariq Dixon founded TRNK in 2013 as a destination for fellow design enthusiasts seeking rarefied products in a more approachable setting. A creative strategist and product designer, he’s motivated by the role designed environments play in shaping our interactions, memories, and experiences. His work has been featured in NY Times, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine, to name a few. Tariq is originally from Baltimore, a graduate of Harvard College, and has called New York City home for more than ten years.

Éva Goicochea spent her early career as a legislative aide in healthcare then 10+ years in ecommerce and digital strategy working with Squarespace, adidas, and Everlane. She co-founded her first company, Tinker Watches, in 2015. Converging her passion for healthcare and brand, she launched maude, an inclusive modern sexual wellness company in 2018. To-date, she's one of only 20 Latinx women to raise over $4 million and was voted Entrepreneur's 2019 100 Most Powerful Women, WWD's 60 Power Players in Healthy and Beauty, and Fast Company's 2021 Next 1000. In 2020, she joined the board of Peer Health Exchange.

Randall Jones is an interior designer at Yabu Pushelberg and adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design. She is an alumna of Howard University and received her MFA in Interior Design from Parsons School of Design. She founded Obsidian, the black student design organization at Parsons in the Fall of 2018. She also serves on the Parsons Committee on Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice. Randall is committed to working to help expand the pipeline of students and professionals that are under-represented in the design industry. Currently, her work focuses in luxury hospitality, retail, and residential design. Prior to interior design, Randall spent 7 years working within the advertising and marketing space as an Art Director.

Miya Osaki is a partner at Diagram, a New York based, women- and minority-owned healthcare design studio. Miya brings her passion for design, research, collaboration, and storytelling to improve outcomes and create more caring and equitable experiences for people and our communities. Prior to founding Diagram, Miya served as Director of Experience Design at Johnson & Johnson’s Global Strategic Design Office, where she created innovative services for patients managing chronic conditions. Miya is also the Chair of the graduate Design for Social Innovation (DSI) program at the School of Visual Arts, the first MFA program in social design, and serves on the Board for the Public Policy Lab. She is the co-host for the podcast, Yah, No, focused on the intersection of design, business, and healthcare. A west-coast native, Miya currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Lalita Abhyankar is a family medicine physician based in Brooklyn, New York and provides full spectrum patient-centered primary care for all ages. She currently consults for a federally qualified health center improving care of older adults through collaborative research and design methods, targeting electronic health record chart review and interdisciplinary workflows for end of life conversations. She also serves as the Chair of Advocacy for the New York State Academy of Family Physicians and is a regular contributing author to the American Academy of Family Physicians Fresh Perspectives blog.

Sarah Fathallah is an independent designer, researcher, and educator, who specializes in applying participatory research and design to the social sector, with impact-driven clients like the International Domestic Workers Federation, the International Rescue Committee, and Open Society Foundations, to name a few. Sarah co-founded Design Gigs for Good, a free community-driven resource to help more people use the tools of design to create positive social change. Sarah is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris, where she studied International Business and Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Affairs. She also studied design innovation at the Paris Est d.school, User Experience design at General Assembly, and participatory design at MIT.

Josh Morenstein is a co-founder, partner, and creative director at Branch, an industrial design and branding agency in San Francisco.

Founded in 2013, Branch has been recognized for excellence and authority in a variety of projects in industrial design and brand consulting services to clients from Fortune 500s to start-ups. Branch’s work has been featured in publications including Fast Company, Vogue, Wired, Metropolis, Dezeen, and Wallpaper magazine. Fast Company Magazine has recognized Branch as one of the "30 Most Important Design Companies of the Year"

With over 20 years of design experience, Josh has led award-winning design teams on some of the most diverse and innovative projects ranging from furniture to electronics, consumer goods to packaging. Prior to founding Branch, Josh was creative director and partner at fuseproject as well as the Design Director at NewDealDesign.

Josh’s work for clients such as General Electric, Coca Cola, Johnson and Johnson, Prada, Issey Miyake, Swarovski, Samsung, Target, Puma,and L'Oréal established him at the forefront of marrying form with function, and of brand with product. Josh’s work has been exhibited in museums and competitions including the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Triennial, MOMA, and Chicago Art Institute, and has been recognized with over 50 international design awards from organizations such as IDSA, ID Magazine, iF, Fast Company, and Red Dot.

As a Principal Industrial Designer at Logitech, Matt’s focused on crafting iconic new hardware designs and experiences with a diverse group of problem solvers that make up the gaming design team. Prior to Logitech Matt was an Industrial Design lead at NewDealDesign in San Francisco where he built creative partnerships and developed ambitious new product visions for tech startups and industry leaders such as Microsoft, Comcast, Herman Miller and more.

When not working, Matt can be found appreciating the great outdoors with his three daughters in tow.

Noah is a designer and the Sustainability Lead in Nike’s Innovation Kitchen. He collaborates with a diverse group of designers and innovators to blend sustainable materials, technologies and ideas into all of Nike’s advanced innovation efforts. He comes from a family of teachers, hippies and architects and feels most at home staring at the sea in a heavy fog.

Over the past fifteen years or so he has created products with Herman Miller, iRobot and Samsung among others.

Most recently, Noah created the Nike Space Hippie concept and together with a small group of renegade designers produced a line of shoes made almost entirely from trash. Embodying the design philosophy of progress over perfection, it was the next, radical step towards responsible product at Nike.

When not trying to reinvent shoe manufacturing, Noah creates practical problems by sailing wooden boats with his family in the cold waters around Portland, OR.

Pichaya Puttorngul is an independent industrial designer from Bangkok, Thailand. A hands-on practitioner with diverse experiences in Design Innovations, Material Experimentations, and Traditional Crafts.

Through 18 years of industrial design experience, Pichaya collaborated with global and local innovators realising their visions for a positive future, producing award-winning designs with aspirations in longevity, sustainability, and beauty.

Prior to his permanency in Bangkok, Pichaya was the design director of Fuseproject New York

August is a designer and creative director. He works to bridge the divide between the functionality of digital products and the emotion of brand marketing. He began by leading internal design teams at MoMA, J. Crew, Kate Spade, & Casper. He’s been a regular contributor of editorial illustrations to The New York Times and an instructor at Parsons and SVA. August transitioned to digital product design and began leading project teams for Huge, and Work&Co. Today, August leads a team at Instrument where he creates digital first brands, marketing, and products for organizations including Twitter, PATH and the WNBA.

Arianna is a seasoned creative leader, community builder, and holistic thinker fluent in product, brand, and marketing with a deeply held passion for the craft of design. With over 20 years of industry experience, Arianna draws from an enormous quiver of design processes and techniques to galvanize teams and projects to success. Currently, Arianna's impressive client roster includes Twitter, Instacart, and Lyft.

Arianna is the co-founder of In/Visible Talks, a conference for creative professionals that celebrates the art of design. Now in its 5th year, In/Visible Talks has hosted 50+ speakers on the topic of creativity from all over the world. She proudly serves as Board President of Creativity Explored, a San Francisco based nonprofit that gives artists with developmental disabilities the means to create and share their work. Arianna also frequently writes on the subject of creativity and her work has been featured in prestigious publications such as Co.Design, 99u, and Forbes.

Christina is currently at Google, leading the UX design team for Sheets and Apps Script. Prior to Google, she built the UX team for brand and digital agency Gin Lane, where she launched digital-first startups like sweetgreen and Harry’s. She’s also led creative departments at digital agencies SapientNitro and Huge, specializing in retail, health & beauty, & consumer products. Christina holds a BS of Industrial Design from Georgia Institute of Technology, where she first established her belief in ergonomics in that delightful design is achieved when the product naturally fits into the environment, not the other way around. She lives in NYC with her husband and kids Geneveive, William, and Henry.

Dever Thomas is a design partner at Work & Co in Copenhagen. She sets and executes create direction for some of the world’s most admired global companies including IKEA, Aesop, Céline, La Mer, YouTube, and Virgin America. In her role, she collaborates closely with other disciplines — technology, product management, strategy — to shape the final product. She is a thought leader on digital design, published in the Wall Street Journal and Business of Fashion, and her work has won awards from Fast Company, Communication Arts, Glossy, and the UX Awards.

Hanah is a designer residing in Brooklyn, New York. She is currently a senior art director at The New York Times, developing campaigns and visual identity for podcasts and audio. Previously she was at the branding and design agency Champions Design, and Hillary for America where she worked to elect the first female president. She is currently serving on the board of AIGA NY and is passionate about connecting designers with new opportunities and engaging in the design community. She holds a BFA in Communication Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Lyanne Dubon-Aguilar is a designer and creative director specializing in brand identity at Etsy in Brooklyn, NY. At Etsy, she leads a team of designers in creating brand experiences that foster creativity, community, and Etsy's mission to Keep Commerce Human.

Originally from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Lyanne has worked across a range of disciplines for The Museum of Modern Art, Pentagram, and Local Projects. Lyanne holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from The School of Visual Arts where she taught as an adjunct faculty member from 2014-2020.

Before starting Guacamole Airplane, Ian worked as an in-house designer for Chubbies, Areaware and Mollusk Surf Shop. He did his undergraduate coursework in Environmental Science at Stanford and masters work in Packaging Design at Pratt, where he received funding from the National Science Foundation to build a series of experimental recycling machines, and created The Packaging Cookbook.

After working with Thompson Brand Partners in the United Kingdom, Marisa Sanchez-Dunning joined Guacamole Airplane to focus on business development and design direction. Combined with her 3 years of agency experience, she also brings 3 years of client side experience from her time working with craft breweries in the United Kingdom and the Bay Area.

Evelio Mattos is a Creative Director of packaging and the host of Package Design Unboxd, he also hosts the Packaging Podcast, and is the Former Editor in Chief of The Dieline packaging blog. Evelio was named “One of the 200 Best Packaging Designers” by Lurzer’s Archive, and Graphic Design USA’s “People toWatch” his most recent work for Walpole UK in partnership with James Cropper and Intl. Direct Packaging was documented to illuminate his thesis that sustainable packaging can be fashion forward and not granola. Clients include Sonos, Michael Kors, Birkenstock, and start-ups like United Sodas of America.

Jonathan Black (he/him) is the co-founder of The Office of Ordinary Things, a socially- and environmentally-conscious design studio based in San Francisco. Jonny is hellbent on making sustainable graphic design the industry norm and shakes his fist at greenwashers, climate deniers, and people who chew gum near his ears. Jonny has an MFA in Visual Communication and has taught at The University of Arizona and The University of Colorado Boulder. His work has been published in AIGA Eye On Design, Communication Arts, Creative Review, It's Nice That, Dezeen, Fast Company, and jonnyiscool420.tumblr.com.

Katelan Cunningham (she/her) is the editorial director of Lumi's small-but-mighty B2B content empire, creating resources that brands need to make the best packaging decisions for their business and the planet. Katelan produces the Lumi podcast, Well Made, and the video series, Unboxing Things.

Richard Roche (he/him) is the co-founder of The Office of Ordinary Things, a socially- and environmentally-conscious design studio based in San Francisco. Richard specializes in creative direction, web development, and copywriting. Most of his daily routine consists of hovering over elements he recently coded to make sure the animation is still rad, color coding his spreadsheets, and making eye-roll inducing dad jokes.

Stephan Ango is the co-founder of Lumi, the marketplace that helps brands find and work with packaging factories. Lumi enables seamless collaboration between brands and suppliers to deliver sustainable, memorable and cost-effective packaging.

Stephan also hosts the Well Made podcast, highlighting the people and ideas that are shaping our patterns of consumption for the better.

Minali oversees Wild One’s creative identity and vision, as well as all marketing initiatives. Prior to Wild One, she was the Head of Brand Creative at sweetgreen, where she established and grew both the creative team and brand identity to its current stage. She attended the Rhode Island School of Design, earning her degree in Graphic Design. Growing up, Minali was a pet parent to fish, birds, guinea pigs, dogs, cats and at one point a whole series of bugs. She lives in Brooklyn with her Badass Animal Rescue foster pups, and cat, Otis.

Veronica oversees all aspects of product innovation, manufacturing and production at Wild One. Prior to joining the Wild One team, Veronica served as Director of Production at S’well, after joining as the company's 8th employee in 2014. Previously, she worked in manufacturing and product development at Target, William E. Connor and Gap. Veronica has a BFA in Retail Merchandising and Management from the University of Wisconsin - Stout, and lives in the East Village where she’s the proud aunt to many dogs.

Monish Sabnani is the Co-Founder of Courant, a design-driven electronics brand focused on wireless charging for the home. Courant products are widely distributed online and in-store at retailers including West Elm, Nordstrom, CB2, and Bloomingdales, and have been recipients of recognition including several Red Dot Product Design Awards and Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies. Monish graduated with a degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Georgetown University, and was selected as part of Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2021.

Charley is a creative executive building value at the intersection of human behavior and technology. He sees his job as helping energize digital teams to imagine strategically; think laterally; and create efficiently. Charley has led cross-functional teams building digital products and communications for Fortune 500 clients such as Adobe, Microsoft, Charles Schwab, Comcast, Disney, Lucas Film, and Intuit. He learned his craft at world-class agencies like Ogilvy, Razorfish, the Amp Agency, CP+B, and now Brooklyn-based, Small Planet.

Karina Totah works to achieve greater equity in our cities and our healthcare system. Currently, she is Chief of Staff at Thyme Care, a startup that guides cancer patients through the complex healthcare system by providing personalized support, quality resources & quick access to high-value care. Prior, she was head of strategy for New York City Public Housing, the largest residential landlord in North America. Karina also practices as an end-of-life doula through her company, Nevit (www.nevit.net).

Michal is the VP of Product at Hero, aiming to help people manage their health better, and live their lives to the fullest. She is passionate about solving hard problems that make a difference in people’s lives, and in a career of over 15 years, led UX and product across Google, Verily Life Sciences, Zoox, modu and more. She authored the book "Designing Multi-Device Experiences" (O'Reilly Media) and several other publications, mentored dozens of startups, and spoke at local and global conferences. Also the mom of two toddlers, an avid audible listener and a big fan of live music shows.

Dr. Butoliya is a researcher and design educator based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her research is located at the intersection of models of knowledge and critical thinking emerging from multiple and global perspectives. She researches critique in design from pluriversal perspectives- especially grassroots critical practices in design. She has a background in design and architecture with a career spanning 15 years in multiple roles as an industrial designer, researcher, and educator across two continents. She wants to help create a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive environment for societies with local awareness and a global vision.

Laura Forlano, a Fulbright award-winning and National Science Foundation funded scholar, is a writer, social scientist and design researcher. She is an Associate Professor of Design at the Institute of Design and Affiliated Faculty in the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology where she is Director of the Critical Futures Lab. Forlano’s research is focused on the aesthetics and politics at the intersection between design and emerging technologies. Over the past ten years, she has studied the materialities and futures of socio-technical systems such as autonomous vehicles and smart cities; 3D printing, local manufacturing and innovation ecosystems; automation, distributed labor practices and the future of work; and, computational fashion, smart textiles and wearable medical technologies. She is an editor of three books: Bauhaus Futures (MIT Press 2019), digitalSTS (Princeton University Press 2019) and From Social Butterfly to Engaged Citizen (MIT Press 2011). She received her Ph.D. in communications from Columbia University.

Ti Chang is a design activist-entrepreneur and activist bridging modern design and activism. She is co-founder and VP of Design of CRAVE, a San Francisco-based company specializing in aesthetic pleasure products. Ti leads the design vision for the company’s full line of products which has won international design awards and has led CRAVE to mainstream partnerships with the likes of Nordstrom, MoMA Design Store, Goop, and Saint Laurent. 

Ti is best known for her design of the Vesper vibrator necklace in 2014, an iconic necklace that symbolizes female empowerment and creating conversations to normalize pleasure. 

Ti holds an M.A. in Design Products from the Royal College of Art in London and a B.S. in Industrial Design from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In 2021, Ti co-founded Design Allyship (designallyship.com) to provide anyone with actionable resources to improve the condition of historically marginalized designers in the industrial & product design industry. 

Veronica Ranner is an artist, designer and researcher, working transdisciplinary on the intersections of design, science and emerging technologies. With a background in industrial design and design interactions, her research focuses on the burgeoning domain of bio-digitality and encompasses advanced biomaterials (smart materials), biomedical product and interface design as well as the development of experimental methods towards constructive-collective modes of futuring (see Polyphonic Futures).

Veronica has 10+ years experience of working internationally across science, education, art institutions and industry via funded projects, commissions and collaborations. She is a frequently invited lecturer and exhibits her work internationally, including at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, China Technology Museum in Beijing, the National Museum Sweden in Stockholm, the V&A London, the Design Museum Gent, at Martha Herford, and the Futurium in Berlin. She currently completes her PhD at the Royal College of Art.

Katie Becker is the VP Creative at Arc’teryx, a global design company specializing in technical high-performance apparel and equipment. With over 25 years of design experience in the athletic and outdoor apparel industry, Katie is responsible for advanced apparel innovation and leads the global design team at Arc’teryx focused on pushing product into new territories. Prior to joining Arc’teryx, Katie served as Senior Design Director for adidas, where she helped build and grow the brand’s global design strategy. Katie has a strong background creating progressive and technical designs, having contributed to award-winning concepts for brands such as Merrell and Helly Hansen. Outside of the design center, Katie can be found skiing, hiking, exploring backroads with her family, paddle boarding, traveling, toting kids to sporting events and trying to train a puppy.

I'm a creative director and strategist in the global brand space. I have over 20 years of experience, passion, and knowledge of consumer culture and a proven track record of growing iconic brands.

Emily Privot McNamara is a Senior Researcher on the hardware (ID) research team at Amazon, where she works on evaluating existing products and framing challenges around people’s behaviors and interests to identify new opportunities. Prior to Amazon, Emily's career began as an architectural designer working on projects ranging from high-end retail environments to local non-profit urban streetscape improvements. From there she pivoted into design strategy to create things on a faster timeline, and focus on work that applied user needs with business goals and the application of thoughtful design. She began her strategy career as an intern at fuseproject and graduated to hold the position of design strategist at Native Design and VBP Orange.

Recently, Emily has been learning a lot about anthropometry and is applying her passion and specific interests in health/wellness and the older adult population to her work at Amazon.

Charley is a creative executive building value at the intersection of human behavior and technology. He sees his job as helping energize digital teams to imagine strategically; think laterally; and create efficiently. Charley has led cross-functional teams building digital products and communications for Fortune 500 clients such as Adobe, Microsoft, Charles Schwab, Comcast, Disney, Lucas Film, and Intuit. He learned his craft at world-class agencies like Ogilvy, Razorfish, the Amp Agency, CP+B, and now Brooklyn-based, Small Planet.

Karina Totah works to achieve greater equity in our cities and our healthcare system. Currently, she is Chief of Staff at Thyme Care, a startup that guides cancer patients through the complex healthcare system by providing personalized support, quality resources & quick access to high-value care. Prior, she was head of strategy for New York City Public Housing, the largest residential landlord in North America. Karina also practices as an end-of-life doula through her company, Nevit (www.nevit.net).

Michal is the VP of Product at Hero, aiming to help people manage their health better, and live their lives to the fullest. She is passionate about solving hard problems that make a difference in people’s lives, and in a career of over 15 years, led UX and product across Google, Verily Life Sciences, Zoox, modu and more. She authored the book "Designing Multi-Device Experiences" (O'Reilly Media) and several other publications, mentored dozens of startups, and spoke at local and global conferences. Also the mom of two toddlers, an avid audible listener and a big fan of live music shows.

Veronica oversees all aspects of product innovation, manufacturing and production at Wild One. Prior to joining the Wild One team, Veronica served as Director of Production at S’well, after joining as the company's 8th employee in 2014. Previously, she worked in manufacturing and product development at Target, William E. Connor and Gap. Veronica has a BFA in Retail Merchandising and Management from the University of Wisconsin - Stout, and lives in the East Village where she’s the proud aunt to many dogs.
Wild One creates design-forward, innovative products that empower dogs and their people to walk, travel, play and live in style. Crystalizing our position and the most stylish and innovative dog brand in the pet space.

Oversee all aspects of brand product strategy, implementing sourcing manufacturing and supply chain operations to support the brand launch and growth.

Monish Sabnani is the Co-Founder of Courant, a design-driven electronics brand focused on wireless charging for the home. Courant products are widely distributed online and in-store at retailers including West Elm, Nordstrom, CB2, and Bloomingdales, and have been recipients of recognition including a Red Dot Product Design Award and Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies. Monish graduated with a degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Georgetown University, and was selected as part of Forbes 30 Under 30 class in 2021.

Jens Martin Skibsted is VP of Mobility at Manyone. He is a multiple award-winning designer, entrepreneur, & design philosopher and part of the “Davos” think tanks. Known for his urban mobility designs for Biomega, & collab with Bjarke Ingels. His designs live in the collections at the MoMA, SFMOMA and many more. A published author, and expert blogger.

Bernice Dapaah is a serial award-winning entrepreneur and a passionate advocate of smart mobility systems. Recognized internationally as a climate trailblazer, she has spent several years in Ghana and across the globe advocating for a regional shift toward eco-mobility and integrated transport in keeping with the ethos of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Her early interest in bamboo led to rigorous experimentation and innovation of a green, functionally robust alternative to conventional bicycles. For her contribution to bamboo industrialization, she was appointed as Bamboo Ambassador by the World Bamboo Organization in 2015 and has since been an active advocate for regional integration of bamboo. She has recently been crowned as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) and is now an alumnus Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

Bernice is also a Fellow of the Harvard University’s Executive Education and Oxford Transformative Leadership Program. She has been honored with the World Entrepreneurship Forum’s “Entrepreneur for the World Award” for her impact on society and the capacity to change the world. She currently holds a Master’s Degree in Development Management and a BA in Business Administration (Marketing) from the Kwame Nkrumah and Christian Service Universities respectively.

Matheus Demetrescu is graduated in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering, post graduated in Vehicles and Its Subsystems, with two MBAs, in Business Management and in UX Design Strategy Management. Career initiated on window-shops creation (Sylvia Demetresco) and since 2007 working at Ford representing the voice of the customer inside Product Development, ensuring company strategy and customer satisfaction balance. In 2014 created the User Experience area in South America to have the user-centered focus on the development. Has lived in US, France and Germany as part of professional and academical life, and has worked in large corporations such as Pilkington, Volkswagen and Unilever.

Nessim Higson is the Executive Creative Director at WeTransfer, where he is in charge of the creative brand, identity, and visual language of the company. He was previously the Web Design Director for Squarespace helping oversee the continuing development of the platform and brand, and how it can be a leading force in championing creativity globally. He helped lead the charge on innovation within SQSP through helping establish their web concepts team and oversaw the rebrand of the company in 2019.

Prior to joining Squarespace, Nessim lived and worked in Amsterdam for 6 years and has continued to run his independent studio IAAH / iamalwayshungry working with a range of clients such as Adidas, The Criterion Collection, DC Comics, TED, Google, and a wide range of global advertising and design agencies.

Nessim is a firm believer that great communication can not only shift the economic marketplace but has a responsibility to contribute to the social fabric of society.

Daniel Dickson is an Emmy award winning design-driven creative director. Specializing in brand development, art direction and design for consumer-centered brands. Drawing from a deep well of art, music, cinema, photography and technology references. Creating meaningful work that helps brands connect with their audiences.

He currently is the design director for Google Cloud. Where he leads a motley crew of designers, writers and thinkers. In his down time he likes to practice photography and drawing. Daniel is based in Atwater Village in Los Angeles where he lives with partner Natalie and their 3 month old boy, Maxwell and 7yr old Mathis.

D Alcausin is the Associate Creative Director of the WeTransfer Advertising Studio.

She leads a team of talented creatives who design award winning immersive, interactive digital ads viewed by a global audience of 60 million users a month. Collaborating with the world's leading brands, Diana oversees the advertising platform's evolution into a unique digital space at the forefront of creative innovation.

With a grounding in commercial strategy, Diana bridges the gap between business and design with an approach that balances strategic creative execution with business goals.

Marvin Schwaibold is a Senior Design Lead at Squarespace where he is in charge of creating new design systems, creating prototypes and pushing the product forward. He focuses on interactive campaigns and new and interesting ways users will interact with the web on a global scale. He was previously a Art Director at Watson Design Group in Los Angeles working on interactive websites for clients like Wes Anderson, Disney,Netflix, IFC Films, Amazon Prime and Paramount Pictures.

Marvins focus lies on the marriage of typography and interactive systems in the digital and print world. He strongly believes in the democratisation of good design on a larger scale.