Jury Alumni

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  Daniel Martinez

  Art Director, Futura

  2019 Packaging Jury Member

  Daniel started working in Futura as a designer in 2013 at the same time he concluded his studies in Monterrey, Mexico. 5 years later, now in Mexico City, Daniel is in charge of art direction and coordinating the team.

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  John Bielenberg

  Partner, Future Partners

  2016 Design for Social Impact Jury Member

  John Bielenberg is a designer, entrepreneur, and imaginative advocate for creating a better world through the application of creativity and ingenuity. John co-founded Future Partners, a Silicon Valley Innovation firm, in 2012 to teach Rapid Ingenuity Practices to individuals, teams, and organizations around the world. In 2001, John co-founded C2 Group, a brand strategy firm, to help leaders from technology start ups, Fortune 500 companies, and the world’s top business management consulting firms develop, build and protect their brands. In his career, John has won more than 250 design awards, including the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) Gold Medal for lifetime achievement.

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  Mansi Parikh

  Founder, Future Tense Inc.

  2022 Speculative Design Jury Member

  Passionately Curious, a Reverse Superhero (in defiance of the superhero norm, she attempts her world building & saving by day), Mansi is the Founder of Future Tense Inc., an award-winning futurist and NGFP Fellow. A consummate generalist she experiments in the liminal spaces between the past, present & futures, real and imagined with projects like Variations on Tomorrow and collectives like the Diaspora Futures Collective. A full-stack strategist she researches culture, designs innovative business models, and does scenario planning for brands like Playboy, Bacardi, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, UK’s largest warranties provider, etc. and social impact orgs like Balipara Foundation.

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  Lingjing Yin

  Lead Service Designer, FutureGov

  2018 Service Design Jury Captain

  Lingjing is an experienced design leader and specialist for complex service redesign, systematic change, digital transformation and innovation. For 8 years, Lingjing has been working on delivering services, award-winning digital products and positive organisational and social outcomes in different sectors for clients across England, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
  
  She is passionate about bringing clarity to systemic problems and supporting teams to be more creative. Most recently she has been working for the UK Government, Mayor’s office, British Film Institute and many Local Authorities across the UK to tackle complex social problems and improving public services.
  
  Lingjing is a lead service designer at FutureGov, a digital and design company specialising in designing better public services. In the past ten years, FutureGov has helped more than a hundred local and national authorities across four continents think differently about public services.

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  Gabriel Tan

  Founder, Gabriel Tan Studio & Creative Director, Ariake, Gabriel Tan Studio

  2019 Furniture & Lighting Jury Captain

  Gabriel Tan is the principal and founder of Gabriel Tan Studio, a design practice working across the borders of craft, culture and technology. The studio is interested in new ways to interpret luxury and break archetypes and clients include Blå Station, Design Within Reach, The Conran Shop, Ishinomaki Lab, Takata Lemnos, Abstracta and Authentics. Gabriel is also the creative director of Japanese furniture brand Ariake and Singapore based Turn Handles.
  
  The works of Gabriel Tan have been exhibited in Milan, New York, Stockholm, London, Paris, Tokyo, Barcelona, Singapore and he has guest lectured at Lasalle College of the Arts, National University of Singapore, University of Oregon, Pratt Institute and also served as a jury member at the Inde Awards and Cannes Lions Festival.

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  Ian Yang

  Founder & CEO, Gantri

  2022 Furniture & Lighting Jury Captain

  Ian founded Gantri in 2016 to reimagine how design is developed, made and sold. After joining the San Francisco TechShop, he became fascinated with the potential of 3D printing and sought to build a new way for creators to bring original designs directly to consumers that’s simpler, more accessible and more sustainable.
  
  Prior to founding Gantri, Ian led product and growth at Lovely, a design-forward apartment rental marketplace that exited in 2014. He was also a business strategy consultant at OC&C, advising Fortune 500 technology and consumer goods companies.
  
  Ian graduated from the London School of Economics with honors in 2010. He was awarded Apartment Therapy’s Design Changemaker and House Beautiful’s 2020 Visionary.

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  Hartmut Gaßner

  Founding Partner, Gaßner, Groth, Siederer & Coll.

  2016 Built Environment Jury Member

  Hartmut Gaßner is a founding partner of Gaßner, Groth, Siederer & Coll. He focuses on renewable energy law (photovoltaic, geothermal, wind power projects), nuclear law, emissions trading, Stadtwerke, PPP procurement, recycling business, ministerial and municipal consulting, associations and policy advice. He studied law in Berlin, was a research associate of the Bundestag Greens (Otto Schily, Flick committee of inquiry), and had a traineeship in Berlin, admitted in 1987 before establishing GGSC.

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  Steve Starobinsky

  SVP Trends & New Markets, Gel Blaster

  2024 Toys & Play Jury Member

  A veteran of the toy industry of over 20 years. Selling retailers in all sectors in North America with a focus on trend writing a trend forecasting. My last two projects were launching MIND THE GAP, a game that was acquired by Spin Master and most recently Gel Blaster - one of the fastest growing toy companies in North America!

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  Sharon Gauci

  Executive Director of Design – Global Buick & GMC, General Motors

  2024 Transportation Jury Member

  Sharon Gauci a native Australian, was appointed to Executive Director of Design – Global Buick and GMC on October 1, 2021. An experienced design leader, Gauci has held a variety of different global roles. Prior to her current appointment, Gauci was the Executive Director of Industrial Design at General Motors, a role held since January 2018. In June 2020, Sharon joined GM’s Sustainability Office, where she was one of seven executive leaders working across the organization to implement strategies supporting GM’s Zero Emissions vision.
  
  In her current role, Gauci is responsible for leading studios to create the visual expression and design strategies for Buick, GMC and GMC Hummer trucks, cars, crossovers and SUVs across all of GM’s markets.
  In her previous role, Gauci oversaw the redesign of the GM logo, introduced globally in January 2021—only the fifth change in the history of the brandmark.
  
  Gauci is the first recipient of Good Design Australia’s inaugural Women in Design Award in 2019, the first female keynote speaker at Wards Auto Interior Conference in 2018 and the first female to be included as a core judge for the Australian Design Awards in 2005, at the time a 50 year award program. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design in 1993 from Swinburne University in Melbourne.
  
  Gauci worked at both Ford Motor Company and BMW Australia before joining GM Holden in 2004.
  In 2021, she commenced service as a Board of Trustees member for PRATT Institute, a global leader in higher education situated in New York City.
  
  Throughout her extensive design career including regional roles and advanced design, Gauci has worked on many global vehicles including trucks, performance cars and mobility solutions such as the award winning ARIV e-bike, Brightdrop and Cruise Origin. Most recent vehicles include the Cadillac Lyriq, GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Escala, Buick Avista and Avenir – which won the Eyes on Design C&T award.

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  Robert Walker

  Director of Design, Advanced Mobility and Experience Studio (AMES), General Motors

  2022 Transportation Jury Member

  Robert Walker is a global automotive design and team leader. He has worked in the automotive design industry for 24 years as a designer, design manager, chief designer, and design director within multiple global automakers.
  
  Walker is currently the Director of Design of the Advanced Mobility and Experience Design Studio at General Motors Design Center, based in Warren, Michigan. As a global advanced design leader, he guides his team in developing what’s next - future automotive and new mobility projects positioned far outside the scope of existing vehicle programs. Prior to joining GM, Walker held the position of Director of Product Design at D-Ford, Ford’s Global Human-centered Design & Innovation LAB, leading the team in both physical and digital product/vehicle design. They challenged assumptions and questioned the status quo, translating human insights into near and far product concepts for the Ford and Lincoln brands.
  
  He also loves mentoring the next generation of automotive designers. As an adjunct professor at the College for Creative Studies (CCS), he teaches multiple automotive/new mobility and design theory courses.

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  Daniel Stromborg

  Product Development Design Director, Gensler

  2023 Furniture & Lighting Jury Member

  As Product Development Design Director for Gensler, Daniel applies his insights and industry experience to inspire design teams to translate Gensler’s voice and vision into tangible products for workplace and lifestyle environments. Partnering with manufacturers, his team creates touchpoints that expand the experience for which clients rely upon Gensler. He previously led design teams on projects with Arper, Andreu World, Devon&Devon, Elizabeth Arden, Emser, Estel, Fantoni, Gandia Blasco, Knoll, Muraflex, OXO, Targetti, Zumtobel, and many others.
  
  Daniel’s career began with digital imaging pioneer April Greiman, focusing on brand-based design and conceptual work. From there, he worked with legendary product designers Richard Holbrook and Don Chadwick until eventually striking out on his own. Daniel joined Gensler in 2014.
  

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  Jennifer Passas

  Brand Strategy Lead, Gensler

  2020 Strategy & Research Jury Captain

  Jennifer Passas is a brand and experience strategist from Vancouver who currently lives in New York City. She has a BA in Art History from the University of Victoria and a Masters in Branding from the School of Visual Arts. Currently a Brand Strategy Lead at Gensler, Jennifer spends her days thinking of ways brands can come to life through analog and digital experiences in the built environment. She has expertise in naming, trend reporting and is a writer for PSFK.

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  Erich Fox

  Producer, Executive Team Director, Gentilhomme

  2024 Built Environment Jury Captain

  With nearly three decades of experience, Erich stands as a seasoned professional in the dynamic realm of technically challenging projects. His extensive portfolio boasts successful leadership across the globe, encompassing diverse ventures such as theme-park attractions, large-scale exhibits, experiential and environmental activations, restaurants and public spaces.
  
  Erich's expertise lies not just in project execution, but in his role as a guiding force. His primary focus is on meticulously navigating clients and partners through the intricacies of project planning. Whether it's aligning the design vision or establishing a robust foundational project plan, Erich ensures precision and alignment in every step of the process.
  
  Based in the vibrant city of Toronto, Erich finds joy in the simple pleasures of life. Outside the dynamic world of project management, he shares his home with his wife and dogs. Erich's leisure activities reflect his creative spirit, indulging in drawing and model-making. His green thumb finds expression in gardening, and he embraces an active lifestyle by embarking on long-distance bicycle rides. Beyond the boardroom, Erich's passions reveal a well-rounded individual with a zest for both the creative and the outdoors.

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  Lisa Babb

  Professor, School of Industrial Design, Georgia Tech University

  2022 Visual Communication Jury Member

  Lisa Babb comes from a rich history of activism and social justice through engaging citizens. She has worked in the Graphic Design field and has taught Graphic Design at the collegiate level for more than twenty years. Lisa came from Brooklyn (before it became the brand that it is now) and has lived in Atlanta for more than fifteen. She has a Master’s from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor’s from Baruch College. The same year she finished Pratt, she became a graphic design professor after September 11 changed the world for everybody.
  
  She started at a Corporate Design firm specializing in award-winning Annual reports. Some stops along the way include a commercial catalog company, a marketing group for Seagrams, two sizeable pharmaceutical advertising agencies, a commercial magazine in advertising, museums, and museums. She has designed things as small as a button, as vast as a congressional campaign, and as big as a billboard. She has also designed things as unconventional as a float for the Bud Billiken parade and as functional as a point of purchase display.
  
  Within design education specifically, she has created a Graphic Design department from the ground up. This design leader has made a point of teaching in places that encourage diversity in demographics, ideologies, and models. She started teaching Design at schools in New York City, the last one being PACE University in the Master’s program, before coming to Atlanta and teaching at SCAD and now Georgia Tech. She lives by the mantra “if you want a better world, make one” and truly believes that design and especially design education is one of the few things that can change lives. It is hard even to blink once you have graphic literacy and finally see.

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  Bernice Dapaah

  Founder & CEO, Ghana Bamboo Bikes

  2021 Transportation Jury Member

  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.

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  Rebecca Goesling

  Design Director, Goesling Group

  2023 Home & Living Jury Member

  Rebecca is the Director of Design for Goesling Group. She works at the intersection of forecasting, branding, and color material finish design to create visions for independent startups to Fortune 500 companies. Her experience spans from home appliances to activewear and decor to consumer electronics. In addition to her applied practice, she produces illustrations for culinary, fashion, and furnishing clients. She holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign where she cultivated skills in research, artistic development, and technical application.