Creators and Guests

Product Design and Branding Consultant Erik Cargill's journey spans from crafting early mobile interfaces in the '90s to transforming global shipping logistics software. As Art Director at Handmark, he led a creative team to capture 38% of the mobile software market, and during his 15-year tenure at Tideworks Technology, he proved that even the most complex systems can become user-friendly. Now, as founder of 32FramesPerSecond in Seattle, Erik helps companies create intuitive digital experiences, bringing his philosophy of "embracing change and failing gracefully" to every project. His unique blend of technical expertise and authentic approach makes him an engaging co-host of ’Cheers & Tiers: Design Leadership Tales Retold,’ where he helps uncover the stories that shaped our design community.

Rachel Elnar believes the magic happens when design meets community. As a Senior Creative Producer at Adobe, she's mastered the art of turning webinars into wonderlands where over 45,000 creatives annually connect, learn, and grow together. As an AIGA National Board Member and content producer, Rachel continues to weave her magic, producing engaging live-streaming shows and video content to reach thousands more while advocating for inclusivity in the creative industry. Now, as an AIGA National Board Member and co-host of “Cheers & Tiers: Design Leadership Tales Retold,” Rachel continues to weave her magic, creating experiences that don’t just look good—they feel right.

Aaron Shurts is Founder and Principal of Mentor Creative Group, a Seattle-based design and technology agency. With over two decades of experience, he’s held leadership roles at Deloitte Digital, taught at the Art Institutes, and served as AIGA Seattle Vice President and President. Outside design, Aaron is a certified charter captain leading marine adventures in the Pacific Northwest.

Amanda Hovest is a Pittsburgh-based graphic designer who turns big ideas into unforgettable experiences. With 18+ years of expertise in branding, marketing, and environmental design, she’s earned national recognition, including GDUSA's "2019 Person to Watch." Amanda blends sharp strategy with bold creativity, delivering standout work for clients like the LA Phil, LACMA, and Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. Her knack for leading multidisciplinary teams has shaped impactful brands for cultural institutions, non-profits, and universities. As President Emeritus of AIGA Los Angeles, Amanda helped revive LA’s design scene and foster creative connections. A passionate mentor and facilitator, she’s all about unlocking strategies and inspiring the next wave of talent. For Amanda, design isn’t just work—it’s a way to make the world brighter.

Ashleigh Axios is a designer and executive advocating for design as a catalyst for change. Her leadership spans roles as AIGA National President, DC Chapter President, and Design Conference Chair, where she's championed inclusion and design's impact across sectors. At the Obama White House, she led creative strategy to enhance government accessibility. She co-founded a consultancy modernizing public services and launched DotGov Design, connecting government designers. Today, she advises and speaks at the intersection of design, leadership, and social good, advocating for inclusive innovation and values-driven organizations.

Bernardo Margulis is a creative leader who thrives at the intersection of design, technology, and collaboration. He is the Director of Marketing at Penn Medicine Doylestown Health and previously worked as a software engineer at Amazon, where he also contributed design work to Glamazon, Amazon’s LGBTQ+ group.

Brian Singer is a creative leader with experience in directing and managing multidisciplinary teams, projects, and campaigns for various brands, with both consumer and business audiences. In addition to his roles at Airtable, Facebook, and Pinterest, Brian ran his own studio working with such companies as Apple, Adidas, and Meraki, among others. Brian is a published author, a frequent speaker, and co-founder of the app Sqrrl, for saving recommendations from friends.

Carolyn is the Associate Director of Expanded Education at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, where she leads programs that connect artists through lifelong learning. With a background in graphic design and a career spanning higher education, community arts, and brand strategy, Carolyn brings design thinking to program development and a passion for building creative communities. A longtime AIGA leader, she has served on the boards of multiple chapters, including Boston, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh, and held national roles as Presidents Council Chair and a member of AIGA’s Chapter Advisory Council.

Christine Sheller is a design leader with deep expertise in building and managing UX teams. As SVP of Experience Research and Design at O3, she drives UX strategy and innovation. She also teaches Interaction Design at ArtCenter College of Design. Previously, Christine led design and UX at FS Investments, SIG, Lincoln Financial Group, and Motorola, shaping award-winning teams. She served as AIGA Philadelphia’s President and spearheaded initiatives like the in-house program and a design scholarship fund. Christine holds an M.A. in UX Design from MICA and a BFA in Design from Tyler School of Art. A Philadelphia native, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and French bulldogs.

David Jon Walker is a New Haven-based art director, type designer, and professor at the Yale School of Art. As a Black designer, his work reexamines social cues and history, shaping story-driven exhibitions, campaigns, and type designs with a bold perspective.

Elysia is an Experience Designer with a passion for Design Operations, crafting dynamic spaces where creatives can connect, grow, and recharge. Formerly at Amazon, she led Creative Gatherings for Amazon Design, driving events like Conflux and shaping new experiences that fostered learning and collaboration. Her work is bold, experimental, and always community-driven. An active member of AIGA, DesignOps Assembly, and Volunteers of America, Elysia is constantly exploring, learning, and turning big ideas into unforgettable moments.

Frances is a branding, experience and community strategist, designer, teacher, speaker and consultant for businesses and non-profits. Currently she is Principal Manager of Design Operations at Coforma, dedicated to making work more seamless, fulfilling, and impactful.

James Hersick is Principal and Director of Strategy and Design Impact at Hersick+Webster Creative Partners, where he draws on more than 20 years of experience to help organizations build thriving, purpose-driven communities. His work spans five continents and has been honored by GDUSA, Print, and the Art Director’s Club. Active in his local community as a board member and organizer, James is also a writer, artist, and outdoorsman—when he’s not busy being Dad to two boys and three dogs.

Jenny Price is an accomplished design leader, strategist, and director at General Motors, where her team leads strategic direction and design across GM.com and enterprise platforms, transforming how GM does business digitally. Previously, Jenny spent 5 years as Design Leader for IBM's Business Process Transformation team, where she built the DesignOps Community with over 450 practitioners, published IBM's first DesignOps Playbook, and established DesignOps as an official role within Design. Jenny's mission focuses on elevating design culture and leadership while integrating AI, service design, and innovation at scale. She serves in national leadership positions with AIGA, the professional association for design.

Jenn is Associate Dean and full professor at Cleveland State University, co-founder of AIGA Cleveland’s student chapter, and co-author of The Information Design Handbook (and three other books) with her husband Ken. Her design work has appeared in How, Print, and Communication Arts.

Josh Silverman is a true bridge-builder between entrepreneurship, design education, and the design community. For over 30 years, he's been helping people discover their purpose and connecting talented designers with incredible opportunities.

Justin is Chief Creative Officer of Rule29, a Certified B Corp focused on using design to create positive impact. He’s a TEDx speaker, podcast host (Design Of, Creative Shit Show), and co-creator of initiatives like Wheels for Water, which helped bring clean water access to over 20,000 people.

Karen Kurycki is a Jacksonville designer and illustrator (CMYKaren) whose watercolor style has attracted clients like The Washington Post, Nike, and Reebok. As AIGA Jacksonville President (2011-2013), she launched Discover Design, a mentorship program connecting students with professionals. Her socially engaged work spans civic projects like 100 Days of Democracy and collaborations with nonprofits Rethreaded and JASMYN. Named one of Graphic Design USA's "Responsible Designers to Watch" in 2018, Karen works from Jacksonville's CoRK Arts District, creating visuals that drive community impact and social change.

Kelly Holohan is a designer activist focused on LGBTQ+ issues, women's rights, health, and environmental protection. She co-created "We the Women" and belongs to "Sisters in Solidarity." Her work appears in Elizabeth Resnick's book "Developing Citizen Designers." Holohan teaches that design impacts human experience and should serve a greater good beyond selling products. She has held leadership roles with AIGA Philadelphia and her work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions, including a solo show addressing LGBTQ+ rights globally. Her designs are in collections at Northwestern University and the Poster House in New York City.

Kevin Berger is Executive Creative Director and Partner at Graphiti, where he’s led creative strategy for Amazon, Starbucks, Tableau, and more. He served as Programming Director, VP, and President of AIGA Seattle, helping stabilize its programs and finances.

Laurel Webster is Principal and Creative Director of Hersick+Webster Creative Partners, the brand marketing agency she co-founded with her husband, James. Their award-winning work helps purpose-driven organizations create meaningful solutions for people and places, earning recognition from GDUSA, Print, and the Art Director’s Club. A California native now based in West Virginia, Laurel also serves on local nonprofit boards, teaches yoga, and stays busy with long-distance running, two sons, and three dogs.

Michele Cooper is a graphic design advocate who has served AIGA Philadelphia since 1999, holding roles including President, Chair of the Philadelphia Design Awards, and working on national diversity initiatives, earning her the Philadelphia AIGA Fellow Award in 2019. As Partner at Cooper Graphic Design, which she founded with her husband Gavin in 2006, she's created distinctive work for clients like Mural Arts Philadelphia, the African American Museum, and Wawa. Michele is also known for her activism through We the Women Design, Fight for Human Rights, and Sisters in Solidarity, where she organizes postcard writing campaigns for social change.

Mike Joosse is the Group Studio Director of Brand Design at VML, orchestrating operations, talent, and cultural initiatives for a premier team of designers. With over 20 years in the industry, he’s tackled complex challenges across leadership, education, and design. A true advocate for the creative community, Mike’s influence extends beyond VML—he played a pivotal role at AIGA, the nation’s oldest and largest professional design association, as its first Director of Chapter Development, setting standards that still shape the organization today. From his Chicago base, Mike continues to drive innovation and elevate the design landscape.

Paul is an LA-based creative leader and strategist who takes hybrid teams to the top with a unique approach to design operations.

Seth Johnson leads the design practice for IBM’s Chief Data Office, overseeing teams for AI-first enterprise data transformation. He believes in the power of design as a vital strategic and cultural force to deliver market outcomes. Before joining IBM, Seth founded an award-winning consultancy focused on elevating the product experience for people living with chronic disease. He’s a sought-after advisor on matters of design-led enterprise transformation, an adjunct faculty member at the Parsons School of Design, a visiting faculty member at the ArtCenter College of Design, and a former chapter president of AIGA.

Taylor is the VP of Technology for carbonhouse, a digital agency based in Charlotte, North Carolina. For almost 20 years, carbonhouse has been the leader in providing website solutions for more than 300 arts and venue clients around the world, including The O2, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, SoFi Stadium, and the Grand Ole Opry. Taylor got involved with AIGA in college and served on the AIGA Charlotte board for almost 10 years in various roles, including President. While not in front of a computer, he spends his time with his wife and daughter, and enjoys daily walks with his dog, Jackson.

Varick Rosete brings 25+ years of creative leadership to his role as Chief Design Officer at TigerLily. He's worked with major brands like Capital One, the PGA Tour, and Oracle while championing Jacksonville's creative community as AIGA Jacksonville President (2009-2011) and through ventures like Wolf & Cub boutique and the One Spark festival. His work connects visual design with cultural resonance, building communities that inspire.

Victor Davila is an illustrator and designer from the Orlando, FL area, as well as an Associate Professor in the University of Central Florida's School of Visual Arts and Design teaching illustration and design.

Wendy Quesinberry is a Seattle-based designer with over 30 years of experience in marketing and brand development. As principal of Quesinberry and Associates otherwise known as Q&A, she helps clients rethink strategies, embrace sustainability, and serve their communities. Her agency has worked with major brands like Amazon, Microsoft, the Gates Foundation, and UPS, earning recognition from HOW Magazine, Graphis, GDUSA, and others.