Speakers

Aaron Draplin has been a fiercely independent designer since 2004, and isn’t going back anytime soon. His company, The Draplin Design Co. (DDC), has worked with a long list of impressive clients including Coal Headwear, Esquire, Nike, Wired, Dinosaur Jr, Timberline, Chunklet, Eaux Claires Music Festival, Poler, Incase, Sub Pop Records, Fender, Marc Maron, Cobra Dogs, Jill Soloway, Sasquatch Music Festival, Rhett Miller, Old 97s, Jason Isbell, Nixon Watches, Bernie Sanders, Patagonia, Target, Chris Stapleton, NASA/JPL, John Hodgman, Ford Motor Company, Woolrich and even the Obama Administration. He lives and works out of a backyard shop in an undisclosed location on the mean streets of Portland, Oregon.

Bimma Williams is a marketing consultant based in Portland, Oregon. He teaches marketing strategies to help you attract paying clients and become full-time freelance creatives. Over the last 4 years, Bimma has leveraged simple marketing and sales strategies to create a $3 million freelance business serving clients like Amazon Music, Converse, and Complex. He’s led interviews with top creatives like Tyler the Creator, Virgil Abloh, Issa Rae, Offset, Coi Leray, IDK & more, and created a sold-out sneaker with Saucony.

Laci Jordan is a Multidisciplinary Artist and Creative Director who uses color and authenticity as mediums to inspire unapologetic expression. Laci’s work concentrates on color, pop culture, the representation of marginalized people and the intersectionality among these realms. From her use of vibrant colors to her deep commitment to creating authentic portrayals of contemporary culture, her work reflects her vision of a world filled with infinite expressions of creativity.

Khadija El Sharawy is an independent graphic designer from Cairo, Egypt and a Top Teacher on Skillshare with over 15,000 students. After working for 3 years in a leading and award-winning branding agency in Cairo, she launched her solo career as a freelancer, working with clients from a variety of industries from food and beverage, finance, skincare and retail. In 2020, she won a pitch for Coca Cola against leading agencies to design their limited edition cans; and since then, she’s been the lead designer for limited edition cans for Coca Cola, Schweppes, and Fanta sold nationwide.

Deanna Marsigliese is an Italian-Canadian animation art director living in San Francisco, California. Specializing in story-telling through character and costume design, Marsigliese has worked for Pixar Animation Studios since 2012. Her credits include Soul (2020), Onward (2020), Toy Story 4 (2019), and Incredibles 2 (2018), among others. Most recently, Marsigliese acted as both character art director and animation sketch artist lead for Pixar’s Luca (2021), as well as designing new emotions for Inside Out 2, set to release in June 2024. Marsigliese also enjoys leading workshops and presentations at events world-wide, including SXSW, D23, ILM, and WIA, all in the hopes of inspiring others through her passion for animation and design.

Emmy and Annie Award-winning Jorge R. Gutierrez is a Mexican animator, painter, voice actor, writer and director. A CalArts Experimental Animation BFA & MFA graduate, Gutierrez has completed various films, cartoons, and paintings exploring his love affair with Mexican pop and folk culture. Gutierrez was Director & Co-Writer of the Guillermo del Toro produced animated feature The Book of Life, which earned him a 2014 Golden Globe Award nomination. Along with his wife and muse, Sandra Equihua, they created the multiple Emmy Award-winning animated series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera for Nickelodeon. Gutierrez most recently created, wrote, and directed the event series Maya and the Three for Netflix which won 4 Emmys.

Paul Trillo is a director and video artist who challenges both his own curiosity and illusion with his visually inventive, conceptual, and technical films. Whether he’s building the first mobile bullet time rig with phones, choreographing aerial smoke shows using drones, or innovating generative AI visual effects at the Louvre, Paul is always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Paul’s work has earned him 19 Vimeo Staff Picks and has been featured in a wide range of media outlets, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker, among others. Paul has also participated in festivals and award shows including SXSW, TED, NAB, Cannes Lions, NVIDIA GTC, Runway AI Film Festival, and Infinity Fest.

Alicia Morales is the SVP of Content, Community and Marketing at Skillshare. A former journalist, TV producer, and creative director, Alicia held a number of creative leadership positions at content companies Worth, Upworthy, and FremantleMedia. She’s the recipient of a UN Media Peace Award, Walkley Journalism Award, and W3 Award. Her work has been featured at IDFA and the Sydney Writers’ Festival, and she’s been a juror for the International Emmys.

Gia is a hand lettering artist and illustrator, born in Barbados and based in Atlanta. Her experience ranges from corporate design and branding to art direction, photo styling and stationery design. She has worked for agencies large and small, she has been an entrepreneur, and she has been a freelancer. Her current focus is working with product-based companies to bring their products and projects to life with lettering and illustration.

Derrick Gee is leading the new generation of music content creators/journalists with his genuine and passionate approach to music discovery. An influential and trusted music authority as well as a former creative director in the music industry, Derrick has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers by introducing music fans to new discoveries from Taiwan to Texas, and thought provoking ideas across short form video, podcast, newsletter and interviews. He hosts his podcast Derrick Gee Speaks Volumes, which has topped the music podcast charts in 2023. Derrick is also a well known entity in the hifi and audio spaces; he has worked with prestigious and consumer audio brands alike, from Teenage Engineering to Sonos, Master & Dynamic and Samsung.

Sina Port is a Fortune 500 brand consultant and entrepreneur who has successfully combined her passion for branding with her ability to make a real impact. At Adidas, she led initiatives like their modest wear line and the creation of multi-faith prayer rooms. Sina’s personal brand helped pave the way for her to work with dream brands like Adidas. Today, she has an audience of over 100,000 followers online, and teaches creatives how to build their personal brands and get paid to be who they are, empowering them to attract and succeed with their ideal brands.

Kiron Heriot-Darragh worked in journalism and music PR before moving to NY to chase her dream of building creative projects for cultural heroes. Joining a talent management agency, Kiron worked her way up from assisting an agent to leading creative strategy on 100+ projects for clients such as Mister Cartoon, Major League Soccer, Warner Bros, and New York Fashion Week before joining Nike to create the first editorial platform at Jordan Brand. She's now a senior creative leading Special Projects and Major Campaigns at Apple.

Ana Andjelic is a global brand executive, author of “The Business of Aspiration” and has been recognized two times by Forbes for her CMO work. Ana specializes in building brand-driven modern businesses. She uses both sides of her brain and her international sensibility to build brand value, set brand and growth vision, and advance companies’ strategic, creative and organizational capabilities. She earned her doctorate in sociology and is a widely read columnist, speaker and advisor. To follow her work, you can subscribe to her newsletter, “The Sociology of Business”.

Michael Fitzsimmons is the VP of Brand & Product Marketing at WeTransfer, which empowers creativity around the world through beautiful and simple tools that make it easy to move big ideas (2 billion per month and counting!). Before WeTransfer, Michael spent 10 years at WeWork, where he joined as one of the first 50 employees and built one of the leading brands in commercial real estate while overseeing the global marketing strategy during the company's period of hypergrowth. He is passionate about helping companies build enduring brands that differentiate through unconventional storytelling and exceptional customer experiences.

Hannah E. Taylor is co-chair of the Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations and Emerging Technology Groups at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein and Selz, representing clients on advertising, digital media, technology, consumer protection, branded entertainment, and intellectual property matters. Ms. Taylor has received praise in Best Lawyers in America, The Legal 500, Chambers USA, and was named as one of the Top Women Media & Advertising Lawyers in New York by Super Lawyers. In recent years, Ms. Taylor has developed particular expertise on emerging technology and how companies can use social media and other technology (including AI and blockchain) most effectively while avoiding significant legal risk.

Jon Henson is a Talent Manager at Underscore Talent Management. He helps content creators and brands drive meaningful impact and build long-lasting careers by leveraging today’s “attention economy”.

Jayshree Mahtani is General Counsel and SVP, Operations and member of the executive team at Skillshare. With 15 years of legal experience, primarily in the content and media industries, Jayshree spearheads strategic initiatives and as a valued business partner, aligns legal expertise with commercial goals, driving Skillshare’s growth and innovation. Prior to joining Skillshare, Jayshree was the General Counsel at General Assembly, a global pioneer in tech training and talent solutions. Jayshree was also in senior leadership positions at Shutterstock and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Jayshree began her career as an associate at Weil, Gotshal and Manges.

Cara Bedick is a book editor with over nineteen years of experience including director and executive roles at Chronicle Books and Simon & Schuster. She brings an unmatched level of enthusiasm and entrepreneurship to her projects, resulting in numerous bestsellers, including The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking and Fit Men Cook by Kevin Curry. Her evolving list includes the recent #1 New York Times bestselling series Stay Curious and Keep Exploring by Emily Calandrelli, Life As We Know It (Can Be) by Bill Weir, and How to Wear Everything by Kay Barron.

James Hughes is an illustration agent at Folio Art in the UK, working with some of the industry’s most popular illustrators on projects ranging from indie magazines, to global campaigns. He is the author of The Illustrator’s Guide, and helps new illustrators start their careers through a YouTube channel of the same name and coaching and mentoring.

Part of Daniel Liévano’s work consists of visualizing avant-garde ideas from leading minds in science and art. Recent projects include: three illustrated award-winning collection books for the English publisher Folio Society, a digital cover for The New Yorker magazine on the future of sustainability, and the cover of the Financial Times magazine on Wassily Kandinsky. Among other accolades, his recent graphic novel Gravity and Other Substances received the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators of New York and the Seymour Chwast MA-g Award in Zurich. In 2022, Daniel was awarded the first prize of the World Illustration Awards, given by the Association of Illustrators (AOI) established in the United Kingdom.

Dani Zacarias has spent over a decade helping creators make money on platforms they love. As VP, Community at Skillshare, she works with a passionate team to manage and evolve teacher programs and bring new features, like 1-on-1’s and Lives, to the Skillshare community. Previously, Dani was Head of Content and Creators at Wattpad, where she worked to find and polish the best stories within a library of millions, helping to take some of those stories from a V1 draft to a TV series, movie or a published book. Prior to Wattpad, Dani spent half a decade working with writers and publishers across Sub Saharan Africa and India to create new monetization and distribution strategies for their stories.

Daniel Halper works on projects in experiential education, sustainable business, and music to spark positive change. His primary focus is programming with our community of creative teachers on Skillshare, working in nature with FreshAirCollective facilitating creative learning experiences and camps, and in music land as DaniSundream, facilitating inclusive singing circles with Musicollage.Sings.

Danny Lowney is the founder of Sixteenth. He founded the London-based management agency on the premise that with the right talent, work ethic and strategy, Creators should be able to break past their fifteen minutes of fame, reaching their Sixteenth minute and beyond. The management agency represents top Creators, from Jack Edwards to Ali Abdaal to Click For Taz, focused on those who are a 'good influence' on their audience.

Taz Alam, AKA ClickForTaz, is one of the most prominent creators in the UK, amassing over 1.5 million followers who are dedicated to her funny, uplifting and highly creative content. Taz started her creator journey nearly ten years ago, using her passion for spoken word poetry to express powerful messages around mental health, social issues, and body image. Her words have resonated with millions of people across the world. Taz uplifts and inspires her audience through sharing her authentic journey of navigating life and pursuing her dreams and passions.

Avi Gandhi writes about the business of Creators on LinkedIn and through his newsletter, Creator Logic. Over a 15-year career in digital media, Avi pioneered Creator representation at Hollywood talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME), built an award-winning Creator production and management company for Jimmy Kimmel’s Wheelhouse, and led the Creator Partnerships team at Creator Economy unicorn, Patreon. His growth agency, Partner with Creators, provides go-to-market services to businesses seeking to work with Creators and he is an Advisor to the Consumer team at Point72 Ventures.

Kerry McKibbin is the fiery business engine behind Mischief’s explosive rise from start-up in 2020 to one of the world’s most celebrated creative agencies in 2024. This president is the reason Mischief isn’t just a creative bar-setter, but also a schooling in operational and account excellence. Named an Ad Age’s “Leading Women” as well as Campaign’s “Agency Leader of the Year,” Kerry has a habit of making order out of chaos, loves turning the impossible into possible and has a strict no assholes policy. She is proof that world-class creative and growing a successful business are not mutually exclusive.

Hugo Veiga has been serving AKQA as Global Chief Creative Officer since 2019. His career highlights include being named the best copywriter at the 2013 Cannes Lions and co-founding the AKQA São Paulo studio. Under his leadership, the studio has received numerous accolades, including WPP’s Happiest Office in the World in 2018 and Latin America Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions in 2019. Hugo has won 4 Cannes Lions Grand Prix for projects including “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” and “Air Max Graffiti Stores.” He also contributed to the founding of AKQA SOMA+, a platform aiding the professional development of marginalized groups in Brazil. Individually, Hugo was recognized as Brazil’s Best Creative Director in 2019 by PropMark.

Tiffany Edwards is the Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Droga5 and an unshakable advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the creative industry. Since joining Droga5 in 2016 as its first diversity leader, she’s played a pivotal role in the agency’s DE&I work globally, supporting the agency across its network in New York, São Paulo, Tokyo, Dublin and London. Her tenacity and focus on ensuring Droga5 upholds its commitment to diversity permeates every aspect of its workplace. Her force also comes to life through leadership and actions that have improved the way the organizations she works with—and the industry at large—thinks about, and, more importantly, acts around diversity and inclusion.

Emma Brooks is passionate about three things: marketing, community building, and ideas. As VP, Marketing at Skillshare, she brings these concepts together to elevate and promote Skillshare to the world. Previously, Emma was Head of Marketing at Wattpad, where she told Wattpad’s rich story to its 90 million users around the world. Prior to jumping into the tech industry, Emma worked in advertising at some of Canada’s most celebrated agencies in roles spanning both digital and brand strategy.