Gary Taxali was born in Chandigarh, India and raised in Toronto, Canada.  Taxali graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD). His fine artwork has been exhibited in galleries in the United States (Jonathan Levine Gallery (NYC), Yves LaRoche (Montreal), Lazarides (London)) and Europe (Antonio Colombe Gallery) as well as museums such as the Andy Warhol Museum, The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Contemporary Art Museum in Rome.

He has won hundreds of illustration and design awards including a Grammy nomination for his album cover artwork for Aimee Mann’s, “Smilers” in 2009. His work is also seen in magazines and editorials (GQ, Esquire, New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stones etc.), products (such as the Royal Canadian Mint Coins), designer toys (collaboration with Chapters Indigo) and fashion (collaboration with Harry Rosen). Gary has also served as a juror for The Juno’s (Screening Committee) and others. He also serves on Canada Post’s Stamp Advisory Committee and and teaches at OCAD University where he was just appointed a position as tenured faculty. Gary has written a children’s book called, “This Is Silly!” published by Scholastic and he also has two monographs of his work, “I Love You, Ok?” published by TeNeues and “Mono Taxali” published by 279 Editions. He also has a few collectible toys out such as the “Toy Monkey” commissioned by the Whitney Museum.

Aside from his gallery shows and illustration work, Gary also devotes a portion of his time teaching and lecturing at various arts organizations and schools such as OCAD University (Toronto, Canada), The Art Director’s Club of Houston (Houston, USA), Dankmarks Designskole (Copenhagen, Denmark) and Istituto Europeo Di Design (Rome, Italy). He was invited to speak to SKAD in Hong Kong in Dec 2013 and October 2014.

Antionette D. Carroll is the Founder and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, a social enterprise that empowers and challenges community members to design inclusive cities by developing solutions addressing personal and structural racism. Throughout her career, Antionette has worked for social justice, human rights, and diversity and inclusion nonprofits.

Born in East Moline, Illinois in 1943, Lanny Sommese has been a member of the Penn State University faculty since 1970 and is currently an Emeritus Professor of Graphic Design.

His work has been included in important exhibitions all over the world. Sommese’s work was awarded the Taiwan International Graphic Design award and Gold Medals in the Triennial of Stage Poster Sofia, the Colorado Poster Biennial, the Poster Biennial of Bolivia, the "To Be Human" poster competition at the Danish Poster Museum, and the International Biennial of the Poster of Mexico, where he also won the Jose Guadalupe Posada Medal for best poster in show.

Feature articles about Sommese have appeared in a number of design publications including Graphis, Idea, and Communication Arts. His work is the subject of two books “Lanny Sommese: World Master” and “Lanny Sommese: X-Ray Vision.” His work has been reproduced in hundreds of periodicals and books, such as Graphis, The New York Times, Communication Arts, A History of Graphic Design, and A History of Contemporary Graphic Design.

Sommese’s posters are included in numerous collections including the Museum for Deutsche Geschichte, Berlin; Muzeum Plakatu w Wilanowie, Warsaw; Musee D’Histoire Contemporaine, Paris; The Central Institute of Fine Art, Beijing; Moravaska Galerie, Brno; Kanazawa University, Japan; The Museum of Applied Art, Helsinki; and in the Library of Congress National Poster Collection, which has more than 100 of Sommese’s posters in its collection.

A renowned Design and Creative Director, David Carson has worked with the worlds largest agencies on a variety of projects. As worldwide Creative Director / Bose corp he managed a team of over 100 , executing campaigns for digital, tv +print. Currently David is finishing up a 10 month run as "artist in residence " at agency 72andsunny, +ready to join a great creative team in need of a design director in 2018.

Often asked to speak to a broad range of industries, (be it automakers, agencies to creative groups),
David shares his experiences and how he continues to push the envelop. David knows how to inspire and what it takes to build an effective team. He's humble, engaged and willing to listen.

Oen Michael Hammonds, a designer, mentor and education lead at IBM Design, has designed across the gamut—advertising, graphic, interactive and environmental. At IBM Design, Oen leads the Enablement education team to develop education programs and experiences for executives, software development teams and sales. In this role, Oen facilitates workshops that activate participants to effectively apply IBM Design Thinking to build iconic products with human centered experiences.

Connie leads the design practice at Lippincott and is a member of the Lippincott Management Team. Her experience encompasses over 20 years of directing and designing global corporate and brand identity, marketing communications, information design, launch and implementation programs and developing the tools and processes for successful brand management. 

She has directed programs for Ameriprise, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Comcast, DaimlerChrysler, Delta Airlines, Earth Pledge, eBay, FedEx Services, Goldman Sachs, The Hershey Company, IBM, Lighthouse International, Loeb, Samsung Group, Signature Flight Support, SK Group, Sprint, Starbucks, Time Warner, UPS and USG. 

Connie has held positions on the national board of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and served on the New York Chapter board as secretary/treasurer. She is also a member of the Design Management Institute. The magazines AIGA, Communication Arts and Graphis have all cited her work for excellence. The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum featured the Continental Airlines program in their exhibition “Mixing Messages: Graphic Design in Contemporary Culture.” She has won international design awards for her work with IBM. Connie also speaks frequently on the power of design success and lectures on identity and design management, best practices for identity development and brand management.

Fine artist, illustrator, and author Lisa Congdon is best known for her colorful, graphic illustrations and hand lettering. Over the past decade, she has worked for clients around the world including MoMA, REI, Harvard University, Chronicle Books, and Simon & Schuster Publishing, among many others. She is the author of seven books, including the starving-artist-mythsmashing Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist. She was named one of 40 Women Over 40 to Watch in 2015 and she is featured in the 2017 book, 200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World. She lives and works in Portland, Oregon.

Noreen Morioka is currently CCO of Tatcha Skincare directing all creative for brand, channel and digital marketing. Projects range from product launches, packaging, dot com daily needs, to installations and stand up events. Morioka was previously co- founder, creative strategist, and managing director of NJ(L.A.) and AdamsMorioka. Her creative and strategic input has led to the success of multiple communications programs and campaigns. Noreen believes that personal involvement with a client helps her crack the brand’s spirit. This allows her to interpret her clients’ sometimes vaguely articulated goals into actionable plans. Research, data, technology and personal interviews help formulate concepts, and her solutions pull from her creative foundation to evolve culture, meaning and value.

In 2006, Noreen was named as a Fellow of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Noreen is past President of the Los Angeles Chapter of AIGA, past chair of the AIGA National President’s Council, Fellow of the International Design Conference at Aspen, Chair of the James Beard Foundation Award for Design and Architecture, and currently serves as a Board Member of the ADC in New York City. She is a frequent competition judge and lecturer. Highlights included the Cannes Lions, British D&AD, South Africa’s Design Indaba. In 2015, Noreen was awarded the AIGA Medal, the highest honor in her field.

Morioka’s creative direction for branding and campaign projects include Adobe Systems, Nickelodeon, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, UCLA SteinEye Institute, Oxygen Network, USC, and Nike.

Ann Willoughby is a leading voice in graphic design in the U.S. She has taught, written and lectured about the importance of women as design leaders in both business and as a social force. Ann began her design career in 1968 during the second wave of feminism and her life and early design practice were fueled by the social, political and design movements that transformed American during the last decades of the 20th century. She founded Willoughby Design in 1978, creating a thriving design firm while also addressing gender and family issues in the workplace. Since its founding, Willoughby has become nationally known both for its award winning design and for the stimulating and creative environment.  The firm has worked with local, national and international clients including the Kauffman Foundation, Omidyar Group, United Nations, Hallmark Cards, Panera Bread, RideKC Transit, Hershey’s and Weight Watchers. In 2014, Ann was awarded the prestigious AIGA Medal, one of the first women in the midwest to receive this honor, awarded to individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements in the field of design and visual communication. Willoughby has offices in Kansas City and San Francisco as well as the Willoughby Design Barn, a 100 acre creative retreat in Weston, Missouri.

I'm a graphic designer in San Francisco originally from the great state of Texas. When I'm not drawing pictures for a living, I'm doing a podcast with my Mom called It's Mom Calling. I'm also a sucker for animals, but I'm very particular when it comes to bourbon. 

Graham Douglas grew up in Fort Worth, TX with an identical twin brother named Britton and an obese beagle named Sam. His porn star name is Sam Constitution.

He spent the formative years of his life playing music and hockey and avoiding all forms of writing before going to the University of North Texas. There, Graham completely backed into advertising and has been stuck ever since.

He landed his first job in Dallas but eventually left for stints in Miami, Minneapolis, Chicago, Amsterdam and L.A., where he spent several sunny years at 180. Most recently, Graham worked for three years and some change at Droga5 in New York where he was a Creative Director.

In his career Graham has been recognized by Cannes, The One Show, The TED Global Conference, Creativity, The Clios, The Webbys, The FWA, D&AD, The Effies, AICP and the Advertising Softball League of Los Angeles. Most notably, he was lucky enough to be named one of the “World’s 50 Most Creative People” by Creativity, one of Forbes Magazine's "30 Under 30" and take home both the Cannes Grand Prix for Good and the D&AD White Pencil.

Graham has worked on things like adidas, Puma, Spotify, Prudential, DKMS, UNICEF, The New Museum, Sony, Boost Mobile, Kraft, Activision, BMW, Ford, Coca-Cola, Seventh Generation, and countless candies and liquors.

Graham is currently freelancing as a creative director. The world is his home.

Corwin began his career at Apple and has gone on to design brands, digital experiences, and software solutions for Cisco, Deloitte, Gap Inc., Nestle Health Science, Western Union. He’s launched 3 startups (working on the 4th) and is currently the Sr. Global Creative Director of User Experience, Brand and Design for Active Network. His team is responsible for a product portfolio that serves more than 35,000 customers and more than 100 million transactions annually. He is passionate about people, has taught design grads & undergrads at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and he’s been a presenter at TEDx, University of Texas at Arlington, and Stanford University.

Tad Carpenter is a designer, illustrator, author and educator based in Kansas City, Missouri. Carpenter co-runs the design and branding studio, Carpenter Collective with his wife, Jessica Carpenter where they focus on bringing powerful messages to life through branding, packaging, illustration, and design. They have worked with clients ranging from Target, Coca-Cola, Macy's, Old Navy, Conan O'Brien, Adobe and MTV among many others. Carpenter has worked with numerous bands on posters and tour campaigns for over 10 years, including John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Paul McCartney, and Dave Matthews Band to name a few. Carpenter has written and illustrated over twenty children's books in our marketplace today intended for adults and children of all ages.

Tony is a graduate of Ashland University and owner of one of Cleveland's most well-known apparel companies, Fresh Brewed Tees. Fresh Brewed Tees is licensed by the MLB Players Association and works closely with professional athletes from all sports to help them build their brands. He's built one of Cleveland's most dedicated fan bases via social media, is passionate about Cleveland and enjoys giving back to the community. 

Tony decided after earning his Bachelor's degree that he'd stick around Ashland, coach, and get his Master's. At 24, with a degree in finance, an MBA, and an opportunity to work on Wall Street, Tony did what any educated 24-year-old would do, he decided to move back home and start his own t-shirt company. 

Putting his love for Cleveland into action, Tony has also served as co-director of Ohio Homecoming and co-chair of Cleveland Rocks New Years Eve. Along with a team of community-minded young people, Ohio Homecoming looks for opportunities to promote and revitalize the city. 

To take advantage of his talent for marketing, in 2012 Tony founded The Social Dudes, a marketing and social media company. The Social Dudes works with professional athletes, brands, and small businesses to help them solidify their brands and establish an online presence.

Lisa is a creative consultant living and working in Cleveland, Ohio. Her areas of focus as a consultant are lettering, murals, illustration, and graphic design. After graduating from the University of Dayton with a BFA in Visual Communication Design, she began her career in the fast-paced world of advertising. After five years in the industry, she left her full-time role as an Art Director to dedicate more time to her own lettering-centric business. Her projects as a Creative Consultant have ranged from murals and coloring books to magazine covers and gallery shows.

Lisa was named one of Cleveland.com’s Top 40 Clevelanders to follow on Instagram. She enjoys meeting up with other professionals at conferences like Letter West, Crop, Creative South and Weapons of Mass Creation, where she has been a speaker, workshop instructor and Ink Wars participant. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, failed cooking attempts and spending time with her wonderful Slovenian family.

Some of Lisa’s clients include: Target, Lauren Conrad X Kohl’s, StubHub, Harley-Davidson, American Greetings, Louis Vuitton, and Hilton Hotels.

Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar is the Director of Education at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. She loves being a design educator and leader of a dynamic team that strives to inspire, educate and empower people through design. She draws from her international experiences in practice and teaching to develop design literacy programs for audiences of all ages, nationwide. Prior to her present role, she was an Associate Dean, Professor of Graphic Design and an award-winning designer. She has served in numerous leadership roles at all levels of AIGA, the professional association for Design. In 2015, she was awarded the title of AIGA Fellow for her advocacy and leadership as a design educator in Oklahoma. When she is not teaching, leading her team, speaking or consulting, she is experiencing the world through travel and food.

Stephen is currently the Head of Design Transformation at InVision where he works with their partners to weave together the best methodologies, practices, and tools into comprehensive, customized strategies that elevate the business impact of design within every company. He previously worked at McCann Erickson, Citi and Starwood Hotels building teams that created award-winning global advertising campaigns, multiple Fortune 100 brands, and innovative digital experiences. His work has received over 150 international awards, his app design has been named as one of the World's 100 Greatest Apps, HOW Magazine named him #17 on the 100 of the most talented and influential creatives working today, Apple has featured his work in 10 keynotes and more. He shares what he has learned through his speaking engagements and The Crazy One podcast which is an in-depth exploration of issues that matter to creatives including leadership, creativity, career development, innovation and more.

David’s extensive storytelling background draws on his experiences as a feature filmmaker, musician, editor, and writer. As Creative Director, David works with clients to develop high-level narrative and storytelling strategies that capture the heart and DNA of studio projects, laying the foundations for engaging, intuitive, and inspirational visitor experiences. David ensures that the core creative and narrative goals of a project are met, from early concepts through installation. He leads team members across disciplines, guiding the creative force within the studio and inspiring excellence and laughter.

John J. Custer is a born-n-bred Texas designer, and illustrator turned principal and founder of a very Dandy creative studio. Based in New York City, he focuses on developing optimistic and blunt solutions—with a dash of wit, for people, places, and things that give a damn.