Nicolette Pineda is a Latinx Senior Art Director and Creative Producer with 6+ years of experience in entertainment, experiential, and lifestyle branding. She specializes in crafting 360 campaigns, brand identities, and content strategies for mission-driven brands and cultural events. Nicolette has led creative projects for clients including Tinder, Amazon Prime, and PTTOW!, blending strategic thinking with bold visual storytelling. She’s also the founder of La Casa Collective and co-host of the podcast Your Petty Friend.

Jake is a designer on the Fonts & Type team at Adobe. His work focuses on making it easier for people to find the best fonts and use them seamlessly in Adobe applications.

Annah is an art director and designer who specializes in visual storytelling, branding, and illustration. As a Senior Art Director at Codeword, she creates meaningful communications deliverables for internal teams at Google. Born and raised in Wisconsin, she's now living the California dream in Santa Monica. Don't worry, she hasn't lost her midwestern work-ethic (or appetite). She's passionate about her work and collaborating with fellow creatives. Outside of work you might find her doing CrossFit, snuggling with her cat, Poppy, or thrifting vintage treasures.

I'm David Meza. I was born and raised in Downtown Los Angeles. I started out studying Visual Communications at LA Trade-Tech and later transferred to CSU Dominguez Hills to get ready for a career in graphic design. I've been into drawing for as long as I can remember—it’s always been my thing. I love taking pictures, sketching, playing around with fonts, and coming up with fresh ideas for new pieces. Some of my favorite tools to work with are colored pencils, markers, pens, spray paint, and of course, the computer. I've been inspired by all kinds of artists—teachers who’ve guided me, friends who push me, and street artists doing their thing out in the world. I like standing out, being original, and creating without worrying about what anyone else thinks.

Named to the Adweek Creative 100, Marcus has spent his formative years at agencies such as TBWA Chiat/Day, DDB and 72andSunny, and has led teams and award-winning campaign work for some of the world's biggest brands such as Activision, Nissan, Honda, CKE Restaurants and Nestlé. His work has been honored by the One Show, Clios, Effie's, Fast Company, Communication Arts, D&AD, FWA, Creativity Online, Adweek, the Beldings, Webbys, American Photo Magazine, TBS' Funniest Commercials, and even mentioned in two major motion pictures.

Marcus is most interested in "unusual projects that take a step back and rethink paradigms," he says, "challenging what advertising could be in order to create culturally relevant, impactful work".

He currently leads the Advertising Experiences group at Digital Domain, the world-renowned digital production studio behind some of the greatest executions of visual effects such as Virtual 2Pac, Thanos and most recently, The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere, providing leadership, creative direction and holistic thinking to develop unique advertising experiences across diverse projects, platforms and media.

Meghan is a Product Designer on the Design Systems team at Zenni Optical. Her background is in print and packaging, and she found her way to UX through Production Design. She is passionate about crafting brand-forward products in the healthcare space. Her creative interests include drawing with colored pencils and tending to her cactus garden.

Grant Bernstein is a Long Beach–based creative director and art director with deep agency and brand experience across healthcare, hospitality, QSR, and retail. Currently the owner and creative director of Guns & Butter, he has worked on campaigns for Providence, City of Hope, Hilton Garden Inn, Wienerschnitzel, Yogurtland, and more. Prior roles at DGWB, Jigsaw, Hoffman York and Doner included work for Mazda, Snap-on Tools, Corona, Target, A&W restaurants and more. Grant has earned recognition from Communication Arts, Addys, AIGA, and Graphis, including a National Addy Silver and Best of Show at the Orange County Addys. 

Nick Longo is a branding specialist and graphic designer with over 25 years of experience. He helps businesses and individuals build standout brand identities. Alongside running his studio, Nick teaches design at California State University, Northridge, mentoring students and sharing real-world insights. He also hosts the DGDC Podcast and produces Adobe Live’s Office Hours, offering tips on branding, design, and creative business. Known for his passion, expertise, and practical advice, Nick is a trusted voice in the design community.

Tyler Pate is a Los Angeles–based Art Director, Illustrator, and creative problem solver with over a decade of experience shaping iconic brands and franchises. He's helped lead and develop Nickelodeon's global campaigns and consumer product guides, contributing to beloved properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

His diverse body of work includes collaborations with Adobe, Wacom, POSCA, StickerApp, Krispy Kreme, DreamWorks, The Black Keys, and even Paul McCartney—blending pop culture with imaginative storytelling and design.

Beyond client work, Tyler leads The Creative Pain—a brand built to inspire artists, foster creative growth, and partner with companies to craft fun, unexpected, and visually original experiences.

Alexis Elisa Caban is a proud New Yorker based in Los Angeles who believes in the power of design to change lives. With over 15 years of experience, she’s crafted award-winning campaigns for brands big and small and is currently a Senior Art Director at OUTFRONT. Her work blends strategy, storytelling, and cultural perspective. Something she also champions as a co-founder of UnidosFRONT, OUTFRONT’s Hispanic employee resource group dedicated to uplifting Latinx voices and allies.

Alexis holds a BFA in Graphic Design and Advertising from the School of Visual Arts and a UX certification from General Assembly. She’s passionate about typography, branding systems, and creating design that resonates on a human level. Outside of her 9–5, she runs a freelance design business, helping mission-driven clients build impactful brand identities, websites, and marketing materials.

Fluent in Spanish, Alexis also serves as the Development Director on the AIGA Los Angeles board. In this leadership role, she helps shape the future of LA’s creative community by securing funding, fostering partnerships, and expanding access to design for creatives at all levels.

For 25+ years, Karl’s been giving brands chiropractic adjustments—client-side at Microsoft, Adobe, eBay, and Apple, and agency-side at Razorfish, Landor, and now his own global brand studio, Hi It’s Us. He helps companies and marketing leaders define, grow, and accelerate brands by connecting to culture, embracing digital, and aligning teams around a shared vision. Karl has worked with top global agencies, built in-house teams, and led brand innovation labs. He’s spoken at SXSW, DMEXCO, AIGA, Digiday and more, and has been featured in WSJ, AdWeek, AdAge, Inc., Forrester, CMO.com, and beyond. He holds an MBA from Duke (Marketing/Tech), a Master of Architecture from UCLA (Design), and a BA from Hampshire College.