If you have any questions about the program or you would like to be a mentor, email .

 

Mentors

 

"As your Mentor, I will provide tips on how to have a smooth transition from design student to design professional. I would love to assist you in fine-tuning your resume, cover letter and, of course, your portfolio."

Daniela Buitrago Provisional RGD, Communication & Graphic Designer at Daniela Buitrago

Daniela has a B.Des in Communication Design from Emily Carr University, where she was the creative director of Woo publication for two years. She is currently finishing a diploma in Art History from UBC and volunteers as a graphic designer for the Undergraduate Journal of Art History and Visual Culture. For the last three years, Daniela has worked as an in-house and freelance designer in Vancouver. Her work spans editorial, branding and web design. 

 

"As your mentor I can show you how being passionate and involved can help you build meaningful connections, and build a community and network that will elevate and support your career."

Chrisanne Daniel Provisional RGD, Graphic Designer at NORCAT

Chrisanne started her career at marketing and branding agency 50 Carleton, before moving to work as an in-house designer at NORCAT. As a Designer, Do-Gooder and Third Culture Kid, Chrisanne has found that being passionate, dedicated and giving has not only made volunteering fulfilling and meaningful, but it has provided her career with endless opportunities and growth. 

 

"As your Mentor, I will help you sort through feedback and develop your creative problem-solving tactics to handle anything. I can offer insights to business after school, and what I wish I'd learned in school."

Roxanne Dupuis Provisional RGD, Computer Consulting & Design Services at Just A Bit

After graduating in 2014 from Winnipeg's Red River College with a Diploma in Graphic Design, Roxanne moved to the West Coast to start her career in web design. After 5 years and a lot of work, she now finds herself leading small design teams and learning more about the good that comes from working together. Her foundation is that design is more about finding creative solutions to problems we face, both in business and in life. 

 

"As your Mentor, I will share my experience as a graduate transitioning into the workforce. I will work with you to set goals while sharing my knowledge on building and refining your portfolio to achieve them."

Nicole Galatis Provisional RGD, Graphic Designer at Simzer Design

Graduating two years ago from NSCAD University, Nicole jumped into her design career as an editorial designer. Recently relocated to Ottawa, Nicole continues to broaden her areas of practice from print design to brand identities for local to national companies. 

 

"As your Mentor, I will offer advice on making a career in information design, where to work, what tools/skills you need, along with navigating the complexities of a large organization."

Alex Gebhardt Provisional RGD, Senior Consultant at Deloitte

Working as a Senior Consultant for Deloitte Canada's Artificial Intelligence practice, Alex specializes in information design and data visualization across a myriad of industries in the AI space. Alex attended OCAD U and worked in the Centre for Information Visualization and Data Driven Design Lab.

 

"As your Mentor, I will point out early learning curves so that you can benefit as a freelance/post-graduate working in graphic design. Together, we can discover how best to apply what you learned in school so that you can have a successful career. "

David St Jean Provisional RGD, Graphic Designer at Saints Faith

From being self-taught at a very young age to working as a full-scale graduate within potentially high-risk environments. He began working professionally in the field of graphic design in 2016, after majoring in associate design.

 

 

"As your mentor, I will help you define your path to a career in graphic design. Together we can define your strengths to identify the direction that is right for you."

Geoff Krawiec Provisional RGD, Graphic Designer at Rise Branding Inc

Geoff has an educational background in Marketing Management and Graphic Design. He has worked as a graphic designer for a digital agency, in-house fashion brand, branding studio, and also works as a freelancer. His diverse experiences has shown him the benefits of different design environments and the potential of each path. 

 

"As your Mentor, I will share my knowledge of web design and development and how to make sure you meet accessibility standards when creating content for the web."

Erik McManus Provisional RGD, Web Developer at Design De Plume

Erik studied graphic design at Canadore College in North Bay and then delved into the world of websites and mobile apps. He was a professor at Canadore for a year before he moved to Sudbury. With a keen eye in design and knowledge of programming, he puts those skills to use to make websites become reality. 

 

"As your Mentor, I will provide knowledge about branding, packaging design, social media marketing and brand strategy. I would love to offer advice about graduate-level education, in-house vs agency life, trend hunting, as well as assist with interview and presentation prep."

Steph Millar Provisional RGD, Design Strategist at Invok Brands

Steph is a strategy, design and copy unicorn who strives to empower brands through strategic wit and creative compassion. Her education and work experience in both Toronto and New York has enabled her to develop a diverse perspective and grow in a variety of areas that align with her eclectic interests.

 

 

"As your Mentor, I will offer insights on transitioning from designer to art director, tips on how to break into the advertising industry and knowledge on how to stay hungry and keep pushing your work to get where you want to be."

Angelo Roldan Provisional RGD, Art Director at Leo Burnett

Vancouver-bred, Toronto-based Angelo's work has been recognized by Young Glory, Adobe Design Achievement Awards, Digifest and more. When he's not at work designing things, tinkering with odds and thinking up wild ideas, he can be found exploring the concrete jungle with his camera in hand. 

 

"As your Mentor, I will share my knowledge and love of visual identities and branding. I will offer assistance in refining your creative process (inspirations, sketches, wire-framing), creating a more efficient workflow and developing strong designs that connect with everyone (AODA)."

Catherine Ryan Provisional RGD, Designer at Context Creative

Catherine is an enthusiastic designer with experience working in the editorial, agency and in-house world of design. With a recent award for her work on the Human Space branding, Catherine believes in clean and simple designs that create memorable user experience. She has expertise in print and digital design, photography, art direction and accessible design. 

 

"As your Mentor, I will provide insight into the world of environmental graphics and what it means to work in an interdisciplinary team. I will also share my experience and insight as a former international student transitioning into the workforce in Canada."

Natalia Ultremari Provisional RGD, Environmental Graphic Designer at MJMA

Natalia joined MJMA in 2019, with a Bachelor of Design in Interdisciplinary Design from the NSCAD U and an Honours Associate Degree in Graphic Design from the City College of San Francisco. This follows her years of experience in brand development across the arts, culture and community sectors. She now devotes her unique blend of visualization skills and innovative ideas to signage, wayfinding and feature-wall installations.

 

"As your Mentor, I will share insights on working in-house and what it takes to master your organization's brand identity. I will provide best practices for working with a multidisciplinary team, being a champion for design, and fostering self-growth."

Chad Weiss Provisional RGD, Graphic Designer at Workplace Safety and Insurance Board 

A graduate of Cambrian College in Sudbury, Chad now lives and works in Toronto. As an experienced in-house designer for government agencies, he's committed to using design to make Ontario a healthier and safer place to live and work. 

 

 

"As your mentor, I will help refine a print-focused portfolio, share technical knowledge I've acquired during these early years of my career, and offer advice on the transition between graduating and working."

Sara Wong Provisional RGD, Graphic Designer at The Office of Gilbert Li

Sara graduated from Conestoga College's Graphic Design program in Kitchener. Shortly after, she moved to Toronto where she worked as a designer at TIFF. Her interest in the arts and print design lead her to The Office of Gilbert Li. In her nearly two years at the studio, she has worked on publications and identities for a variety of clients including the Magenta Foundation, /edition Toronto International Art Book Fair and Art With Heart.