Mentors

 

"As your mentor, I will be an avid listener and offer my experience in brand design, design thinking, lean entrepreneurship and facilitation, give you insights on how to communicate your creative value and how to establish solid relationships with your collaborators and clients that lead to products they love. As a mentor and educator, I care a lot, I trust your grit and I challenge your comfort zones."

Diana Castaneda RGD, Senior Graphic Designer at TRIUMF in Vancouver, BC

In her role at TRIUMF, Diana has art directed award-winning projects through close collaboration with scientists, engineers and science communicators. Diana dedicates her spare time to the Blueridge Chamber Music Festival as a board member and lead designer. She believes in the permanent relevance of design for making the world a better place. Her obsessively curious mind never stops producing innovative and crafted solutions for the causes that she believes in.

 

"I honestly believe good design makes people’s days better. I’ll help you learn to do this by jumping into Experience + Product design, Human-Centred Design, Accessibility and Inclusive design with you. We'll touch on design streams like Art Direction, Branding and Motion Design. We’ll talk about your goals—whether it’s improving skills, building relationships or developing your communication skills—then I’ll do my best to help you get there."

Kael Cruz, Product Design Lead at Loblaw Digital in Toronto, ON

Kael (pronounced like the vegetable) works with Canada’s largest loyalty and rewards programs. He also works with Humber College by mentoring their UX students. He started his design career in advertising, as an Art Director—both for corporate and social-good agencies—before moving on to consulting, branding, then experience and product design. He is passionate about accessibility and inclusive design—and building a safe, inclusive and fun culture for the people around him.

 

"As your mentor, I will pass along my diverse industry knowledge. I've had the unique opportunity to have worked in virtually every discipline from Pre-Press Operator and Production Artist to Art Director and now Creative Director and Chief Creative Officer. My experience has also taken me from being a lone wolf on my own, a member of a national agency as well as the operator of my own design and marketing agency. I'm happy to pass along all that I know."

Jason Dauphinee RGD, Chief Creative Officer & Creative Director at eclipse360º in Victoria, BC

With a career in the design and advertising industry spanning 25 years, Jason is a seasoned and recognized conceptual thinker with a host of local and national expertise. His ability to connect with a client’s needs and communicate it in a simple, clever and effective manner, is second to none. Jason has spent years honing his skills in developing large and small business brands, each with a focus on clear and effective communications that drive results across multiple platforms. Over the years, Jason’s work has been featured in Applied Arts, he’s been interviewed for articles in BC Business and has also been the recipient of multiple Awards.

 

"As your mentor, I will work with you to achieve your goals, providing insight and guidance as we explore the avenues of design that excite you. Together we’ll define key tactics and steps you can take to grow as a designer and further your career."

Melanie Di Tullio RGD, Director, Graphic Design and Digital Communications at CPCA in Ottawa, ON

With close to two decades of experience, Melanie combines strategic thinking with a client centric approach to her design process. Her work has spanned traditional print publications and communications, brand strategy and identity, UI/UX and website architecture and design. She has worked for several leading Canadian organizations in both the public and private sectors, leveraging her experience and creative leadership skills to deliver targeted creative solutions.

 

Jesse Gibb RGD, Owner & Creative Director at Gibb Design in London, ON

A couple of decades deep into his design career, and after stints as Art Director and Design Director at big and small firms, Jesse is back where he’s happiest - flying his own flag and working directly with great clients on interesting projects.

 

“As your mentor, I will share my insight and experience in creating compelling brands for companies of various sizes, and my experiences on the path from designer to agency owner. I can help you with developing successful design processes so you can work more efficiently and output creative at a higher level."

Michael Gioffre, Principal & Creative Director at Channel 13 in Toronto, ON

Michael is committed to developing thought-provoking design in every project he works on. Michael’s experience spans multiple industries and disciplines, with specialization in Branding, Advertising, Web Design, Creative Direction and Project Management. His hands-on approach and sense of strategy have allowed him to gain the trust of clients and exceed their expectations.

"I've worked in different styles of agencies, small and medium, some fast-paced and some more creativity focused. But I also have 6 years of freelance experience I can pull from, and I hope to chat about all the best bits from each of these experiences."

Gillian Goldie RGD, Creative Director at Bonfire Stories in St. John, NB

Originally from the Maritimes, Gillian is an award-winning graphic designer who has lived in Fiji and Australia and has now settled back home in New Brunswick. Now with 15 years’ experience, she confidently creates new visual experiences with the use of strategy and design, taking good ideas to great ones. Since coming-from-away and swapping g’days for right-goods, Gillian has worked as a creative problem solver on a variety of campaigns for television, web and print, among many other projects, including logo development and children’s books. Gillian leads the creative development for all of Bonfire’s clients.

 

 

Teodor Herman RGD, Designer & Project Coordinator at Entro in Toronto, ON

 

"As your mentor, I will share how experiences continually shape my love of design and typography. I’ll provide insights into my career, and in return will learn about your goals and ambitions in design so that together, we can work on who you want to be as a designer. Where do you want to go? How do you get there? What do you need to do? I will help you learn how to find the solutions and skills to define your career path forward."

Rebecca Hirsekorn, Senior Graphic Designer at Outcrop Communications Ltd. and Art Director at North Marketing Communications, in Yellowknife, NT

 

 

Kevan Kalyan, Creative Director at blackiron agency in Ottawa, ON

*Note: Kevan would prefer a mentee from an underrepresented community, potentially a designer from the African Canadian community

 

 

"Together, we will explore ways to find and develop your unique attributes and deploy them to your advantage. What is your creative process? Are you a doer or a thinker first? How do you deal with a design problem? Are you shy or bold? Do you like to work alone or as a team? Are you intimidated by co-workers or clients? Print, Web or Social Media? At the end, you’ll have a better idea of how you fit in the design industry."

Denis Leclerc RGD, Creative Director & Principal at Costa Leclerc Design in Toronto, ON

Denis has more than 25 years experience and is comfortable managing projects in both English and French. He has worked in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto before starting his own business. His experience in marketing and his artistic approach guide CLD’s strategy as well as the development of interactive initiatives, visual identities and integrated brand campaigns in either official language. His active collaboration with several professional associations and his participation in numerous international design conferences attest to his enthusiasm for visual arts and graphic design. As a visual artist, Denis has more than 60 exhibitions and numerous installations.

 

"As your mentor, I'll share my experiences and career story from graphic designer to business owner to in-house design lead to creative in-house manager. My experience covers industries like publishing, start-ups, finance, automotive and education. I've worked with small and big budgets, good clients and difficult ones and have learned how to navigate some (not all!) of the pitfalls of a creative career. Together we can explore your career path, where you want to grow and your personal goals."

Josh McInerney RGD, Manager of Creative Services at Bow Valley College in Calgary, AB

Josh is a creative director, graphic designer, public speaker and brand strategist with over 18 years of experience. He was the Manager of Design and Creative at Ryerson University and is the former Creative Director and Partner at Modu Design Communications. Josh has worked with clients like BMW, Manulife Financial, Cineplex, The Writers Trust of Canada and Grand and Toy (among others). An obsessive idea guy who ignores silly things like sleep, Josh likes to make big ideas even bigger by intersecting storytelling, graphic design and technology to create a memorable user experience. 

 

“As your mentor, I will share my insights working with various clients and projects, offer guidance on the importance of staying focused on communication objectives -- the house you’re trying to build, rather than the tools you are going to use.”

David O’Connell RGD, Executive Creative Director at BANG! creative in Milton, ON

David has been in the communication arts industry for over two decades. He has worked on both the agency-side and client-side of the industry. He has helped cultivate elegant branding and impactful marketing solutions for his clients who include with local, national and international organizations from industries such as pharmaceutical, automotive, manufacturing, financial, retail, consumer goods and services, not-for-profit and government.

 

“As your mentor, I can share my experience, help identify what drives you creatively, and guide you in using that to set you apart.”

Brad Pyne (He, Him), Senior Designer, Motion & Illustration Lead at Context Creative in Toronto, ON

Brad has been working in the field for just under a decade, with experience at smaller-sized studios, on in-house teams and as a freelancer. Working in both physical and digital mediums, he specializes in illustration and motion-based work. Brad often volunteers his skill and time to the LGBTQ+ community, with a focus on using design as a tool for inclusion. As a hobbyist-potter-turned-instructor, he can often be found covered in mud by a wheel.

 

“As your mentor, I will share my knowledge and experience in creating identity and branding. I can give you insights related to pricing, client relationships, pitching and presenting and other areas related to the business of design. I am always open to frank discussions that can help you become a better creative."

Maninder Singh RGD, Multidisciplinary Designer and Photographer at House of Singh in Toronto, ON

 

"Are you a go-getting creative ready to master the skills-currency needed to confidently build your own profitable freelance design business? I'm your modern design mentor here to help you get clear on your goals, and support you in achieving them. Let's explore new perspectives, build your confidence and take your creative skills to the next level."

 

“As your mentor, I can share practical methodologies for designing systematically, as well as share my strategies for building trust and genuine, honest relationships with clients. I will help you understand how the design industry is where art meets commerce, authorship meets service. It is important to make note of these opposite ends and make it a mission of our design practice to have them meet gracefully."

Ronald Tau RGD, Founder of Meat in Toronto, ON

Ronald (@rontau) is a Chinese Canadian art director and graphic designer specializing in visual identity design. Born in Hong Kong, raised in Toronto, based in both Toronto and Beijing, Ronald creates in multicultural creative contexts, crossing cultural borders through creativity and design. His work has been covered and awarded in a variety of awards and media, ranging from the Type Directors Club, Tokyo Type Director’s Club, It’s Nice That, Applied Arts Awards, Brand New UnderConsideration, VICE and 032C.

 

“As your mentor, I want to hear what your passions are and how this partnership could be best utilized to drive your career forward. Leveraging my experiences and industry knowledge, I will assist you with aligning your personal goals and career objectives while providing honest feedback.”

Sabrina Young RGD, Senior Graphic Designer at Canada Life in London, ON

Sabrina is a multidisciplinary designer with 17 years of industry experience. Her career spans working in small advertising agencies to large in-house creative teams, and has also run her own freelance design business. For just shy of a decade, Sabrina has worked at Canada Life, leading several large user-centred design initiatives as part of the Creative Services design team. She brings a unique analytical and strategically creative perspective to her role and is known as a digital document accessibility expert.

 

“Design has the power to show people what is possible, and that’s also my approach to mentorship. Together, we’ll co-create an action plan tailored to what’s most meaningful and relevant to you and how to best get there.”

Stephanie Yung, Executive Creative Director at Zulu Alpha Kilo in Toronto, ON

Stephanie believes that great design and empathy can solve for real-world problems and human needs. Leveraging over 20 years of experience across disciplines and industries— from studios like Blok Design to agencies like TAXI to innovation consultancies like Smart Design in New York where she spent the last 10 years focusing on front-end innovation and the strategic translation of brands into new products and experiences. She now brings this experience to Zulu Alpha Kilo. Stephanie’s award-winning portfolio includes Sephora, Under Armour, Amex, BMW, Harry Rosen and Bell. She is a sought-after speaker, who’s taken part in conferences at Yale, Adobe 99u and Microsoft covering topics like human-centred design, behaviour change and designing for women. 

 

"As your mentor, I can provide leadership mentoring, digital career path consulting, energy management coaching, UX/UI feedback, healing methods and personal development mentoring."
Yan Zhang RGD, Senior Director of Delivery at Northern Commerce in London, ON
Yan is a caring coach who values sharing knowledge and experience to make a positive impact on people. At Northern Commerce, she manages a large team of talented directors, managers and digital delivery teams. She is a key member of the executive decision-making team. She is UX Certified by the Nielsen Norman Group and has the unusual complement of both graphic design and web programming skills to make online solutions both aesthetic and functional.