Mentors

 

"As you mentor*, I can help you identify and highlight your strengths while still being a generalist or a wearer of many hats, as well as offer insights on managing your mindset, your working modalities and your relationships with clients and colleagues so that you can hone your zone of genius without stress or anxiety."

Seowon Bang RGD, Senior Designer at eBay

Seowon is a multi-faceted creative whose skills span across graphic design, branding, illustration, video production, motion graphics, web design and creative direction. With 10+ years experience in various creative capacities, her diverse skillsets and viewpoints allow her to translate an abstract vision into a tangible, visually cohesive end product. Her clients and past employers include Destination Toronto, City of Toronto, Obsidian Theatre Company, Art Canada Institute, the National Ballet of Canada and Luminato Festival.

* Seowon would prefer to mentor an Asian or BIPOC designer.

 

"As your mentor, I will help you leapfrog past all of the mistakes I've made when starting my own business and help you get quality clients and fulfilling projects."
Amanda DeVries RGD, Owner of Eye Candy Design
Amanda has been a brand consultant and graphic designer for 17+ years, specializing in branding and packaging. She spent 10 years in Ottawa, where governmental agencies kept her busy but not terribly inspired. Moving to Southwestern Ontario in 2009 presented her with the opportunity to work directly with business owners. 

 

"As your mentor, I am here to help set you up for success, empower your mindset and help you discover the actions that will get you where you want to go. It's not about me having all the answers. It's about you discovering for yourself what authentically fires you up. As a creative professional who has spent most of my career focused on the work I love to do, I am committed to helping you create the future you want and supporting you to make it happen."

Dave Dick RGD, Art Director & Founding Partner of Humanfolk
Dave is an award-winning art director and strategist at Humanfolk, a branding agency committed to helping people build purposeful authentic expressions of who they are inside systems that drive real business results. Dave’s 16 years in the creative industry have allowed him to straddle the world of design and business and how design can be applied to build businesses effectively and sustainably. Previously, Dave served on the faculty and as a program coordinator at George Brown College School of Design. He has delivered solutions for such brands as Food Network, Pillsbury, Cineplex, Cheerios and Amazon Prime.

 

"As your Mentor, I am glad to share my 22+ years of experience in branding and UI/UX. I will share my knowledge of how to build relationships with clients successfully and help you focus on providing creative solutions and work that both clients and you can be proud of. In addition, if you are thinking about creating your own NFT collection, I can help."

Mehdi Ghareh Mohammadi RGD, Founder and CEO at SHIFT DO STUDIO INC

Creative Director and Senior Graphic Designer with experience in the management of the complete design process, from conceptualization to delivery.

Expert at interdepartmental coordination and communication. Specialization in UI/UX, graphic design, branding, and offering design services to businesses worldwide, ultimately improving their bottom line by crafting creative solutions to their business problems.

 

"As your mentor* and with my experience as a business owner, in-house designer and educator, I can help prepare you for the next stage of your career. Whether you want to be a specialist, start your own business or set actionable goals, together we can get you started!"

Michelle Hopgood RGD, Creative Director & Information Specialist at Hopgood Creative

Through her business, Michelle helps researchers, academics and thinkers use the power of design to explain complex ideas. With 15+ years of experience in design, information, knowledge and information management, Michelle brings a unique perspective to clients and business. She holds a Master of Information from the University of Toronto. 
* Michelle is happy to have any mentee but doesn't mind working with designers with disabilities so that she can share her story.

 

"As your mentor, I will share my knowledge and experience creating brand identity systems, covering topics from research to presentation, and provide you with the tools and guidance needed to develop your unique style and approach. I can also offer insights on obtaining clients, pricing strategies and creating engaging presentations."
Paul Irwin, Co-founder & Creative Director of Loki Creative

Loki Creative consists of a small, dynamic team that strongly believes in the power of ambitious design and strategy to create lasting connections that resonate with the way people live today. Paul's creative journey started in the fine and applied arts, but he later shifted his focus towards brand design in the music industry. Here, he collaborated with music artists, record labels and music management companies to develop brand identities and album art. With 15+ years of experience, Paul has worked for organizations such as Amnesty International, Plan International, BC Parks Foundation, Recycle BC, Cloudinary, Tourism Cowichan and Paybyphone.

 

"As your mentor, I can provide you insight and guidance as an in-house designer in the non-profit and education sectors. I can help you tailor your portfolio and skill sets to ensure you put your best foot forward."
Alan Joson RGD, Creative Consultant at the Michener Institute of Education at UHN
Alan joined the corporate world for several years while simultaneously engaging in creative pursuits, including managing his own photography business. In 2010, Alan completed his studies in Advertising & Graphic Design at Humber College. Having further refined his design skills through his work at George Brown College and at the Ontario College of Trades, Alan now balances his role as the in-house graphic designer for the Michener Institute of Education at UHN with an active career as a freelance designer.

 

“As your mentor, I will guide you as you carve out your unique career path. I can help you recognize your core strengths and opportunities for improvement and together we can develop a plan of action to meet your goals.”
Tejashri Kapure RGD, VP & Executive Creative Director at q30 design
Tejashri (TJ) is an inter-disciplinary designer who combines strategic thinking, creativity and craft to design better experiences that help brands build trust and connect with their audiences. With strong roots in branding and digital design, TJ is currently pursuing a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCAD University while working full-time.

 

"As your Mentor*, I will share my experience in design, visual storytelling and strategy in the most unconventional way and in a craft that is often overlooked but is growing -- Information Design. I will offer insight on how to find their niche and become the best at it."

Kaleena Ly, Senior Design Director, Information Design, at Klick Health

Kaleena is a creative strategist, visual storyteller and design leader. Her innate ability to translate a whiteboard drawing into stunning presentation slides and strategic stories comes from 10+ years of experience working at boutique consulting agencies and Fortune 500 companies. Currently at the world’s largest independent marketing agency, Kaleena is responsible for evolving and re-defining how information is visualized in presentations across the organization.

* Kaleena would prefer to mentor those from the APAC (Asia Pacific) community.

 

"As your Mentor*, I’m here to share everything I've learned to help you take meaningful steps towards the professional life you want to build. Whether you have an unshakeable dream role or client that you want to pursue, or you are completely overwhelmed or unsure about where you want to take your career, I got you (and I’ve been there)."

Gracelle Mesina, Senior Designer at Critical Mass (embedded at Airbnb)
Gracelle is a digital designer born and based on the ancestral, unceded lands of the Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and Musqueam people. She has worked in freelance, agency and tech environments with expertise in UI and design systems, as well as experience in marketing communications, branding and illustration for clients in the travel, arts + culture, non-profit and beauty industries. 
* Gracelle would prefer to mentor other women/womxn/people of colour.
 

"As your Mentor*, I will share my knowledge and love of typography, lettering and colour. I can help you build and refine a typography and lettering-focused portfolio while learning about best business practices and the importance of passion projects. Together, we’ll co-create an action plan tailored to what’s most meaningful and relevant to you and how to get there!"
Andrea Rodriguez RGD, Designer, Lettering & Mural Artist at Andreacataro Creative Services
Andrea is a multidisciplinary designer with a focus on lettering and mural art. In 2022, after more than 10 years working in-house and in agencies across the globe, she decided to launch her studio. Andrea has worked with Bell Box Murals, Mural Routes, King Street Media, Publicis, Lacoste, the City of Toronto and Canadian Tire, and numerous private clients.
* Andrea would love to mentor a BIPOC person, if possible, from a Latin American background.

 

"As your mentor, I will work together with you to develop the full potential of your work. I can offer guidance on how to shape your portfolio with thoughtful design paying close attention to typography and details to ensure that it is professional and polished. I will offer my expertise, experience and broad perspective to provide valuable insights, and I am equally thrilled to gain knowledge from you."

Maria Sinisterra RGD, Designer and Co-Founder at Tardigrada Design Studio
Maria boasts a career in the design industry spanning over a decade. During this time, she has gained extensive experience working across a variety of regions of the world, from North America to Latin America to South Asia, and has consistently created innovative design solutions. As one of the co-founders of Tardigrada Design Studio, based in Burnaby, BC, Maria's current role involves overseeing the brand and art direction of the firm's projects.

 

"As your mentor, I will help you hone your strengths to be able to provide solutions necessary to become a valuable member to any team."
David Tauro RGD, Signage and Wayfinding Designer at Twilight
Making the President's Honours List for Highest Academic Standing from Seneca@York's Graphic Design program in 2013, David is an ambitious multi-faceted graphic designer from the GTA with 10 years of experience in many roles of design. He began his career in the signage and wayfinding industry and has found a passion in the built-environment ever since. He has been a key member in teams to help with marketing stratregies, coordinate projects, spearhead corporate rebrands, and design signage and wayfinding solutions for many different environments.

 

“As your mentor, I will answer any questions you might have in regards to starting, growing or managing your business. With 18+ years of experience, I have learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, and I will gladly share my insights with you.”
Stüssy Tschudin RGD RCA, Principal + Creative Director at Forge Media + Design
Originally from Switzerland, Stüssy came to Canada, starting his creative journey through Humber College’s graphic design program, where he graduated top of his class. He’s a conceptual and visual thinker and brings innovative and strategic insight to every project he oversees at Forge, with a strong commitment to human-centred design. His dedication to design and communication excellence led to Stüssy’s election to the Board of Directors of the RGD, where he served as President from 2014 to 2018. Stüssy was recently inducted as Academician at the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, where he currently servers as Vice President.

 

“As your mentor, I can help you navigate the world of being an in-house designer in a large organization. I will share insights and resources for incorporating accessibility and inclusive design practices holistically into your process. I will work with you to develop professional goals and to grow towards the designer you want to be.”
Michael J. Young RGD, Design Lead at Government of Ontario
Michael is a Toronto-based designer with over 15 years of experience as a freelancer, at small agencies, and as an in-house designer. Since 2010 he has been with the Government of Ontario where he now works at Cabinet Office, developing and overseeing branding and marketing campaigns for the province in a small but mighty team of creatives.