Speakers

Orbit Emcee

Paul Mendoza

Experience Designer
Appaulled Events & Experiences

Paul Mendoza is an experience designer, producer, educator, and strategist dedicated to connecting and elevating creative communities. An AIGA veteran, he has produced and designed events for the UN Global Compact, Amazon, UCLA, and AIGA National, including Amazon’s CONFLUX design conference, TEDxUCLA, and UCLA’s True Bruin Welcome. He currently teaches brand experience design at Cal Poly Pomona and hosts Phoenix Design Week 2026.

Orbit Emcee

Keynote Speakers

Chuong Bui

Co-founder & Partner
Counsel for Creators

Chuong Bui is Co-Founder and Partner at Counsel for Creators LLP, a law firm dedicated to creative entrepreneurs. He advises designers, filmmakers, artists, and creative businesses on contracts, intellectual property, and business strategy, helping them protect their work while building sustainable creative businesses.

KEYNOTE: Copyright in the Age of AI
LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN: The 4 Pillars of Every Creative Business

Tad Carpenter

Creative Director
Carpenter Collective

Tad Carpenter is a designer, illustrator, and author based in Kansas City, Missouri. Carpenter co-runs the design and branding studio Carpenter Collective with his wife, Jessica Carpenter. The studio focuses on bringing powerful messages to life through branding, packaging, illustration, and design. They have worked with clients including Target, Meta, Coca-Cola, Macy’s, Old Navy, Conan O’Brien, Adobe, and Starbucks, among many others. Carpenter has worked with numerous bands on posters and tour campaigns for over 15 years, including John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Paul McCartney, and Dave Matthews Band, to name a few. Carpenter has written and illustrated more than twenty-five children’s books in our marketplace today, intended for adults and children of all ages.

Keynote: Sunshine and Storms: Weathering a Creative Life

Don Clark

Principal/Owner
Invisible Creature

Don Clark is the co-founder and lead artist at Invisible Creature, a creative studio near Phoenix that he and his brother Ryan founded in 2006. You can see Don’s work on USPS stamps, on NASA posters, in Target aisles, in books for Pixar, on the walls at Warby Parker, and in the pages of The New York Times.

KEYNOTE: 26 Trips Around the Sun: Studio Stories from Mission Control

Megan Greco

Senior Design Lead
Greenlight

Megan Greco is a Senior Design Lead at Greenlight, where she creates digital experiences that help families raise financially confident kids. Previously at Blink, she designed products for organizations across a variety of industries, building a strong foundation in human-centered design. With a background spanning UX, visual design, branding, and architecture, Megan enjoys turning complex concepts into experiences that feel intuitive, visually engaging, and surprisingly simple.

KEYNOTE: Reimagining NASA.gov to Tell Earth’s Most Important Stories

Cami Kwan

Co-Owner & Director
Apartment D Films

Cami Kwan is a Chinese-American director specializing in stop-motion animation. She creates stories that explore emotions, relationships, identity, and culture. She believes art has a responsibility to help audiences imagine and create a better world. Cami is a co-owner of the animation studio Apartment D, where she directs for clients such as Sanrio and Mattel. Her short film Paper Daughter was an official selection of the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and is qualified for the 2027 Academy Awards.

SESSION: Many Hands: The Art, Craft and Science Behind Stop
Motion Animation

Ben Shown

Head of Design
Blink UX

Ben Shown is a design leader obsessed with ambitious futures that teams can actually move toward. As Head of Design at Blink UX, he brings this to life for industry giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, NASA, and The New York Times. Beyond agency work, he corrupts young design minds as a part-time lecturer at Northeastern University, spreading his enthusiasm for making tech less frustrating and more equitable.

KEYNOTE: Reimagining NASA.gov to Tell Earth’s Most Important Stories

Andrea Vega

Creative Director
Desert Financial

Andrea Vega is an award-winning creative director and strategist with more than a decade of experience leading in-house creative teams and building brands that drive impact. As Creative Director at Desert Financial Credit Union—Arizona’s largest and best-known credit union—she leads a team of designers, writers, photographers, and videographers who bring the organization’s brand to life.

KEYNOTE: Inside the Brand: The Art of Leading In-House Creative

Spotlight Speaker

Justin Ahrens

Founder & Chief Creative Officer
Rule29

Justin Ahrens is the founder, President, and Chief Creative Officer of Rule29 and the Chief Creative Officer of O’Neil Printing. With more than 30 years in design, branding, business, and creative leadership, he is a longtime AIGA member and former national board member. He is also an author and speaker, most recently of Being HumanKind.

SPOTLIGHT: Being Humankind

Cory Skaaren

Creative Director
Skaaren Design

Cory Skaaren is a creative director and entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in design, publishing, branding, and creative direction. He is the founder and creative director of Skaaren Design, the owner of Resketch, a reclaimed-paper brand, and the President of AIGA Arizona.

SPOTLIGHT: Behind the Orbit Brand

Breakout Speakers

Barney Abramson

Creative Director, Agency Leader & Co-Founder
Thriving Creatively

Barney Abramson is a creative leader, mentor, and co-founder of Thriving Creatively, an initiative that explores how creative professionals build sustainable careers. With more than two decades of experience in creative leadership and mentorship, Barney brings a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing creative professionals. His work examines the intersection of creativity, leadership, and workplace culture.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Who’s in Your Orbit? Mapping the Support System Behind Sustainable Creativity

Alisha Abramson

Family Therapist & Co-Founder
Thriving Creatively

Alisha Abramson is a licensed marriage and family therapist and co-founder of Thriving Creatively, an initiative exploring how creative people build sustainable careers. She brings expertise in mental health and well-being to conversations about creativity and work, helping examine how psychology, workplace systems, and creative practice intersect to support healthier, more sustainable careers.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Who’s in Your Orbit? Mapping the Support System Behind Sustainable Creativity

Matt Adams

Head of Intergelatic Operations
Factor1

Matt Adams began his career pushing pixels and writing code, so he understands why many creatives are wary of AI. As founder of factor1, a web services agency, he’s spent the past few years applying AI to real client projects, from product strategy and wireframes to production code. His take: AI won’t replace good designers, but designers who know how to direct it will have a real edge.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Crushing AI Prompts for Design & Dev

Julie Bonner

Creative Entrepreneur
Julie Originals

Julie Bonner, MBA, built a creative career spanning art, design, and business. Today, she serves as a Fractional Creative Director, created the award-winning Desert Dwellers line of art gifts, and teaches entrepreneurship at the University of Arizona and design at Pima Community College. She is also an Adobe Community Expert.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Your Creative Ecosystem

Shireen Dooling

Visual Science Communicator
Carbon Night

Shireen Dooling is a visual science communicator, a Brooke Owens Fellow, and a STEAM advocate with experience translating complex concepts and research into clear, compelling visuals. Her expertise spans scientific fields including engineering, space, biosciences, and climate research across commercial, academic, nonprofit, and government sectors. Notably, she designed NASA’s 35th-anniversary identity mark for the Hubble Space Telescope.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Science Communication: From Space to the Ocean

Michelle Fehler

Clinical Professor
The Design School ASU

Michelle Fehler is an educator in regenerative design, bridging biomimicry, systems thinking, and life-centered design innovation. At ASU, she serves as a Clinical Professor in the Design School and Senior Global Futures Scholar, fostering deeper human-nature connections through interdisciplinary collaboration. She has presented at Target HQ, AIGA San Diego, and the Swiss Design Network, and her work has been published in Cooper Hewitt’s Design Journal, The Design Journal, and Biomimetics (MDPI).

BREAKOUT SESSION: Orbit: Give and Receive with Nature

Jessica Gerlach

Senior Designer
University of Arizona CALES

Jessica Gerlach is a Senior Designer at the University of Arizona CALES and a Tucson-based illustrator. With an MFA in Visual Communications, she blends design, storytelling, and desert inspiration to translate complex science into engaging visuals. A former university instructor, Jessica spends her free time biking, birding, and hanging out with her cats (yes, she’s a proud crazy cat lady).

BREAKOUT SESSION: Stop Being a Human Compiler: Managing AI “Interns” in Your Orbit

Danny Gregory

Founder, Artist & Creativity Coach
Sketchbook Skool

Danny Gregory is an internationally bestselling author of 15 books on art and creativity and the founder of Sketchbook Skool, which has inspired more than 50,000 students worldwide to discover their artistic abilities. His YouTube channel has more than 500,000 subscribers, and his weekly essays reach 40,000+ readers. He also spent 30 years as a leading New York advertising creative director.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Orbit: Give and Receive with Nature

Wade Holland

Creative Director
Wrenegade Media

Wade Holland is an award-winning creative director, creator, and “Stoke King” known for his unmatched enthusiasm and creativity. He’s built online communities since 2009 and has spent nearly two decades pioneering creator-led storytelling for brands including GoPro, Columbia Sports, and Adidas. Wade runs Wrenegade Media with his wife, helping brands harness the power of play, creativity, and human connection.

BREAKOUT SESSION: The Power of Play: How to Ignite Creativity, Grit, and Play in Any Team or Organization

Mandy Hoskinson

Owner
Zolay Social Media Agency

Mandy Hoskinson owns Zolay, an award-winning marketing agency that partners with clients including The Atlantic, Cirque du Soleil, Kahoot!, and Arthur Murray. Mandy also serves as Vice President of the international association of social media professionals, Social Media Club.

BREAKOUT SESSION: From Portfolio to Post

Dahlia Ishak

Director & Designer
Public House Studio

Dahlia Ishak has 15 years of agency experience and has owned and operated multiple hospitality businesses. In 2020, she founded Public House, an award-winning branding and packaging studio that supports clients across the Food & Beverage, Packaging, Hospitality, and Start-up sectors. The studio was named one of the top five agencies to watch for 2026 by The Dieline.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Starting Over Again & Again: Use Your Skills to Forge Your Own Path

Patrick Jervis

Brand Manager
East Valley Institute of Technology

Patrick Jervis is a self-taught designer, digital marketing strategist, and creative storyteller with nearly two decades of experience transforming ideas into brands, campaigns, and experiences people remember. As Digital Marketing & Brand Manager at EVIT, Patrick blends strategy and creativity to communicate clearly, connect with students, families, and stakeholders, and advance ideas.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Stop Designing Posts. Start Designing the Campaign

Lindsay Masten

Creative Director, Designer & Educator
Web & Wolf

Lindsay Masten is a designer, creative director, and educator whose practice spans brand strategy, visual identity, and packaging design. Her branding and packaging work encompasses identity systems, packaging architecture, custom bottle molds, and production oversight. With a background in architecture, graphic design, and art direction, she combines structural understanding with visual sensitivity and a practical command of design production. Alongside her professional practice, Lindsay serves as Professor of Graphic Design & New Art and Chair of the Visual Arts Department at Yavapai College.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Dieline Not Included: Build One from Scratch

Michael Mondragon

Brand Designer & Adobe Community Expert
Mondragon Design

Michael Mondragon has over 30 years of experience in graphic design, branding, UI/UX, and digital media, with a distinctive focus on creative design, typography, and emerging technologies. His expertise spans multiple disciplines, including visual identity systems, user interface design, instructional design, and AI-enhanced creative workflows.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Album Art in Orbit: Create a Cover with Photoshop and Illustrator

Rachel Perez

Creative Director
Composition

Rachel Perez is the founder of Composion, a one-person branding studio in Tempe. She designs logos, brands, and websites for health and wellness professionals, from veterinary and medical practices to therapists, medtech innovators, and more, closing the gap between their expertise and their appearance. Every detail is intentionally crafted so the right clients are drawn to them.

BREAKOUT SESSION: How to Get Clients: Be the Moon of Your Galaxy

Carrie Seid

Artist & Creative Coach
Carrie Seid Studio

Carrie Seid is a nationally recognized artist whose work is held in the permanent collections of the Tucson Museum of Art and the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Carrie is also the founder of Creative Catalyst Coaching, her signature program that promotes creative alignment and productivity. Carrie holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, where she was a Merit Scholar. Carrie works primarily from her studio and home in Tucson, Arizona.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Your Genius Deserves Your Full Attention!

Eric Torres

Illustrator, Designer & Author
Eric Imagines

Arizona native Eric Torres is an illustrator, designer, and author. His studio, Eric Imagines, creates colorful, story-driven work. His projects include tabletop games, coloring books, and creative tools that bring people together through shared experiences. Eric is also committed to supporting both new and experienced creatives as they bring their ideas to life.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Orbit: Give and Receive with Nature

Michelle Torres

Brand & Web Designer
Twin Realms

Michelle Torres is a digital designer with 5+ years of experience, specializing in user experience, branding, and visual design. She is the owner of Twin Realms, a Phoenix-based creative studio focused on branding and web design. Her design philosophy is to make the internet a magical and whimsical place, one website at a time.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Designing for the Web in Framer

Patience Walton

Creative Director
The Premier Design Haus

Patience Walton is a creative director, educator, and speaker with more than 20 years of experience. She is the founder of Cultured Experiences, a nonprofit that equips the next generation of creatives, and has led Premier Design Haus since 2009, where she has created branding and campaigns for Fortune 500 companies and celebrity clients. An Adobe Community Expert, she teaches at Huntington University Arizona.

BREAKOUT SESSION: Monthly Social Media Graphics with Firefly Boards

Lunch & Learn

Chuong Bui

Co-founder & Partner
Counsel for Creators

Johnny Guerra

Design Innovations Manager
Veritiv

Johnny Guerra is a Design Manager for International Accounts at Veritiv, with more than 20 years of experience across packaging design, innovation, manufacturing, and business strategy. His work focuses on helping teams integrate human creativity, knowledge systems, and AI to accelerate innovation and decision-making. He builds practical workflows that amplify creative impact.

LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN: Beyond the Prompt: Building an AI Orbit for Creative Work

Amanda Miller

Founder & Career Coach
Your Career Advocate

Amanda Miller has 30 years of experience in career services and stays current through active involvement in leading professional associations, including the National Resume Writers Association, the Resume Writers and Coaches Association, and Career Directors International. She currently serves as president of the Resume Writers and Coaches Association and gives about one presentation per week. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys fitness, hiking, baking, reading, traveling, and Wonder Woman.

Lunch ‘N’ Learn: Beyond the Résumé: Tell Accomplishment Stories to Get Results

Evelyn Vega

President
Staffing Strong

Evelyn Vega and Amanda Miller bring more than 50 years of combined experience across recruiting, marketing, creative talent, and career services. Evelyn is co-founder of Staffing Strong and a longtime leader in Arizona’s creative community, while Amanda is president of the Resume Writers and Coaches Association and a career-services expert who shares her expertise with job seekers and professionals nationwide.

Lunch ‘N’ Learn: Beyond the Résumé: Tell Accomplishment Stories to Get Results

While we make every effort to confirm speakers and schedules in advance, all programming is subject to change without notice. Speaker presentations and viewpoints are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of AIGA Arizona. Presentation content may include adult language, visuals, or topics.

Some speakers may choose to share their presentations with attendees after the conference, while others may restrict sharing of proprietary content. No livestream, recording, or virtual attendance options will be available.

Get Your Boarding Pass Now!

Get your boarding pass now—you won’t want to miss the mission. Join Arizona’s creative community for two days of ideas, connection, and collective momentum. Secure your seat and get ready to enter orbit.