Beat Baudenbacher was born in Switzerland, where he grew up exposed to the dynamic artistic world through his mother and the rational lens through his surgeon dad. Always fascinated by words, he fell in love with typography, and dabbled in graphic design in high school. He did an exchange year in California with no intention of pursuing design, but after his dad mentioned that a friend’s daughter was attending Art Center, a lightbulb went off and he scrambled to create a portfolio. A serendipitous trip to a bookstore led him to a job at Attik, where he met future co-founder of entertainment branding studio, loyalkaspar, David Herbruck. Since founding loyalkaspar, Beat has pushed the thinking around branding and marketing, and written an upcoming book, Somewhere Yes, that dives into how we move through this world that is shaped by branding.

Co-Founder of Deem Journal, designer Nu Goteh was born in Liberia and came to the US with his family as a refugee at the age of 3. His first career ambition, as a model son of African parents, was to become a doctor / lawyer. But as a sneakerhead, skater, and early-adopter of the internet, he kept making opportunities for himself in marketing, promoting, and graphic design. He even landed a job at Puma while he was only a Sophomore in college. After successful roles at Red Bull and Sonos, he was comfortable in his talent for adding value and creating desirability for brands, but uncomfortable with being fast-tracked to the top of “cool black guy stuff,” a pigeon-hole that felt too small for his aspirations and skills. So he went back to school for a Master’s in Strategic Design and Management. Now, as a founding principal of Room For Magic, Nu is using his unique talents to address complex creative challenges and facilitate equitable exchange between brands and communities. As if that weren’t enough, Nu along with Marquise Stillwell and Alice Grandoit (his partner at Room for Magic), have founded Deem Journal, a deeply thought-provoking publication centered on design as a social practice. Now, with issue 3 Envisioning Equity, recently released, Deem is leading the way in presenting meaningful narratives around the process of design, and helping us all grow, heal, and imagine new possibilities in the process.

Chief Curator of the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, Llisa Demetrios grew up in a family of brilliant sculptors, authors, and designers. Her mother’s parents were none other than Charles and Ray Eames, the legendary mid-century design duo. In addition to pioneering design work, apparently they were excellent grandparents as well, imparting on Llisa a way of engaging with the world through curiosity and a lens for new possibilities. This approach to creative problem-solving has guided Llisa through a career as an archivist and bronze sculptor. Now, as the Chief Curator of the recently-launched Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, Llisa is bringing the lessons of Charles and Ray to life for the next generation of curious problem solvers.

Ceramicist, author, entrepreneur, photographer and public speaker Rob Forbes is likely best known for founding Design Within Reach, but his accolades expand beyond this accomplishment. He grew up a son of Southern California academics and attended boarding schools in Northern California. His first professional life was as a ceramicist. After a year riddled with tragedy, he took a year off in pursuit of researching how to make design accessible - which lead to the founding of Design Within Reach. A wild (and unexpected) success, the next few years were a blur that instilled in Rob a confidence to continue to push the envelope and invest in change - including a variety of start ups, a micro-farm, and using the tools of design to create long-lasting impact.

Designer, entrepreneur and author, Christiane Lemieux was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada but refers to the world as her “second home” given how frequently she traveled with her family throughout her childhood. While she studied art history and fashion design academically, her business training came through first-person experience. She founded her first brand, DwellStudio, in 1999 and sold it to Wayfair in 2013. She has built several other successful brands, including Lemieux et Cie, The Inside, and Cloth & Company. As a design historian and business expert she also contributes to design publications and has published books in both the design and business spaces including Undecorate and Frictionless. She brings all of her creativity, business acumen, and worldly travels together in the service of creating beautiful, customizable interiors that feel like home.

Designer, futurist, activist and artist Dror Benshetrit grew up in Tel Aviv, drawing, and building puppetry or sculptures. But it was Dror’s experience serving in the Israeli army that showed him all the different ways his creative thinking could be applied - compelling him to pursue design and attend the Design Academy in Eindhoven. Afterwards, he moved to New York - where his career exploded - from designing the Peacock Chair showcased in a Rihanna video to designing luxury houses for the Crown Sheik. Since then, he stepped back and began rethinking how we understand the future of the built environment, embarking on tying together research, design, architecture and urban planning through Supernature Labs. Dror’s life has been filled with brilliant visions and breathtaking designs, always grounded in sustainability and with an eye toward a better future.

Brooklyn-based podcaster Avery Trufelman has radio in her DNA. Her parents met while working at WNYC, so from birth she was nurtured with love and appreciation for radio. As a teenager, Avery took to expressing herself through wild, quirky thrifted fashion ensembles, much to the confusion of her peers. After cutting her audio teeth in college radio, Avery submitted a midnight application to intern at 99% Invisible and moved across the country to work in a closet with Roman Mars in beautiful downtown Oakland. When 99pi and the field of podcasting blew up, Avery was on the rocket ship. She’s since created an acclaimed 2-season series, Articles of Interest, around iconic items of clothing – which makes her teenage sartorial obsessions all add up – and worked on Nice Try! and The Cut. She’s a dynamic and thoughtful voice in the podcasting landscape, as always, making distinctive and bold style choices.

Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of ManvsMachine, Mike Alderson, grew up on the outskirts of Liverpool, England, getting into mischief, playing sports, and spending the many rainy days inside drawing ferociously. More practical than academic, Mike started off in a mechanical engineering apprenticeship before learning it was absolutely not for him. Then, after a short stint as a pro BMX racer, his best friend’s brother turned him on to design and he was hooked. He made his way to London, decided it was time to be an adult, and threw himself whole-heartedly into his studies, graduating from Ravensbourne with a degree in Moving Image Design. In 2007, after a series of events that included a night at the pub with his recent ex-boss, Tim Swift, Mike and Tim founded ManvsMachine. Since then, he’s moved to LA, led projects for a world-class client list, and managed burnout, all while remaining a big thinker, a master tinkerer, and continuously punching above his weight.

Industrial designer and founding partner of BarberOsgerby, Jay Osgerby, grew up in a small town in England, with his close-knit multi-generational family and the backdrop of his grandparents’ experiences through WWII. His childhood was filled with making things - inspired by his Swiss ancestors’ stories of watch and camera making. His parents were incredibly resourceful, whether it was opening a shop together or repurposing curtains when the local cinema closed. This pioneering spirit is something that Jay has carried with him throughout his career - from his studies at RCA where he met long-time business partner and friend, Ed Barber, to designing the 2012 Olympic Torch, to revolutionizing how people work remotely with Soft Work seating. Now, 25+ years into design, Jay reveals the triumphs and tragedies that lined his path and forged his character with candor, humor, and an unflagging optimism that burns bright and steady like the inextinguishable flame of the Olympic Torch.

Illustrator Yuko Shimizu was born in Tokyo, Japan and began drawing from an early age. As a preteen, her family moved from Japan to the US, a huge culture shock that included learning an entirely new language and navigating social norms in 7th grade. This experience gave her an even deeper love for drawing - something that transcends any language barrier. After college, Yuko spent 11 years at a prestigious corporate PR firm in Japan before she decided to pursue her lifelong dream. At 34, she enrolled in art school in New York City. Since then, she’s received numerous accolades for her beautiful illustrations. A staunch supporter of going after what you want, Yuko certainly doesn’t regret any choices she’s made to draw a new path forward for herself.