Fireside Chats

AIGA in talks with today's leaders in design, business, and technology, focused around the topics of leadership growth, the future of work, and creating a culture of design.

Fireside Chat Bennie Johnson

Brian Collins

Brian Collins is Chief Creative Officer of COLLINS, an independent strategy and experience design company in San Francisco and New York City.

Robin Petravic

Robin Petravic, Co-owner and Managing Director of Heath Ceramics. Heath Ceramics is the 2022 AIGA Corporate Leadership Awardee. Founded in 1948 in Sausalito, California, is an American maker of goods for the home

Rick Griffith

AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson talks with today's leaders in design, business, and technology, focused around the topics of leadership growth, the future of work, and creating a culture of design. Join us in welcoming Rick Griffith, the 2022 AIGA Design Conference Chair, who will share his vision and the theme for this year’s upcoming conference in October taking place in Seattle, WA. 

Art Chantry

AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson talks with today's leaders in design, business, and technology, focused around the topics of leadership growth, the future of work, and creating a culture of design. Please welcome today's guest, Lynda Decker, President and Creative Director of Decker Design, Inc.

Lynda Decker

AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson talks with today's leaders in design, business, and technology, focused around the topics of leadership growth, the future of work, and creating a culture of design. Please welcome today's guest, Lynda Decker, President and Creative Director of Decker Design, Inc.

Michael Bierut

Join us for a Fireside Chat with Michael Bierut, Partner at Pentagram, graphic designer, design critic, and educator. Join Bennie and Michael for a discussion about business, design, networking, and the value in truly collaborative work. 

Katrina Alcorn

As General Manager of Design at IBM, Katrina Alcorn is responsible for leading one of the largest design practices in the world. IBM’s 3,000+ designers create software, hardware, brand, and web experiences enjoyed by millions worldwide. Alcorn’s team is also responsible for IBM’s enterprise design thinking practice which has trained close to 400,000 people inside and outside IBM and is considered the industry gold standard in driving innovation through human-centered design practices.

Mark Madrid

Join us for a Fireside Chat from the 2022 AIGA Design Leadership and Advocacy Conference. AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson speaks to Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator for the US Small Business Administration, about how customer-centric design principles are enabling the SBA to better assist design small businesses start, grow, and scale.

Theresa Fitzgerald

Theresa Fitzgerald is vice president creative at Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street. She leads the in-house Brand Creative Services team dedicated to the mission of helping kids grow stronger, smarter and kinder.

Randy Hunt

Randy J. Hunt, former Head of Design at Grab, where he leads a team of designers, writers, engineers, and researchers who create Southeast Asia’s Super App.

Alex Center

Alex Center, Owner of CENTER, a branding and design studio in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to opening his own studio, Alex worked for over a decade for The Coca-Cola Company where he led the strategy and design vision for the billion dollar beverage brands vitaminwater, smartwater and POWERADE. 

Art Taylor

Join AIGA's Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with Art Taylor, President and CEO of BBB Wise Giving Alliance. This Giving Tuesday Fireside Chat isn’t just about giving money; it’s about giving time, space, and recognition to those who are and have been systemically underrepresented in design.

Judy Wert

Join us in welcoming Judy Wert, Co-Founder, Wert&Co Executive Search. Judy has been working with the leadership of innovative companies for over 25 years. She has earned an international reputation as a pivotal force in executive search. A trusted authority in the world of design and business, Judy is also known for bringing an added dimension to her work—a humanistic approach—fostering deep relationships through empathy, intuition, and curiosity.

Robbie Tseng

AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson talks with today's leaders in design, business, and technology, focused around the topics of leadership growth, the future of work, and creating a culture of design. Join us in welcoming Robbie Tseng of HBO MAx.

Mauro Porcini

AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson talks with today's leaders in design, business, and technology, focused around the topics of leadership growth, the future of work, and creating a culture of design. Join us in welcoming Mauro Porcini of PepsiCo.

Albert Shum

Albert Shum leads a collaborative team of designers, writers, and researchers creating the future of experiences and devices at Microsoft. His team currently drives incubation for the Windows ecosystem, focused on the responsibility of design to create intelligent and inclusive experiences.

Doug Powell

Doug Powell is an award-winning designer with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. As Vice President of Design at IBM, he is responsible for design leadership, design practices, and the community of designers company-wide.

Yocasta Lachapelle

AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson in conversation with Yocasta Lachapelle, Director of Talent at COLLINS (Ad Age's Design Agency of the Year) about employee engagement, leadership growth, and the value of building a culture.

Attica Jaques

Attica Jaques, Head of Global Brand Marketing, Google on finding your passion, passion, and inspiration throughout your career trajectory.

Scott Belsky

Scott Belsky, Chief Product Officer and EVP, Adobe talks about the business of design, future of creatives going forward, and leadership and service.

Tim Riley

Tim Riley, Sr. Director of Experience Design, Warby Parker discusses leadership in design, how design is integral to the brand, and idea of a design-led operative model.

Ben Williams

R/GA Global Chief Experience Officer Ben Williams talks about leadership in design, how we build brand identity, and find design talent.

Kayo Roehm

3M Design Officer Kayo Roehm shares thoughts on how data and design work together, the future of business and work, and the vision for how to lead teams.

Dantley Davis

Twitter Chief Design Officer Dantley Davis discusses what it means to lead a team of designers, how we work together in a year of change, and why change is important.

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Building Partnerships With A Vibrant Community

The National Partnership Program is about leadership, relevance, and impact—with, within, and through design—to build and sustain programs, initiatives, and resources that champion a more contemporary and inclusive profession.