Locations: Vancouver
Roman King
Creative Director at Major League Soccer (MLS)
At MLS, Roman leads all league creative and shapes campaigns, consumer-facing marketing, narrative storytelling and visual direction to grow the game in North America.
His work centres on igniting cultural relevance, brand affinity and fan connection by bringing the sport to life for a new era of fans.
Previously, Roman served as the WNBA’s first Creative Director where he orchestrated its creative evolution and helped usher in a new era for the league — spearheading creative across advertising, design, brand marketing, storytelling, television and immersive experiences. His work included launching the league’s rebrand, the WNBA’s first short film We Are The W and the acclaimed “More Than Game” campaign in 2023. His work has been recognized by Ad Age, Adweek, The Business of Fashion, Communication Arts, the Clios, Ebony, Muse, MTV News, the Webby Awards, among others.
Prior to joining the WNBA, Roman held creative leadership roles at Rolling Stone, Philadelphia magazine and Condé Nast. He hails from the country roads of West Virginia, where he received a BFA (West Virginia University).
Peter Smart
Chief Experience Officer at Fantasy
Peter is the CXO and managing partner of Fantasy: the creative partner behind some of the world’s biggest digital products.
A pioneer in human-centred design for over two decades, he’s led and launched next-generation intelligent experiences for the likes of Disney, Nike, Spotify, Netflix, Meta and Google—shipping platforms used by billions daily.
Today, Peter and his team lead digital strategy and execution for Fortune 100 clients spanning retail, travel, automotive, technology, banking, healthcare, consumer and beyond. Partnering directly with the executives responsible for these transformations, he’s gained a unique insight into how AI agents are quickly becoming trusted intermediaries for consumers—and what it now takes for companies to maintain these relationships.
He’s shared these insights on the world’s most prominent stages, helping organizations understand and prepare for a future most haven’t realized is already here.
Laura Stein RGD
Partner, Chief Creative Officer at Bruce Mau Design
As Chief Creative Officer at Bruce Mau Design, Laura leads ambitious brand transformations for global companies, cultural institutions and mission-driven organizations.
Equal parts strategist and storyteller, she helps brands uncover what makes them meaningful—and then brings that to life through bold, intelligent design systems that flex across every touchpoint. Her work with clients like Sonos, INFINITI, Harvard University and The National Ballet of Canada has turned complex challenges into clear, cohesive and emotionally resonant brand identities. She believes the way we do things is critical and partners with organizations to find the best tools and methods that lead to connection and change. A long-time advocate for thoughtful, human-centred branding, Laura is also a mentor and speaker who enjoys sharing what she’s learned (and unlearned) along the way.
Nu Goteh
Founder of Room for Magic
Nu is a designer, strategist and educator who envisions conditions for communities to thrive.
A recipient of the 2025 National Design Award (Emerging Designer), Nu is the Co-Founder, Managing Partner and Creative Director of Deem Journal and the Founder and Principal of ROOM FOR MAGIC. Nu is at the forefront of an emerging generation of designers who integrate design, culture, art, community and social practice. He has partnered with clients that include nonprofits such as the Art for Justice Fund, the Ford Foundation and the World Peace Foundation; cultural institutions such as the National Memorial for the Underground Railroad; and global brands like Nike and Google. His work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Wallpaper, Design Miami, Monocle, and The Architect’s Newspaper. Influenced by his Liberian heritage and passion for counter-culture, he presents keynotes globally on design as an invitation for communities to reclaim their futures.
Kenjiro Kirton
Co-Founder & Creative Director of HATO
Kenjiro leads the creative vision at HATO—a publishing house, design studio and concept store with locations in London and Hong Kong.
HATO develops design through a playful approach grounded in research, concept and participation. Working within culture—and collaborating with artists, organisations, and brands who share these values—has driven the studio’s practice for over a decade. HATO’s goal is to connect a genuine community, leaving a legacy that adds value and provides a strong foundation for growth.
Kenjiro’s experience has evolved to focus on digital products and branding, with a specialism in co-creation and creative strategy. He has applied this approach across a range of client projects, including On, the Barbican, the V&A, District Vision, BAO, and New Contemporaries.
Jennifer Griffiths
Senior Book Designer at Penguin Random House Canada
Jennifer studied communication design at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, where her final project reimagined Samuel Johnson’s 1755 dictionary as a contemporary coffee table book.
After graduating, Jennifer worked at design studios focusing primarily on branding projects. In 2013, she began working on interior typesetting, which naturally evolved into full cover and interior book design. After several years freelancing, she joined Penguin Random House Canada in 2016, where she currently works as a senior book designer.
Having been in the industry for over a decade, Jennifer has designed covers and interiors across almost every genre imaginable. She has worked on covers for many prominent Canadian authors, including Michael Ondaatje, Anne Michaels, Michael Redhill and Madeleine Thien.
Erik Mohr
Owner & Creative Director of Made by Emblem
Erik is a creative director and brand strategist with over 25 years of experience exploring how ideas take shape—helping organizations connect people, ideas and purpose through design and storytelling.
From crafting compelling copy to shaping comprehensive advertising campaigns, he’s guided teams to create meaningful, results-driven work for major Canadian brands that include Air Canada, Bell Canada, Pearson Airport, The Beer Store, Sobeys, Canadian Tire Group and the Government of Canada. With a background in fine arts and painting, Erik brings a unique perspective to ideation, brainstorming and creative concept development.
Emmi Salonen
Designer, Creative Director, Educator & Founder of Studio Emmi
Emmi’s work centres on “positive creativity”—the idea that design connects people, fosters well-being and supports sustainable choices.
Her clients span purpose-led organizations like European Forest Institute, arts institutions like Tate Britain and cultural bodies like the British Council.
A leading advocate for creative well-being, she developed her Creative Ecosystem model to help fellow creatives reconnect with purpose and reduce stress and burnout. Her thinking is also reflected in her upcoming book, The Creative Wellbeing Handbook, which shares personal stories, research-backed ideas and everyday tools to help creatives feel more energized, focused and connected to their work.
Emmi’s insights are grounded in experience and training, including Yale’s The Science of Well-Being course. She is a Happiness Facilitator and RSA Fellow, teaches a Domestika course on sustainable branding and has contributed to the AI for Human Flourishing think tank at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science.
Ariane Spanier
Founder of Ariane Spanier Design
Ariane studied visual communication at the Art Academy Berlin-Weißensee and, after a stay in New York, founded her own studio in Berlin.
She works primarily with cultural clients, with a strong focus on typography. Her clients include Kunsthalle Zu Kiel, Museum for Communication Berlin, Phaidon, Washington Post and Wired. Ariane is also the creative director and co-editor of Fukt, a magazine for contemporary drawing. Her work has received numerous awards, including from TDC New York and Tokyo, D&AD, Graphis and ADC New York and Germany, and has been widely published in international design publications. She is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI).
Dee Miller
Director, Product Strategy & Insights, Product Equity at Adobe
Dr. Dee Miller is a relationship-driven, results-oriented leader with over a decade of experience in strategy, research and innovation.
At Adobe, she champions inclusive innovation that bridges technology and humanity. She has extensive experience turning research and insights into products, features and services that advance accessibility, usability and culturally relevant design, empowering underinvested communities. She is recognized for blending social impact with business value and for leveraging AI and emerging technologies to create human-centred, equitable experiences, ensuring innovation benefits everyone, not just the few.