Speakers

Known for his bold, politically charged illustration, Edel Rodriguez uses a variety of materials in his work. He has created covers for TIME, The New Yorker, Communication Arts and Der Spiegel, and has collaborated with The New York Times and the US Postal Service. Other clients include Billboard Magazine, Conde Naste Traveler, Esquire, Fortune, Hyperion Books, Los Angeles Times, McGraw-Hill, MTV, New York Magazine, Nike, Pepsi, Rolling Stone, The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, University of Chicago Press and Vibe. He is the recipient of three Gold and four Silver Medals for illustration from the Society of Illustrators.  He has illustrated fourteen children’s books, four of which he has written, including The Mango Tree, Two Worlds/Dos Mundos, Song for Jimi, a biopic about Jimi Hendrix, and Float Like a Butterfly, a story about Cassius Clay.  His 2023 memoir, Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey tells his story of migration and identity. Sponsored by Porter

Maya Moumne is a designer, publisher and co-founder of the design and art direction agency Studio Safar, working between Beirut and Montreal. Studio Safar is a dynamic and exploratory design and art direction studio whose name evokes just that: Safar being Arabic for travel. She is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Journal Safar and Al Hayya Magazine, two independent publications that position design as a critical cultural practice. Working across editorial design, publishing and visual identity, her practice investigates the relationship between graphic design, archives and the politics of representation. Her work spans a variety of media and design frameworks including publications, exhibitions, album artwork, editorial photoshoots and communication strategies. Her work has been displayed in various cities in Europe and the Middle East and featured in publications that include It’s Nice That, Monocle, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar Japan.

Part connector, part cheerleader, part community builder, Nicola Hamilton RGD (she/her)’s career revolves around championing creative industries and people. As President of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) from 2020 to 2026, and now in the role of Past-President, she’s worked hard to advocate for the value of design. As host of DesignThinkers throughout her Presidency, she’s shared the stage with design legends who include Paula Scher, Michael Beirut and Meg Lewis, guiding them through both silly and serious Q&A sessions. As a designer, Nicola’s magazine work has been recognized by the D&AD, the Society of Publication Designers and the National Magazine Awards, among others. She’s also the founder of Issues Magazine Shop, a bricks-and-mortar magazine retailer dedicated to celebrating the people and projects keeping print alive.