Jade Broomfield is a designer, illustrator, and hand letterer residing in Oakland, CA. She has a BFA in Graphic Design from West Virginia University and a MFA in Design for Social Innovation from School of Visual Arts. She loves pizza, pop culture, and plants. She’s a passionate storyteller who firmly believes design is a tool for justice and fun. She is currently a Visual Designer at Allbirds. allbirds.com / jadejbroomfield.com
Kitkat is a Filipino-American product designer and illustrator in NYC. She is known for her colorful, detailed illustrations depicting slices of life. She is a Senior Designer at Disney+ and previously worked at Big Human in Manhattan and Plus63 in Manila. She loves exploring new restaurants in Queens, people-watching at Central Park, and finding inspiration in the city’s museums. kitkatpecson.com
Basma was born to Egyptian immigrants and raised in Rochester, NY alongside her five siblings. Coming of age in a post 9/11 world, her consciousness and worldview was intimately shaped by rising tides of islamophobia and the war on terror. She has organized alongside New York’s diverse street vendor community, where she supported the struggle for the decriminalization of immigrant workers and workers of color. Basma also serves on the Board of Directors of The LEAP Program, a grassroots-based, volunteer-run organization that works in solidarity with Palestinian refugee youth living in exile in Lebanon. She currently organizes at Freedom To Thrive where she has led intersectional divestment campaigns, focusing on the abolition of the prison industrial complex. When she’s not drinking copious amounts of coffee, she can be found training for the revolution alongside the futbolistas. She is based in Astoria, Queens. Reach her at basma@freedomtothrive.org
Dr. Tok Michelle Oyewole is NYC-EJA’s Policy & Communications Organizer and leads their solid waste equity campaigns including legislative, budgetary, and grassroots work with the Save Our Compost and Transform Don’t Trash coalitions. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Geography, studying how school garden programs throughout Brooklyn can be liberatory for students marginalized by gender and race, while highlighting inequitable distributions of environmental and social burdens. Her Master’s degree focused on how farmers’ organic amendment (e.g. compost) management practices affect field-scale GHG emissions, as well as recommendations for California to improve carbon sequestration legislation. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Minor in Geography/Environmental Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She has worked with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, assessing school-based health intervention programs in NYC neighborhoods with disproportionate health burdens. She has also worked in Lagos, Nigeria at Community Conservation and Development Initiatives, as a farmer and educator in Ecuador, and with the Planning and Conservation League in Sacramento, California. During graduate school, she was a student leader with the statewide University of California Student Association (UCSA), as the Graduate and Professional Student Chair, and as a Legislative Director.
renald Louissaint is a Brooklyn based designer and illustrator who balances the different approaches required for both practices to inform all of his work. His illustration focuses on introspection and self, and is expressed through a light, minimalist touch. In contrast, his design work is lush and detailed, carefully researched and composed with typography. He recently graduated from the University of Connecticut where he received his BFA in graphic design and currently holds a role as a brand designer at Medium.
Dr. Carole Gothelf is Associate Vice President for Individualized Supports at AHRC-New York City, an organization that is committed to finding ways for people with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) to build full lives. She earned her Doctorate at Columbia University Teachers College in Special Education and her Bachelors in Art Education from New York University. For over thirty years, Dr. Gothelf has provided individualized, person centered services for people with I/DD. This consists of the promotion of the self-advocacy agenda of full integration into the community, opportunities for individualized housing, full participation in higher education, and transitioning from school to adult life and meaningful employment. She was drawn to CUP because it married her two passions of design and social justice into an interest in the visual display of information. In 2016, AHRC was chosen by CUP’s Making Policy Public program to develop “What does it mean to live in my own place?” a poster for people with I/DD illustrating their rights to make their own choices about where to live and how to live their lives.
Ting Ting Fu was born in the Fujian Province of China and moved to Sunset Park, Brooklyn at age 7. Since the age of 12, Ting Ting has been an organizer with UPROSE. She started as a Summer intern and transitioned to being a Youth Organizer and to Climate Justice Organizer. Today, she is a Lead Organizer and the Operations Coordinator at UPROSE. Throughout the years, Ting has supported dozens of campaigns at UPROSE. Ting Ting now has over 5 years of experience engaging the Sunset Park community in climate adaptation and resilience education. She has facilitated youth teach-ins, and community events educating the community on Environmental and Climate Justice issues and supporting community-led solutions. She is the organizer of POWWA (Protect of Working Waterfront) and UPROSE’s Anti Displacement Work.
Boyeon Choi is an illustrator/graphic designer based in New York. Illustration and design are like her left and right brain.They fulfill her in different ways but are equally rewarding.The two sides often feed and inspire each other and collaborate. Currently, she’s leading a design team at an experiential design agency with a focus on creating virtual event experiences. In her spare time, she loves to create zines and stationery goods for a project group ‘Instant Rabbit’. She also likes to travel and read, which she considers another form of travel. She served the CUP Design Fellowship in 2016.
Zoë is the Special Projects Manager at the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund (BCBF), an organization dedicated to challenging the criminalization of race, poverty and immigration status. In her capacity at BCBF, she manages the organization’s advocacy projects, strategic communications and visual content. Her most recent work includes developing an updated know-your-rights booklet with CUP to help New Yorkers navigate the bail payment system in New York State to avoid further harm. Zoë’s work is driven by a vision of a society where the carceral system is no longer used as a response to structural racial and socioeconomic inequity. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Tulane University and is currently earning her MPA in Nonprofit Management and Public Policy, with a focus on quantitative methods and evaluation, at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Jade Broomfield is a designer, illustrator, and hand letterer residing in Oakland, CA. She has a BFA in Graphic Design from West Virginia University and a MFA in Design for Social Innovation from School of Visual Arts. She loves pizza, pop culture, and plants. She’s a passionate storyteller who firmly believes design is a tool for justice and fun. She is currently a Visual Designer at Allbirds. allbirds.com / jadejbroomfield.com
Boyeon Choi is an illustrator/graphic designer based in New York. Illustration and design are like her left and right brain.They fulfill her in different ways but are equally rewarding.The two sides often feed and inspire each other and collaborate. Currently, she’s leading a design team at an experiential design agency with a focus on creating virtual event experiences. In her spare time, she loves to create zines and stationery goods for a project group ‘Instant Rabbit’. She also likes to travel and read, which she considers another form of travel. She served the CUP Design Fellowship in 2016.
Basma was born to Egyptian immigrants and raised in Rochester, NY alongside her five siblings. Coming of age in a post 9/11 world, her consciousness and worldview was intimately shaped by rising tides of islamophobia and the war on terror. She has organized alongside New York’s diverse street vendor community, where she supported the struggle for the decriminalization of immigrant workers and workers of color. Basma also serves on the Board of Directors of The LEAP Program, a grassroots-based, volunteer-run organization that works in solidarity with Palestinian refugee youth living in exile in Lebanon. She currently organizes at Freedom To Thrive where she has led intersectional divestment campaigns, focusing on the abolition of the prison industrial complex. When she’s not drinking copious amounts of coffee, she can be found training for the revolution alongside the futbolistas. She is based in Astoria, Queens. Reach her at basma@freedomtothrive.org
Jennie Encalada-Malinowski is a Brooklyn-based activist and community organizer. She is Latina with family roots in Colombia and Ecuador. Because of her family’s own immigration story, Jennie comes to her work with a passion for uplifting the lives of immigrants and newly immigrated community members. She currently works at the New York State Laborers’ Organizing Fund (NYSLOF), which represents over 40,000 members around the state employed in the construction industry and other fields. Jennie has taken an active role on campaigns with a focus on the NYS construction workforce and advocating for family-sustaining wages, and safe and dignified jobsites for all. Prior to working with the Laborers’, Jennie served as the Senior Advocacy Coordinator at the New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), a community-based non-profit organization and worker center supporting and organizing new immigrants. Jennie received her MSW at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, where she focused on Community Organizing, Planning, and Development.
Shannon Finnegan is a multidisciplinary artist making work about accessibility and disability culture. They have done projects with Banff Centre, Friends of the High Line, Tallinn Art Hall, Nook Gallery, and the Wassaic Project. They have spoken about their work at the Brooklyn Museum, School for Poetic Computation, The 8th Floor, and The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. In 2018, they received a Wynn Newhouse Award and participated in Art Beyond Sight’s Art + Disability Residency. In 2019, they were an artist-in-residence at Eyebeam. Their work has been written about in Art in America, C Magazine, Hyperallergic, and the New York Times. They live and work in Brooklyn, NY.
Ting Ting Fu was born in the Fujian Province of China and moved to Sunset Park, Brooklyn at age 7. Since the age of 12, Ting Ting has been an organizer with UPROSE. She started as a Summer intern and transitioned to being a Youth Organizer and to Climate Justice Organizer. Today, she is a Lead Organizer and the Operations Coordinator at UPROSE. Throughout the years, Ting has supported dozens of campaigns at UPROSE. Ting Ting now has over 5 years of experience engaging the Sunset Park community in climate adaptation and resilience education. She has facilitated youth teach-ins, and community events educating the community on Environmental and Climate Justice issues and supporting community-led solutions. She is the organizer of POWWA (Protect of Working Waterfront) and UPROSE’s Anti Displacement Work.
Dr. Carole Gothelf is Associate Vice President for Individualized Supports at AHRC-New York City, an organization that is committed to finding ways for people with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) to build full lives. She earned her Doctorate at Columbia University Teachers College in Special Education and her Bachelors in Art Education from New York University. For over thirty years, Dr. Gothelf has provided individualized, person centered services for people with I/DD. This consists of the promotion of the self-advocacy agenda of full integration into the community, opportunities for individualized housing, full participation in higher education, and transitioning from school to adult life and meaningful employment. She was drawn to CUP because it married her two passions of design and social justice into an interest in the visual display of information. In 2016, AHRC was chosen by CUP’s Making Policy Public program to develop “What does it mean to live in my own place?” a poster for people with I/DD illustrating their rights to make their own choices about where to live and how to live their lives.
renald Louissaint is a Brooklyn based designer and illustrator who balances the different approaches required for both practices to inform all of his work. His illustration focuses on introspection and self, and is expressed through a light, minimalist touch. In contrast, his design work is lush and detailed, carefully researched and composed with typography. He recently graduated from the University of Connecticut where he received his BFA in graphic design and currently holds a role as a brand designer at Medium.
Dr. Tok Michelle Oyewole is NYC-EJA’s Policy & Communications Organizer and leads their solid waste equity campaigns including legislative, budgetary, and grassroots work with the Save Our Compost and Transform Don’t Trash coalitions. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Geography, studying how school garden programs throughout Brooklyn can be liberatory for students marginalized by gender and race, while highlighting inequitable distributions of environmental and social burdens. Her Master’s degree focused on how farmers’ organic amendment (e.g. compost) management practices affect field-scale GHG emissions, as well as recommendations for California to improve carbon sequestration legislation. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Minor in Geography/Environmental Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She has worked with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, assessing school-based health intervention programs in NYC neighborhoods with disproportionate health burdens. She has also worked in Lagos, Nigeria at Community Conservation and Development Initiatives, as a farmer and educator in Ecuador, and with the Planning and Conservation League in Sacramento, California. During graduate school, she was a student leader with the statewide University of California Student Association (UCSA), as the Graduate and Professional Student Chair, and as a Legislative Director.
Kitkat is a Filipino-American product designer and illustrator in NYC. She is known for her colorful, detailed illustrations depicting slices of life. She is a Senior Designer at Disney+ and previously worked at Big Human in Manhattan and Plus63 in Manila. She loves exploring new restaurants in Queens, people-watching at Central Park, and finding inspiration in the city’s museums. kitkatpecson.com
Hrudaya Veena Yanamandala is a Design Strategist currently working at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Her work focuses on using human centered design methodologies to communicate complex social problems. Currently at MSK, she uses service design in solving for patients’, caregivers’, and clinicians’ needs to improve programs and services within MSK. She is an engineer turned designer from India. She holds a Master’s degree in Design for Social Innovation from the School of Visual Arts and a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications engineering from Osmania University, India. She has also worked with clients like the United Nations Foundation, Going to School, India, Visit.org, and West Chelsea Energy Alliance. While not at work, Hrudaya enjoys illustrating, reading and hiking.
Sasha Neha Ahuja (she/her) is a community organizer and social worker with almost 15 years of experience in advocacy and politics in New York City. Sasha has built her career driving racial and gender justice and facilitating community-centered policy change in government and in local and national progressive organizations. She currently serves as Chief of Staff at Girls for Gender Equity, a Brooklyn-based organization that is centers women and girls of color in the movement to end gender-based violence. She also serves as Chair of the New York City Equal Employment Practices Commission and is a Commissioner at the New York City Commission on Gender Equity. Sasha is an Adjunct Professor at a number of schools of social work across New York City where she teaches social policy, and serves as a trainer and facilitator for a number of leadership pipeline programs. She was recognized as part of City & State’s Class of 2015 40 Under 40 New York City Rising Stars. Sasha holds a BA from Hunter College of the City University of New York and a MS in Social Work from Columbia University.
Alayna Citrin is a designer interested in creating thoughtful and engaging work with people in process-driven, collaborative environments. She is currently a Graphic Designer at Sir Kensington’s whose mission is to reimagine ordinary and overlooked food with fearless integrity and charm. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art’s Graphic Design BFA program with a concentration in Sustainability and Social Practice
Josh Cochran grew up in Taiwan and California. He works as an illustrator and muralist based in Brooklyn specializing in bright, dense and conceptual drawings and paintings. His work has received many awards including a Grammy nomination for album artwork. He has a number of side projects, and sometimes exhibits his work in galleries. Josh has a children’s book about the artist Keith Haring set to release Spring 2020 with Enchanted Lion.
Malika Conner is the Senior Organizer for Anti-Displacement at ANHD. Malika works with ANHD members and allies on campaigns to preserve affordable housing, prevent displacement and harassment, and strengthen tenants’ rights. Malika has worked as an organizer and social worker across social justice movements for over eight years. She grounds her organizing in transformative practices, and is committed to building local power, promoting community ownership, and advancing economic, gender, and racial justice. Her previous work has focused on creating good jobs for low-income communities of color in the transportation and technology sectors through community-labor coalition building, growing the capacity of tenants’ rights organizations through grassroots leadership development, and facilitating support groups and “Know Your Rights” trainings for survivors of domestic violence. Malika holds a bachelor’s degree in development sociology from Cornell University and a master’s degree from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, where she majored in community organizing, planning, and development.
Pablo Cesar Estupiñan (he/him) was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia and grew up undocumented/alienated in Orange County, CA. He was radicalized through punk, casual racism and border patrol raids, and the displacement of his family’s small business by a massive rent hike. He is the Deputy Director at Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), in the Bronx fighting displacement and gentrification through tenant organizing. Pablo is now leading the launch of an administrative reform campaign to ensure the implementation and enforcement of the historic rent laws victory in June 2019 alongside the Upstate Downstate Alliance. He also supervises an amazing team of organizers and continues to work closely with members/leaders to guide the organization, shape campaign strategy, and sharpen their political analysis. In his spare time, he laughs at his own jokes, loves cats cautiously, indulges in chopped cheese, and gets distracted by memes that are too real.
Alia Hassan works at Blue State Digital (BSD) – a purpose-driven creative and technology agency working with progressive nonprofit, advocacy, and corporate clients. prior to her current position as Global Head of Operations & Talent, she held several others at BSD including Designer, Global Director of Design, and Head of Creative & Delivery. She’s especially passionate about designing for action and social impact, and has worked with clients including the NAACP, Teach for America, and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earned her MBA from Columbia Business School, and has served on the Board of AIGA NY.
Julian Morales is the Director of Organizing at Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES). Julian has been involved in community organizing and housing issues for more than a decade. A long-time housing organizer, who is born and raised in public housing (NYCHA) and works to identify strategies to preserve NYCHA with public housing residents at the forefront of the decision making. Julian also has been instrumental over the fight against proposed megatowers in the Two Bridges area, pushing for a community led rezoning with CAAAV, TUFF-LES and Manhattan Board 3. Julian is the former Director of Organizing for Council Member Carlos Menchaca’s office, which he led the Participatory Budgeting initiative for cycles 5-7 along with working on a number of other important community issues.
Jeanne is a bilingual attorney from Puerto Rico and the Disaster Response Legal Fellow at Pro Bono Net, a national nonprofit that brings the power of the law to all by building cutting-edge digital tools and fostering collaborations with the nation’s leading civil legal organizations. She works on a series of projects to expand free legal self-help tools and information to disaster survivors and supports partnerships with legal service organizations and attorneys involved in disaster legal relief and recovery efforts. Her most recent work includes developing “Figuring Out FEMA,” a guide that explains the basics of applying for federal natural disaster benefits, with CUP and designer Carmen López. Before joining Pro Bono Net, she provided free legal representation and employment discrimination litigation on behalf of low-income LGBT individuals in Puerto Rico and worked as a legal fellow at the Central Alabama Fair Housing Center in Montgomery, Alabama. Jeanne was a 2015-16 Ms. JD Fellow and founded and spearheaded an award-winning Ms. JD chapter that provided leadership development resources and opportunities to law students. As a law student, she facilitated reproductive and constitutional Know-Your-Rights workshops to low-income communities in Puerto Rico and organized other pro bono activities related to gender violence and the law. She lives in NYC, where she volunteers in several nonprofit organizations.
Anthonine Pierre is the Deputy Director of the Brooklyn Movement Center, where she works to implement BMC’s organizing strategy and its capacity to nurture social & political leadership in Central Brooklyn. She directs the organization’s efforts in base-building & leadership development. She also leads BMC’s issue campaigns on police accountability & anti-street harassment. As a founding staff member, she has played an integral role in the development of BMC’s organizational structure, organizing alliances, and membership bae. Anthonine’s work at BMC is a commitment to cultivating fierce, powerful Black communities, informed by over a decade of experience in grassroots organizing, public policy, and government relations. Anthonine is a lifelong Brooklynite and enthusiasm enthusiast. When she’s not working at BMC, she’s usually looking for the Wiz with her friends the Lion, the Tin Man & the Scarecrow.
Principal and Co-Founder of Topos Graphics, Roy Rub holds a B.F.A. from The Cooper Union (2006). Prior to Cooper, he attended the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem (2001–2004) before serving as a Commander in the Israeli Navy. When not designing at Topos Graphics, Roy is an Adjunct Faculty of 2D Design at The Cooper Union (2012–Present). He’s also a wildlife-rehabber, a ceramicist, and the proud father of Beak & Took, two conure parrots, and Felix, a labradoodle puppy. He lives in Brooklyn with his husband, Jean.
Frances Smith is currently a Designer at Instagram where she works with a range of brands and agencies from Coca-Cola to the Ad Council in creating innovative and inspiring work for the Facebook and Instagram platforms. She is also founder & creative director for Careluu, a charity driven branding agency for small businesses and non-for-profits. Previously as Senior Designer for Vice, she led design for clients ranging from Michelin, Airbnb, i-D, and Hard Rock. She regularly contributed to their editorial pieces as illustrator and led design for their partnership with Google. In addition, her need to bring social justice and design is seen through her early work with the LGBTQ community, and The Dream Defenders. Her work has been featured across Adweek, Buzzfeed, Awwwards, Fast Company and Luxury Daily. With an Afro-Hispanic background, she learned the impact and importance of representation through mentoring and is an avid mentor through programs such as Young Audiences New York, Women Who Create, and MAIP. She is Co-founder of the program Creative Strategy Bootcamp, where she teaches and mentors Creative Strategy as part of an entrepreneurial program that started as a way to fill the diversity gap in advertising. Creative Strategy Bootcamp is designed for entry-level and junior creatives seeking to pivot/build their skills in creative strategy.
As Creative Director for Brooklyn Public Library, Leila Taylor is responsible for brand development and visual strategy on behalf of one the country’s largest public library systems. The in-house design team creates and produces nearly all public-facing materials and communication for the institution. Before joining BPL, she was art director at Addison specializing in corporate sustainability and simplification. She has worked with several New York design firms, institutions, and artists including Ideas On Purpose, Citizen Research and Design, The American Museum of Natural History, Martha Rosler, and Nayland Blake. Clients have included ACLU, Merck, PepsiCo, Kimberly-Clark, Norfolk-Southern, Allstate, Bank of New York, McGraw-Hill, and Moody’s. She has taught typography as an Adjunct Professor at The School of Visual Arts and Rutgers University. She received her BS in Graphic Design from the University of Cincinnati, her MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University and her MA in Liberal Studies from The New School of Social Research.
Bráulio Amado is a Portuguese graphic designer living in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He has worked at Pentagram NYC, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wieden Kennedy, and is now running is own studio for clients such as Frank Ocean, Washed Out, The New York Times, New Yorker, Wired Magazine, Nike and others.
Jeannette Bocanegra is CCFY’s Director of Family Engagement. She joined CCFY in 2010 as the lead researcher for a Participatory action research project that mobilized the family members of incarcerated youth to collect data on parent experience with the juvenile justice system. Since joining CCFY, she has developed the organization’s Family Strengthening portfolio, and also initiated the groundbreaking Parent Support Program (PSP) in partnership with the NYC Department of Probation. She serves as an advisory board member for several juvenile justice initiatives in New York City as a voice for families.
Abby Chen is a designer based in New York. She creates and pursues projects that situated between design and cultural communication, taking the practices of identity, interaction, editorial and information design.
Ericka Dixon is the Policy Programs Coordinator at Black Women’s Blueprint. Ericka is a queer woman of color, a rape survivor, a human rights advocate, a rape and domestic violence crisis counselor and an educator. Through her work at Black Women’s Blueprint, Ericka engages students, campus administrators and other campus stakeholders in carrying out culturally specific, survivor centered programming and interventions, grounded in undoing the historical legacy of race and gender that institutions are seeped in. Ericka graduated from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs where she studied the link between education as a human right and how a trauma-informed liberatory curriculum can be used to to promote gender equality and mitigate gender-based violence, particularly in conflict and post-conflict environments. Ericka grounds her work in Black queer feminist theory and is intentional about centering the voices of black women and girls’ as well as other communities that are often at the margins. Ericka believes that every person has the right to live boldly, unapologetically and authentically in their truth and truly believes that this is can be a possibility in our world.
Kemah George is a Community Engagement Manager at the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), where she works to use education and engagement as tools to strengthen immigrant communities. Prior to her advocacy role at NYIC, she served as YWCA Brooklyn’s Coordinator of Social Justice, where she created programs and administered social justice initiatives for women and girls. Additionally she helped develop the Central American Minors program and facilitated community orientation sessions at the International Rescue Committee. Kemah holds a law degree from Howard University School of Law, a Master’s of Public Policy from George Mason University, and a B.S.Ed in English Education from the University of Georgia.
Laura Giraudo is an Art Director and Graphic Designer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the founder & Creative Director of Bardo Industries, LLC, a design studio focused on a conceptual and experimental approach to design. Laura holds a Graphic Design degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina), a Creative degree from the Escuela Superior de Creativos Publicitarios (Argentina) and a Master in Visual Design from the Scuola Politecnica di Design (Italy). Laura also taught Typography, Graphic Design and Editorial Design at Universidad de Buenos Aires, for a span of 5 years. Aside from her work at Bardo, Laura enjoys experimenting with different materials such as cement, textiles, and wood.
Jon(athan) Key is an artist, designer, and writer whose work is informed by heritage, identity, and culture. He is one of the partners of Morcos Key, a Brooklyn based graphic design studio. Currently he is also the co-founding Design Director of Codify Art and Contributing Art Director for The Tenth Magazine, a black, queer lifestyle and culture magazine.
Courtney received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center where she represented asylum seekers as a student attorney in the Center for Applied Legal Studies. During law school, she worked at the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, the UN Refugee Agency, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Before joining The Bronx Defenders, Courtney worked at the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition providing training, pro se assistance, and direct representation to detained immigrants in the D.C. metropolitan area. She holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies and Plan II Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. Courtney speaks Spanish.
Beverly Liang is a Strategy Director at 2×4, using research to define the relevance of design across cultural and commercial contexts across branding, architecture, and content development. Past and present clients include Prada, Google, Samsung, Target, and MoMA. Beverly is also a board member of AIGA’s New York chapter and serves as a visiting critic at Yale School of Art, Columbia GSAPP, Parsons, and SVA. She received her BA in cultural anthropology from the University of Chicago.
Tania Mattos is the Education and Outreach Coordinator at UnLocal Inc. She is an immigrant and worker rights organizer who was born in La Paz, Bolivia and was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY. For over 7 years, she has worked with and for the rights of undocumented immigrants, restaurant workers, vendors, and most recently on displacement policies directly affecting the immigrant community. Tania holds a B.S. in Marketing, a M.A. in Political Science, and is a Board of Immigration Appeals Accredited Representative.
YuJune Park is a Partner at Synoptic Office and the Associate Director of Communication Design at Parsons School of Design. She has an MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University, and a BFA in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. Throughout her career she has worked for and collaborated with a range of studios and clients such as Base Design, Pentagram, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She currently sits on the board of directors for the Type Directors Club,and actively participates in design education and typography speaking engagements for events like Typographics, Northside Festival, and AIGA/NY.
Carlos is the Director of College Access at the Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) and has been at PRI since 2016. As the Director of College Access he manages the College Initiative (CI) program as well as PRI’s College Readiness program at Rikers. PRI’s community based direct service programs support individuals with criminal justice involvement navigate the college enrollment process and provides the ongoing support of the CI community necessary to be successful in higher education. Previously he had spent nine years doing human rights and social justice programming for after-school programs in New York City public schools. He is a graduate from Northeastern University where he studied to become an elementary school teacher, earning his BA in sociology and education. Carlos is passionate about social justice-related issues and believes quality education is a basic human right that all individuals should have access to.
Maru Bautista is the Co-Director of Cooperative Development at the Center for Family Life (CFL). Born and raised in Puebla, Mexico, she emigrated to the United States to pursue a M.A. in International Affairs, with a concentration in Development from The New School. Prior to joining CFL, she spent time in rural Colombia working on development projects that supported local communities’ economic empowerment. She has a deep commitment to increasing access and equity for low income immigrant communities and communities of color. She has been developing worker cooperatives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and supporting community based organizations around NYC to begin incubating worker cooperatives. She is proud to serve on the Board of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and the Democracy at Work Institute.
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Lizania Cruz is a New York-based designer working in fashion, advocacy, and the arts. She brings a decade of design experience to her current work at the branding studio Language Department. Her clients have included established brands, like Anthropologie, startups, and nonprofits, such as the American Cancer Society. Her work has been recognized by AIGA, the Type Directors Club, and Communication Arts. Lizania recently launched her own jewelry line called Bagavundas.
Tatiana Lam is a graphic designer and motion graphics animator residing in NYC, specializing in broadcast packaging and communication design for social movements. Her aim is to address and build culture through design. She studied film and anthropology at Yale University. Currently, Tatiana works at Lorne Michael’s post-production house Broadway Video, collaborating with notable clients like NBC, SNL, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, the Emmys and various other award shows. Her work spans a wide range of design disciplines, but amongst her favorite projects are: a set of promos featuring an animated character called Tera Byte, set design for The More You Know, interactive works that reimagine historical photographs at 30 Rockefeller Center, a title sequence for the comedy series Tough Love, an animated infographic explaining economic inequity for Colorlines, and a network identity for the show Colored Criticism.
Mahkeddah Thompson is a two time Public Access Design alum. Thompson works at Housing Court Answers, a group that provides eviction prevention services to pro se litigants in NYC Housing Courts. Thompson is a passionate social justice, crochet and roots reggae records. She runs a small handmade business, Konjo Crochet.
Alyssa Aguilera is the Co-Executive Director of Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY), a statewide grassroots membership organization building power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, and mass incarceration.
Mizue Aizeki is the Deputy Director of Immigrant Defense Project, promoting fundamental fairness for immigrants accused or convicted of crimes. She has focuses on local and state advocacy efforts to end collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE and to minimize the immigration consequences of contact with the criminal legal system. She has over fifteen years experience in organizing around workers’ rights, racial justice, and immigrant rights. She is also a photographer whose work has appeared in Dying to Live, A Story of U.S. Immigration in an Age of Global Apartheid, published by City Lights Books in 2008.
Darnell Benoit currently serves as the director of the Flatbush-based educational and advocacy nonprofit, Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project, serving the needs of local Haitian youth.
Claudia Calhoon is the Director of Health Advocacy at New York Immigration Coalition, leading development and execution of city and state campaigns to improve health access, coverage, and delivery for immigrant communities. She has provided leadership to a diverse array of public health and non-profit settings including the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture, the Open Society Foundations and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cuenca, Ecuador. Claudia is currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Public Health Program at CUNY Graduate Center. She received a MPH from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and a BA in American History from Earlham College.
Cristian is the founder and principal of The Public Society. With nearly 20 years of experience architecting brand stories, identities, online and offline experiences for companies and causes alike, Cristian founded The Public Society with the ambition of creating a new kind of design firm that challenges what design can be, and who can be a designer. He is a designer, creative strategist, and activist dedicated to the belief that design is a powerful tool for making the world a more equitable place.
Rolando Guzman oversees a team of community organizers, housing counselors and resident service coordinators that work at the Community Preservation Unit at St Nicks Alliance. He is on the front lines fighting construction harassment landlords afflict on rent stabilized tenants; he treks to Albany or City Hall to promote awareness of minority displacement and the community’s need for affordable housing; he keeps the pressure on to decrease the amount of garbage truck traffic and waste transfer stations; the list goes on. Originally from Honduras, he has over twenty years of experience working on community organizing in areas of human rights, immigrant workers rights, housing, and environmental justice.
John Kudos is an Indonesian-born interdisciplinary designer whose work embraces strategy, design, and technology. He studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art, worked for Pentagram for seven years, then established KUDOS Design Collaboratory in 2008. John teaches typography and graphic design at School of Visual Arts and is a visiting critic at The New School and Cornell University. Kudos’ practice focuses on collaboration and experimentation informed by diverse cultural backgrounds and technological resources. He works with a variety of clients in non-profit, education, architecture, design, art, cultural, healthcare, startups, and publishing in the U.S., U.K., Japan, and Indonesia. Kudos’ projects range from brand identities, publications, websites, interactive installations, to exhibitions.
Katie Lee is a graphic designer working in print, interactive, and motion design and co-founder of DOME. She began working as a print designer for Shapiro Design Associates in New York, then as a web designer for Razorfish in its New York and San Francisco offices. In 2004, she moved to Los Angeles where she worked for Brand Integration Group/Ogilvy & Mather, ReVerb, and Prologue Films. Lee was a Creative Director at Local Projects where she designed interactive experiences for museums, cultural institutions, and public spaces from 2007 to 2014. She holds a BA in art from Yale College and an MFA in graphic design from the Yale University School of Art. katielee.info
Karen is a Supervising Attorney in the Civil Action Practice at the Bronx Defenders, where she has worked since 2011. She works together with her office’s criminal, immigration, and family defense practices to represent Bronx Defenders clients with in a full range of civil matters including, but not limited to: housing, civil forfeiture, employment, tax, public benefits, and more. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 2007, Karen received an Equal Justice Works Fellowship to work at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), focusing on subsidized housing matters. During her fellowship, Karen spearheaded a legislative effort to ban source-of-income discrimination in housing in Westchester County. While at LSHV, she also worked under a grant to address the legal needs of individuals with cancer, and during this time she established a Medical-Legal Partnership with White Plains Hospital.
Silas Munro applies multi-modal practices that inspire people to better themselves and effect positive change on society. He earned his BFA from RISD and holds an MFA from CalArts. His LA-based studio, Poly-Mode, primarily works with business, institutions and organizations with cultural and community impact. Collaborators include: Mark Bradford, Housing Works, MoMA, and Wynwood in Miami, FL. His community based projects have been supported by grants and residencies including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Munro’s research, design work and writing that have been published in print, exhibitions, and web in Germany, Japan, Korea, the UK, and the US such as Chronicle Books, IDEA, Slanted and the Walker’s Gradient. As an educator Munro focuses on expanded design studies and new formats for teaching art and design. He has been a critic, lecturer and professor at internationally ranked Art and Design programs. Munro serves as Assistant Professor in ComArts / Grad GD at Otis College of Art and Design, and Advisor in the MFA Program in Graphic Design at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Deroy is a founding partner and creative director at Hyperakt. With over a decade of experience designing brand identities, data visualizations, online experiences and products, Deroy is equal parts designer, entrepreneur and cheerleader. He provides creative and visionary leadership for the Hyperaktivists and is the driving force behind Hyperakt Labs, which creates opportunities for their ideas to flourish.
Chat Travieso is a Brooklyn-based artist, designer, and educator. He creates architectural public art projects that reinforce social bonds in our public spaces. His most recent works were commissioned by or organized in collaboration with The Architectural League of New York, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Lower East Side Waterfront Alliance, Design Trust for Public Space, and the NYC Department of Transportation. He has worked as a teaching artist with the Center for Urban Pedagogy and Hester Street Collaborative. He is currently a Smack Mellon Studio Program Artist and a recipient of a New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowship as part of his Smack Mellon residency.
Ian Adelman is Director of Digital Design at The New York Times, leading the team of world-class designers and user experience professionals responsible for the Times’s digital experiences. Previously, he was the Director of Design and User Experience at New York Magazine, a consultant in digital product design and business innovation, and founding art director od Slate.com. Ian graduated with a BFA in Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Ligia Guallpa is Executive Director of Worker’s Justice Project (WJP), a New York-based immigrant workers’ rights organization that is winning better working conditions for low-wage immigrant workers. At WJP, Ligia has spearheaded efforts to ensure safe and dignified jobs for NYC’s 2,000 day laborers, construction workers, and domestic workers. Through her leadership, WJP played a key role in building alternative economic and organizing models to transform the conditions for female day laborers in the house cleaning industry and enforce higher wages and safety standards in the post Hurricane Sandy reconstruction. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Nation, and the New York Daily News.
Nontsikelelo is a Zimbabwean-born artist and educator working across disciplines to produce work that occupies the forms of fine art, design, and social practice. Nontsi received a diploma in multimedia from the Zimbabwe Institute of Digital Arts in 2007 and an MFA with a concentration in graphic design from the Yale School of Art in 2012. That same year she was a recipient of the Alice Kimball English Traveling Fellowship and fellow of the Create Change Program with the Laundromat Project in New York City. Nontsi is co-founder of the Zimbabwe Cultural Centre in Detroit, which has facilitated collaborative projects between artists living and working in Detroit, Michigan and the cities of Harare and Mutare in Zimbabwe. Nontsi has held several exhibitions showcasing her work and is active in promoting work of fellow artists. She is currently Assistant Professor in the New Media Department at State University of New York, Purchase College.
Martin Needelman is the Co-Executive Director & Chief Counsel at the Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A (Brooklyn A). Marty has 46 years of experience providing legal services to clients in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and throughout North & East Brooklyn, the majority of which have been spent with Brooklyn A as a Staff Attorney, and then for the last 30 years as Project Director & Chief Counsel. Following his graduation from Boston University Law School in 1969, he became a VISTA Attorney with the Southside Community Mission, a CBO that provides legal and social services to the low income, primarily Latino residents of the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, including immigrants, senior citizens, youth, and the homeless. Throughout his career, Marty has received many honors and awards, including the Pro Bono Award from the Brooklyn Bar Association in 1992, the 1998 Risk Taker of the Year Award from Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, the 2010 Louis Lefkowitz Award from the Fordham Law School Public Interest Center, and the 2013 Silver Shingle Award from Boston University Law School, for his contributions to the law as it affects Brooklyn’s low income, urban neighborhoods.
Sarah Nelson Jackson is a partner at WeShouldDoItAll (WSDIA), a contemporary design studio that translates clients’ needs into dynamic, visual systems that can be presented at multiple scales. WSDIA provides solutions in the form of branding, spatial, environmental, interactive, or print projects. They oscillate between commercial clients, public institutions, social impact initiatives, and the more off-centre and boutique. Sarah is from New Jersey and received her BFA from Boston University.
Lucas Shapiro is one of the founders of Mayday Space, a collaborative center for social justice organizing, community empowerment, and creative expression based in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Mayday is a neighborhood resource and a citywide destination for engaging programming, dancing and other nightlife activities, and a welcoming gathering place for people to work, learn and build together. Before Mayday, he was the Senior Organizer at Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE), building power with low-income families to fight for jobs, housing and justice.
Rich Tu is an award winning designer and art director working in New York City. He is a recipient of the prestigious Young Guns award through the Art Directors Club, and has exhibited at galleries and festivals in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Miami. Commercially, his clients include The New York Times, The New Yorker, Business Week, Alfa Romeo, Bombay Sapphire, G-Shock, Converse, NPR, NorthFace, Purple Label, Skype, Coca-Cola, Verizon, Fuse TV, and Bravo TV, among others. Rich is a graduate of the Illustration as Visual Essay program at the School of Visual Arts.
Barika X. Williams is the Deputy Director of the Association for Neighborhood Housing and Development (ANHD). ANHD is a non-profit organization that works to build the strength of the community development movement in New York City, help low-income communities thrive, and ensure that all New Yorkers can live in decent, affordable housing and neighborhoods with access to economic opportunity. Barika previously worked as a researcher at the Urban Institute, studying a community-based comprehensive education reform initiative for NYU’s Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, and in real estate development in Washington, DC. Barika earned her Master’s in City Planning from MIT and her BA from Washington University in St. Louis.
Greg Berman is the director of the Center for Court Innovation, a nonprofit organization that seeks to aid victims, reduce crime, strengthen neighborhoods, reduce incarceration, and improve public trust in justice. Part of the founding team responsible for creating the Center, Greg has helped guide the organization from start-up to an annual budget of more than $29 million. Prior to being named director of the Center for Court Innovation in 2002, he served as deputy director of the Center and as the lead planner of the Red Hook Community Justice Center. Greg is a graduate of Wesleyan University and a former Coro Fellow in Public Affairs.
Anj Chaudhry is the Lead Organizer at CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities. Anj has organized within South Asian, LGBTQ, immigrant, and low income communities in New York City, the Midwest, and the South. Before joining CAAAV, Anj worked for Chhaya CDC, a South Asian housing justice organization in Queens, NY, and organized to win marriage for LGBTQ communities in rural Minnesota. Anj serves on the board of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA). Contact Anj at achaudhry [at] caaav.org.
Jennifer Ching is the Project Director of Queens Legal Services (LSNYC), a community-based civil legal advocacy center based in Jamaica, Queens. QLS works with thousands of Queens residents every year, in areas such as housing and immigrants’ rights, LGBT advocacy, economic justice and education. Prior to joining LSNYC, Jennifer was Director of New York Appleseed, a pro bono public interest network, and an associate with Paul Weiss LLP, where her pro bono representation included litigation on behalf of 13 Saudi nationals held in Guantanamo. Jennifer was a 2002 Gibbons Fellow in Public Interest Law and Constitutional Litigation, where she litigated national security, employment, civil rights and death penalty matters. She taught as an adjunct professor at Rutgers School of Law-Newark and, as a Skadden Fellow at the ACLU of New Jersey, Jennifer founded a legal advocacy project for low-wage immigrant workers. Prior to law school, Jennifer worked for the NYC Human Resources Administration and as a community organizer in environmental justice and immigrant worker campaigns. Jennifer lives in Brooklyn with her partner and two children.
Alice Chung is a co-founding partner of Omnivore, a small studio with a voracious appetite for cultural- and cause-related work based bicoastally in Brooklyn and Portland. Before venturing into the world of design, she completed studies in biology and health/social behavior and, though perhaps a bit unconventional, has been able to ally those disciplines in her current work. She also teaches typography and intermediate design at Yale University School of Art.
Jackie Del Valle is the Agency Grants Coordinator at the Urban Justice Center. A long-time housing organizer, she is the former Director of Organizing at Fifth Avenue Committee, as well as at Housing Conservation Coordinators (HCC). Prior working at HCC, Jackie founded CASA (Community Action for Safe Apartments) at New Settlement while working as a tenant organizer in the Bronx. Jackie also chairs the board of the Metropolitan Council on Housing.
David Frisco is a designer and educator in New York City. He holds an MFA from Yale School of Art in Graphic Design. David is the principal of DFD: David Frisco Design, a small design practice with an emphasis on the art, architectural, educational, cultural and non-profit sectors. David is an Adjunct Associate Professor in both the Undergraduate and Graduate Communications Design department at Pratt Institute, and teaches in the BFA, MS and MFA programs. Recently, David formed IntraCollaborative a design collective comprised of four former Pratt MFA students. IntraCollaborative worked on a 2013 Making Policy Public project with CUP and CAAAV, and have been selected for the Center for Architecture’s 2013 Graphic Designer Shortlist.
Sha Hwang is an information designer and technologist based mostly in Brooklyn. A failed architect and an accidental entrepreneur, Sha worked for clients such as CNN, the New York Times, MTV, Flickr, and Adobe. Previously, Sha worked at Stamen Design, cofounded the company Movity, which was acquired by the real estate company Trulia. Sha continues to explore his random interests in fabrication and digital art in projects like Meshu and Gifpop with his partner Rachel Binx. Currently Sha spends his time working with a team on Healthcare.gov.
Raj Kottamasu is an artist, designer and urban planner. His work includes animation, print & web design, illustration, design research and cultural programming for organizations including The Architectural League of New York, Public Policy Lab, The Participatory Budgeting Project, and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. Raj also currently teaches Information Graphics in the Programs for Sustainable Planning & Development at Pratt Institute. He served as a Public Access Design Fellow in 2012, producing the animated video ‘Work Forced’ in collaboration with CUP and Damayan Migrant Workers Association. He holds a Master’s degree in City Planning, with a certificate in Urban Design, from MIT. rajworks.com
Jenny Laurie is the Assistant Director of Housing Court Answers. Since 2008, she has worked with unrepresented people in Housing Court through the organization’s Information Tables and telephone hotline. She also works on the organization’s advocacy campaigns which are focused on ensuring justice and fairness for the many thousands of low income people in Housing Court. Prior to 2008, Jenny worked at Met Council on Housing on strengthening rights and protections for the city’s tenants. Before that, she was a reference librarian in the New York Public Library system, working at Mott Haven, Fordham and East 96th Street.
Mitchyll Mora is Campaign Staff and Lead Researcher at Streetwise and Safe (SAS), a multi-strategy initiative working to build and share leadership, skills, knowledge and community among LGBTQQ youth of color who experience criminalization. Mitchyll has been organizing around policing and issues related to street based youth for the past six years. Mitchyll has also played a leadership role in Communities United for Police Reform, speaking at rallies, press conferences, public forums, and testifying before city council about the impacts of discriminatory policing on LGBTQQ youth.
Karen Oh is the creative director of HOUSEOFCAKES, focusing on designing with non-profits, start-ups and entrepreneurs. Her work spans all aspects related to design, from branding and identity to working with organizations and companies on communications strategies. She is also experienced in non-profit management. In her free time, she works to bring good value, high quality food to her neighborhood of Prospect Lefferts Gardens. She is a founder of PLGCSA which serves over 200 households and the founder of the Lefferts Community Food Coop a member-worker grocery cooperative. Karen is a graduate of Colby College (Biology) and received her MFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design. www.houseofcakes.com
Anthonine is the Lead Community Organizer at the Brooklyn Movement Center (BMC), a direct-action community organizing group based in Central Brooklyn. She is currently engaging neighborhood leaders in social change through BMC’s education organizing, food justice, anti-street harassment and citizen journalism work. Prior to working at BMC, Anthonine was at the Manhattan Borough President’s Office where she was the community liaison responsible for Central and West Harlem. She has also held youth organizing positions with the Children’s Defense Fund and Prospect Park Alliance. Anthonine is a lifelong Brooklynite, foodie, and enthusiasm enthusiast. When she’s not working at BMC, she’s usually looking for the Wiz with her friends the Lion, the Tin Man & the Scarecrow.
As Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice at The Bronx Defenders, Kate leads a staff of dedicated advocates and attorneys providing comprehensive civil legal representation to thousands of people each year. Kate also oversees community legal education programs and Reentry Net/NY, an online resource center on the consequences of criminal proceedings in New York State. Previously, Kate directed the community organizing and policy reform initiatives at The Bronx Defenders. Prior to joining The Bronx Defenders in 2005, Kate worked as Research Associate in the Economic Justice Project at the Brennan Center for Justice, supporting low-wage worker organizing campaigns, and ran education programs for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth. She holds a BA in History from Cornell University, and serves on the Steering Committee of Communities United for Police Reform.
Andrew is a graphic designer and partner at MANY. His work has been featured by publications like Fast Company, Slate, Print, How, 99 Percent Invisible, and Communication Arts, among others. His design writing has appeared in Core77, AIGA, Design Observer, Entrepreneur Magazine, GOOD, and others. His book, Designing for Social Change, was published by Princeton Architectural Press and provides graphic designers with strategies to help them work on community-based projects. He teaches classes on various topics at Parsons The New School for Design and in Pratt Institute’s Graduate Communication Design program, including design for social change, creative placemaking, and visualizing urban policy. Andrew often speaks about design at schools and conferences and recently at TEDx Transmedia in Rome. His has served as an advisor at Project M, and on juries for competitions like Design Ignites Change and Archinect. Recently, he was named one of the National Arts Strategies’ Creative Community Fellows and is also on PPS’s Placemaking Leadership Council. He received his MFA in Graphic Design from Maryland Institute College of Art.
Joel Stillman is a graphic designer and co-founder of All Other Services—a civic-minded design team developing visual and strategic direction for brands, institutions, and advocacies that positively impact communities. Since moving to Brooklyn after graduate school at the California College of Art and Design, he has worked closely with a range of organizations that include the Center for Urban Pedagogy, the Museum of Modern Art, Pentagram, The Center for Architecture NY, the New Museum, and Project Projects.
Noilyn Abesamis-Mendoza is the Health Policy Director for the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF). She has a unique background and experience as a program manager, researcher, trainer, and health policy advocate. At CACF, she leads health advocacy initiatives to improve language access, cultural competence, data equity, and health care affordability. Prior to joining CACF, Noilyn was the Deputy Director of Outreach and Program Development at the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health. In 2010, Noilyn co-edited the book, “Praeger Handbook of Asian American Health: Taking Notice and Taking Action”, a 2-volume compendium on the most prevalent health issues facing Asian Americans. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Analysis & Design from the University of California, Irvine, and an Master in Public Health, Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health.
Shana Agid is an artist, teacher, writer, and activist whose work focuses on relationships of power and difference, particularly regarding sexuality, race, and gender in visual and political cultures. Agid is an Assistant Professor of Arts, Media, and Communication at Parsons the New School for Design where he teaches book arts, collaborative design, and service design. She has an MFA in Printmaking and Book Arts and an MA in Visual and Critical Studies from California College of the Arts. He is on the Editorial Board of Radical Teacher.
Amid Amidi is the award-winning author of numerous books about contemporary and classic animated filmmaking, including the essential “Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in Fifties Animation” and “The Art of Pixar: The Complete Color Scripts and Select Art from 25 Years of Animation.” He is the editor-in-chief of the influential industry website cartoonbrew.com. In addition to writing extensively about the animation art form, he lectures at studios, schools and festivals internationally. He lives in Brooklyn.
Neil Donnelly makes books, printed matter, websites, exhibitions, and illustrations. He has worked with the Guggenheim, the New Museum, Yale University, Domus, The New York Times, Princeton Architectural Press, and Storefront for Art and Architecture, among others. He has taught courses and led workshops at Yale, SVA, MICA, Parsons, Rutgers, and Illinois, and he holds an MFA in graphic design from Yale. He lives and works in Brooklyn.
Katie Goldstein is the Director of Organizing for Tenants & Neighbors, a grassroots organization that helps tenants build and effectively wield their power to preserve at-risk affordable housing and strengthen tenants’ rights in New York. Other positions held at Tenants & Neighbors include Senior Organizer and Coordinator of Base Buillding and Leadership Development. Katie previously worked as an organizer for and served on the Board of Directors of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. She studied political and economic geography at Sarah Lawrence College.
Priscilla González has over 10 years of experience working to build power among immigrant communities of color in NYC. Until 2012, she had the honor to serve as the Executive Director of Domestic Workers United, bringing the historic fight for the nation’s first Domestic Workers Bill of Rights to a close and successfully transitioning DWU into a full-fledged, independent organization. Recently, she joined another historic and high-profile campaign, working for real police reform in NYC. Priscilla is a graduate of Barnard College and the London School of Economics. She is the proud daughter of a fierce South American immigrant woman who taught her the values of justice and struggle.
Norma Juarez is the former Development Associate of the NYS Youth Leadership Council (NYSYLC), – the only undocumented youth organization in NYC advocating for equal access for education for all youth, regardless of immigration status. Early on, she was a member of the Advocacy committee and the co-facilitator of the peer-led support group of NYSYLC. Prior to NYSYLC, she spent three years organizing with Eye Openers: Youth Against Violence in Staten Island and served on the board of Community Health Center of Richmond where she addressed the needs of youth and healthcare. Currently, Norma is finishing her BA in the Adult General Studies Program at The New School with a self-designed degree in Philosophy. While on hiatus from organizing and advocacy work, she is working on a research piece on Latino AIDS Activism and transnationalism.
Manuel Miranda is designer and owner at MMP, a critic in graphic design at the Yale School of Art, and an AIGA New York board member. MMP’s current work includes identities, exhibitions, websites, and publications for the Center for Architecture, City of New York, Metropolis Magazine, the Nike Foundation, Sheila C. Johnson Design Center at The New School, and Van Alen Institute. Prior to establishing his own practice, Manuel was an art director at 2×4, Inc. and a designer at Brand Integration Group at Ogilvy and Mather. He earned his M.F.A. in graphic design from the Yale School of art and B.A. from The Evergreen State College. Manuel is working with CUP on the upcoming Banks on the Fringe MPP.
Christina Nizar is a Communication Designer at IDEO who brings a passion for visual storytelling to the design of print, packaging, environments and digital interactions. Her work to date has spanned both for-profit and non-profit realms, and she lets one influence another as she crafts the visual voice and tone for clients that range from hospitality to financial institutions to philanthropic organizations. Prior to IDEO, Christina worked for Michael Beirut at Pentagram New York, and with clients such as New York Times, Saks Fifth Avenue, NYU and Teach for America. Christina earned a multiple awards including a Type Directors Award for her work with the New York Times Magazine, and a Webby for IDEO’s Future of the Book concept piece. She began exploring the intersection of design and human behavior in school, studying Graphic Design at Art Center College of Design and Political Science and Sociology at University of California Irvine. Today, Christina continues to use her work as a way to explore the nuances of culture and the possibilities of social change through design.
Danica Novgorodoff is a painter, comic book artist, writer and graphic designer who currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. As an art major, she received her B.A. from Yale University in 2002. Since 2005, she has worked as a book designer for Roaring Brook Press, a publisher of graphic novels and children’s books. Novgorodoff has self-published several comic books, and her graphic novels “Slow Storm” and “Refresh, Refresh” were published by First Second Books in 2008 and 2009. Danica designed the MPP I Got Arrested! Now What?
Luna Ranjit is the co-founder and Executive Director of Adhikaar. She has over ten years of experience in organizing, activism, and participatory action research in the US and South Asia. Prior to Adhikaar, she worked at Andolan, APICHA, and New Voices National Fellowship Program. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College, and a master’s degree in public and international affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. She regularly appears on print and broadcast media on issues related to workers’ rights, language access, and the needs of the emerging Nepali-speaking community. She currently lives in Jackson Heights, Queens.
Brooke Richie-Babbage is the Founder and Executive Director of the the Resilience Advocacy Project (RAP), a youth advocacy organization based in New York that uses the law Brooke currently serves on the Board of Directors of Atlas: DIY, a youth cooperative in Brooklyn for immigrant youth. She is the former Chair of the Social Welfare Law Committee of the Association of the City Bar of New York, Chair of the Policy Action Committee of the NYC Economic and Social Justice Network, a Harvard Law School Young Wasserstein Fellow, a CORO Leadership alumna, and a member of the Activist Council of Planned Parenthood of New York City. Brooke received her law degree and MPP from Harvard and her undergraduate degree from Yale.
Victor Schuft is one half of Papercut, along with Minh Anh Vo. Minh Anh & Victor are two French graphic designers, though their names may sound either Vietnamese or German. Minh Anh was born in Annecy and grew up in Paris. Victor comes from Troyes. They met in Brussels, where they studied Graphic Design and Typography at La Cambre School of Arts. After graduating in 2006, they decided to move to Los Angeles and eventually got married at LAX. They are now living and working in Brooklyn. Papercut worked with CUP to design the Fracking in the Delaware River Watershed MPP.
Ericka Stallings is the Director for the Initiative for Neighborhood and City-Wide Organizing (INCO) at the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD). INCO is a funding and capacity-building program that has become a national model of how to catalyze and support high-impact community organizing. Prior to that, she was a Housing Advocacy Coordinator at the New York Immigration Coalition.
Amy Taylor is the Language Access Project Coordinator at Legal Services NYC, the largest provider of free civil legal services for low-income people in the country, where she runs a cutting edge project that seeks to increase access to services and justice for low-income limited English proficient (LEP) New Yorkers through litigation and policy advocacy. The Language Access Project seeks to both improve the accessibility of Legal Services NYC’s own services and to challenge discriminatory practices that prevent LEP clients from obtaining the government benefits and services to which they are entitled. Before working at Legal Services NYC, Amy was the Director of Policy at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Amy received her J.D. from the CUNY School of Law.
Phillip Tiongson is a founder of Potion, a design and technology firm that employs the latest technology to create smart, delightful interactions. A leader in the field of interaction design, Phillip has worked for the past decade creating interactive installations for every setting from high-traffic museums and public spaces, to intimate lounges and private dining rooms, to ubiquitous mobile apps. He combines his training from the MIT Media Lab with his MFA from Columbia University in Film Directing to bring the craft of storytelling together with the toolbox of a software engineer.
Anusha Venkataraman is an urban planner, writer, artist, and activist. She is presently the Director of the Green Light District initiative at El Puente, a community human rights institution in Brooklyn, NY. She has worked with numerous community groups in local organizing efforts, and as a visual artist both individually and with collectives. In 2010, she edited Intractable Democracy: Fifty Years of Community-Based Planning, a book celebrating New York City’s legacy of grassroots neighborhood-based activism. Anusha was the Youth and Outreach Director at the Steel Yard in Providence, Rhode Island. She holds a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute, and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Brown University.
Minh Anh Vo is one half of Papercut, along with Victor Schuft. Minh Anh & Victor are two French graphic designers, though their names may sound either Vietnamese or German. Minh Anh was born in Annecy and grew up in Paris. Victor comes from Troyes. They met in Brussels, where they studied Graphic Design and Typography at La Cambre School of Arts. After graduating in 2006, they decided to move to Los Angeles and eventually got married at LAX. They are now living and working in Brooklyn. Papercut worked with CUP to design the Fracking in the Delaware River Watershed MPP.
Brian Watterson is a graphic designer and programmer at Linked by Air, a studio specializing in the production of public spaces and networked structures, both online and in the world. Brian has designed and programmed projects for the Whitney Museum, New Art Dealers Alliance, Public Art Fund, ArtAsiaPacific, artist Do Ho Suh, and CUP. Other projects have included the design of Perspecta, Yale School of Architecture’s annual journal, and the identity and website for Building Block. Brian received an MFA in graphic design from Yale University and currently teaches interaction design at Parsons.
Jake Barton is principal and Founder of Local Projects, which is creating the media design for the 9/11 Memorial Museum, StoryCorps, Change By Us, and the Frank Gehry designed Eisenhower Presidential Memorial. Local Projects has visited the White House three-times as a National Design Award finalist, and was named the second most innovative design firm by Fast Company for its use of technology to redefine urban spaces and emotional storytelling. Jake is recognized as a leader in the field of interaction design for physical spaces, and in the creation of collaborative storytelling projects where participants generate content. Current clients include the BMW Guggenheim Lab, Seaworld, Microsoft, Google, Cleveland Museum of Art, and the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
Vicki Been is the Boxer Family Professor of Law at New York University and the Director of Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. She is at the cutting edge of legal scholarship in land use, urban policy, and housing. Been writes about land use and housing policy, the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause, environmental justice, and fair housing. She is the co-author of a leading land use casebook, Land Use Controls, with Robert Ellickson, Rick Hills and Christopher Serkin. Been’s current research focuses on the public policy aspects of the mortgage finance crisis, the effect of the housing crisis on Black and Latino families, the role of zoning and other regulations in shaping development patterns, and historic preservation. In February 2012, the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, which Been co-directs, was named a recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions in recognition of the Furman Center’s excellence in providing objective, policy-relevant research to address the challenges facing neighborhoods in New York City and across the nation.
Liz Danzico is part designer, part educator, and part editor. In her practice, she cultivates strategic design and user-centered programs through collaborative methods in education, in digital design, and in technology to foster positive change. She is co-founder and chair of the MFA in Interaction Design Program at the School of Visual Arts. She is an independent consultant, working with businesses on design, planning, and execution of short- and long-term digital programs for global companies and nonprofit organizations. She is advisor to startups, nonprofits, and global companies alike and frequent lecturer. She has written for design-minded publications, including Eye Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Interactions Magazine, and writes part of her time at bobulate.com.
Adriene Holder serves as Attorney-in-Charge of the Civil Practice of The Legal Aid Society, and is responsible for managing the provision of comprehensive civil legal services through a network of 25 neighborhood offices courthouse based offices, and specialized city-wide units serving all five boroughs of New York City for the oldest and largest provider of legal services for low income individuals and families in the United States. The Civil Practice works on over 43,000 civil matters yearly. In addition to her formal duties, Adriene also serves as an executive member on several boards, is actively involved with not-for-profits, and in 2002 was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to serve as a Tenant Representative on the New York City Rent Guidelines Board.
Jeff Lai is a creative director and graphic designer. He started his studio, Office of Jeff in 2004 and works with clients in every industry across a broad range of media including print, motion, and digital. He has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design and Pratt Institute. Office of Jeff worked on What is Affordable Housing?, Bodega Down Bronx, Making Policy Public, and the Zoning toolkit with CUP.
Leah Obias is Campaigns Coordinator and Case Worker for Damayan Migrant Workers Association, a grassroots, membership-based organization of Filipino women domestic workers and other low-wage migrant workers in the New York City area. Leah was a founding member of the youth organization Ugnayan, where she worked on local youth-centered programs addressing issues of cultural identity, education and family separation, and helped to develop the organization’s first youth restaurant worker campaign on wage theft. As Damayan’s campaign coordinator, Leah directly supports members with cases while connecting them to larger organizing efforts and advocacy on wage theft, trafficking, and the proper valuation of domestic work as women’s work. Through Damayan’s leadership in the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Leah has also been active in national efforts to build the power of domestic workers and expand workers’ right to organize across different industries.
Eddie Opara was born in Wandsworth, London in 1972. He studied graphic design at the London College of Printing and Yale University, where he received his MFA in 1997. He began his career as a designer at ATG and Imaginary Forces and worked as a senior designer/art director at 2×4 before establishing his own studio, The Map Office, in 2005. He joined Pentagram’s New York office as partner in October 2010. Opara is a multi-faceted designer whose work encompasses strategy, design and technology. His projects have included the design of brand identity, publications, packaging, environments, exhibitions, interactive installations, websites, user interfaces and software, with many of his projects ranging across multiple media. Opara is a visiting critic at Yale University and teaches narrative design at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. He has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, the Columbia University School of Architecture and the Yale University School of Art. He currently serves on the board of the New York Chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design.
Maria Popova (@brainpicker) is the founder and editor of Brain Pickings. She writes for Wired UK, The Atlantic, and Design Observer, among others, and is an MIT Futures of Entertainment Fellow.
Damaris Reyes is the Executive Director of Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES). A lifelong resident of the Lower East Side, she has been involved in community organizing and housing issues both locally and nationally for more than a decade. Under Reyes’ leadership, GOLES expanded the scope of its work to include, land use, environmental public health, and economic justice. Her commitment to working collectively to organize and to build power for low-income communities of color in the decision-making that shapes the future of their lives and the Lower East Side neighborhood brought the organization into a pivotal role on a range of key issues including the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, Living Wage, and the redevelopment of the East River Waterfront. Reyes currently sits on the board of the Association for Neighborhood Housing and Development, the advisory board for the Center for Neighborhood Leadership, and the Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee of Manhattan Community Board 3. She is the recipient of the 2006 New York Women’s Foundation’s Helen La Kelly Hunt Neighborhood Leadership Award, the 2008 Urban Agenda Visionary Award, and the proud winner of the 2009 Jane Jacobs Medal from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Municipal Arts Society.
Andrew Sloat is a graphic designer and filmmaker. His studio makes books, identities, educational videos, ads, and websites for non-profits, cultural institutions, and corporate clients. He lives and works in Brooklyn, is active in local and state-level good-government activism, and teaches in the graphic design MFA program at RISD.
Valeria Treves is the Executive Director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), a community based organization and workers center in Jackson Heights Queens that works to ensure that new immigrants can build social, political and economic power in their communities and beyond. As Executive Director, Valeria has overseen the transition of NICE into a member led organization streamlining programs and campaigns to more closely fit the needs of the member base, newly arrived low wage undocumented immigrants working in the unregulated sectors of the construction, domestic work, and service industries. Prior to coming to NICE in 2006, Valeria worked as an Adjunct Lecturer at Hunter College-CUNY and was an adjunct organizer for the PSC-CUNY. Before that she worked as a Middle School Teacher in Oakland, California and was active in teacher organizing in the fight against high-stakes standardized testing. Valeria holds an M.A. in Geography from Hunter College-CUNY and a B.A. in Development Studies from UC Berkeley. Valeria is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina and grew up in Mexico, Argentina and Los Angles, CA.
Elizabeth C. Yeampierre is a Puerto Rican civil rights attorney of African and Indigenous ancestry born and raised in New York City. She is Executive Director of UPROSE, Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community based organization. Her vision for an inter-generational, multi-cultural and community led organization is the driving force behind UPROSE; she is a long-time advocate and trailblazer for community organizing around sustainable just development in Sunset Park. She holds a BA from Fordham University and a law degree from Northeastern University.