Join us for an evening of mentor meetings to level up your career. Mentorship offers an opportunity to learn from the experiences, mistakes and successes of industry professionals. Good mentorship can be the difference between having an average career and finding exponential growth and success.

Mentor Matchmaking is an annual AIGA event designed to connect you with industry mentors. Attendees will select preferred mentors based on professional interests and goals, and meet one-on-one with each paired mentor for 15 minutes. Be prepared to discuss your dreams, fears, goals and career aspirations, but please don't prepare to share your portfolio -- this is not a portfolio review or job fair. If both you and a mentor feel that there is a perfect match after meeting, we will facilitate an exchange of contact information post-event for you to keep in touch.

Tickets are limited and always sell out quickly! Register today to secure your spot! Registration closes on Monday, February 8th or when tickets sell out, whichever happens first.

2021 Mentors

Alex Lazaris

Creative Director + Founder @ Lazaris / Creative Director @ Twitch / Lead Visual Designer @ Mavenlink / Art Director @ VML / Digital Strategist + Senior Brand Launch Director @ One Fast Buffalo

Ariel Martin

Experience Director @ projekt202 / Creative Director @ Nobilis Health Corp. / Associate Creative Director @ The Integer Group / Past Board Member @ AIGA DFW

Becky Sherman

Director of User Experience @ American Airlines / User Experience Manager @ Siemens PLM Software / Director of User Experience @ ReachLocal / Director of eBusiness @ MetroPCS/ Usability Manager @ Blockbuster / User Experience Manager @ JCPenney

Christopher Robin Roberts

Co-Founder @ Service Design Dallas / Senior Experience Design Lead @ Capital One / User Experience Design Manager @ Texas Instruments / Industrial Designer @ Compaq ESG

Dawn Davidson

VP of Advertising @ Alpha Business Images / Principal + CCO @ Break of Day Design / Traditional + Digital Design / Strategist / Speaker / Advocate

Holly Aguilar

Sr. Art Director @ Balcom Agency / Art Director @ Caremark / Web Designer @ Arthur Anderson

James Utley

Principal, Product Design @ Dialexa / Senior User Experience Designer @ Thomson Reuters / User Experience Designer @ Union Leasing / User Experience Architect @ tekzenit, Inc.

Jessica Gavit

Designer + Director @ Gavit Design / Adjunct Teacher @ TAMU-C / Art Director @ Switch Creative Group / Designer @ The Richards Group / Printmaker @ Hatch Showprint

John Mata

Freelance Illustrator and Art Director @ Panini America / Owner @ Eight Zero Creative / Intern @ Fossil

JR Arebalo

Principal & Creative Director @ Path Creative / Creative Director @ American Airlines / Art Director @ Benoit Design

Keisha Whaley

Founder & CEO @ Brass Tacks Collective / Art Director & Digital Strategist @ LDWWgroup

Kishya Greer

Founder & Designer @ The Great Exhibition / Squarespace Developer @ Presence Agency / Freelance Senior Multimedia Designer & Art Director @ First Command Financial Services, Inc. / Freelance Graphic Designer @ Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas / Freelance Art Director @ Bell Flight / Art Director @ Aidmatrix / Art Director/Designer @ The Starr Conspiracy

Manuel Herrera

Creative Director @ TapGoods / Creative Director @ TracyLocke / Creative Director @ MEplusYOU Agency / Adjunct Professor @ University of Texas at Arlington / Lead Senior Designer @ NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Nicolle Wilson

Creative Director @ Gamestop / International Creative Manager @ Neiman Marcus / International Creative Manager @ Land's End / Luxury Brands Creative Director @ Fossil

Nikhil Dev

Co-Founder & Designer @ Sprout by Intuit / Senior Product Designer @ Intuit / User Experience Designer @ Cisco Systems / User Experience Designer @ Althea Systems

Ramsey Ruelas

Independent Motion Designer @ RuelasCreative / Motion Graphic Designer @ RBMM / President @ DSVC / Chair @ National Student Show / UI Designer @ [x]Cube Labs / Senior Motion Graphic Designer @ Janimation / Host @ Rough Talks

Roneka Patterson

Associate Creative Director @ Hawkeye / Photographer @ Roneka Patterson Photography / Senior Art Director @ Publicis Hawkeye / Senior Art Director @ Cards Direct / Art Director @ Moroch Partners

Stephen Holland

Senior Manager of UX + Product Management @JCPenney / Adjunct Professor of Mobile App Design @ UTA / VP of User Experience @ JPMorgan Chance / Director of UX @ Elevate / VP and Creative Director of Tablet and Mobile Design @ Citi / UX Strategy Director @ Bottle Rocket / Group Creative Director @ YOUplusME / Director of Global UX Strategy and Design @ Nokia / Creative Director @ Verizon / Creative Lead @ Viant / Creative Director @ Broadcast.com

Sung Kim

Lead Product Designer @ Amazon / Founder @ Gestures, Inc. / Chief Product Officer @ CoffeePass / Chief Product Officer @ PediaQ / Senior UX & UI Designer @ Samsung / Senior Designer @ Rockfish Interactive / Senior Digital Art Director @ Integer Group

Whitney Holden

Creative Director @ Dodd Creative / Design Studio Supervisor @ Mary Kay / Adjunct Professor @ UTA / Past Board Member @ AIGA DFW

Willie Baronet

Stan Richards Professor in Creative Advertising @ SMU / Advisory Board Member @ AIGA DFW / Creator @ WE ARE ALL HOMELESS/ “Signs of Humanity” documentary / Owner & Executive Creative Director @ GroupBaronet / AIGA Fellow Award

The mentor list is subject to change and, depending on demand, getting assigned to meet all three of your preferred mentors is not guaranteed.

Getting There

The event will be hosted online via Zoom. Once registered, you will receive an email the day of the event and 15 minutes before the event goes live. All the Zoom details will be included in the email.

You MUST be registered via Eventbrite through our website to get the email. RSVP’s on LinkedIn or Facebook only do not count for entry.

Accessibility

This is a virtual event with Zoom. Zoom offers advanced accessibility features that can be found here.

Your registration constitutes permission to use photos, audio and video recording taken of you at the event for promotional and educational purposes in connection with AIGA, corresponding publications, archives, and online. Ticket rates are based on AIGA membership status at the time of registration. AIGA Memberships are non-transferable.