Join us Thursday, September 18, from 6 to 8 pm at the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson. Meet some of Dallas–Fort Worth’s most inspiring and innovative industry leaders, all under one roof.
Creative Career Corner: Your Questions Answered is designed for everyone—from students just starting out to seasoned professionals. It’s a chance to meet, network, and learn from experts in design, tech, AI, innovation, and the arts while sparking new opportunities.
You’ll have the chance for one-on-one conversations with creative and tech professionals, matched to the people you’re most interested in meeting. To keep the energy going, we’ll have tasty snacks and beverages, plus a dedicated event photographer capturing the evening. A photo gallery link will be sent out after the event, and you can stop by the photo booth for some fun shots and exclusive AIGA merch.
Most importantly, you’ll experience the big AIGA energy we’re known for—so bring your questions, your curiosity, and your business cards.
Check out our lineup of experts and mentors below and register today!
Cimone Key founded CK Creative Agency, formerly known as Cimone Key Creative Studio, at the age of 24. Her agency serves companies such as Intuit, Amazon, Palo Alto Networks, Neiman Marcus, Sally Beauty, Capital One and more. Growing up from coast to coast and with roots extending back to Germany, she encountered countless people, cultures, and art, helping her along the way to grasp different views in the world of design. In 2020, she was marked “legendary” by the Fortune 500 company Intuit®, comparing her to Mark Zuckerberg with Facebook, Jennifer Carter Fleiss with Rent the Runway, and Palmer Luckey with Oculus VR. With a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Cimone seeks to bring her intersectional identity and unique perspective to all the projects she and her team take on.
Lizz is a seasoned Creative Director adept at brand consulting, creative direction, and strategic planning. Skilled in leading and mentoring teams, she has spearheaded successful digital media campaigns and executed brand refresh initiatives across corporate in-house, retail, agency and nonprofit environments. Her expertise lies in conceptual strategies, visual storytelling, brand standards, and cross-functional collaboration to achieve institutional goals. In her spare time she’s chasing down great coffee, exploring new eateries, vintage treasures, museums and new travel destinations (I love cities!).
Nate Jones is a curious and enthusiastic creative leader dedicated to making exceptional work and inspiring fellow creatives to embrace new adventures. With a strong belief that most problems can be solved through great design, Nate combines research, craft, open collaboration, and boundless creativity to drive meaningful impact. His creative career spans disciplines across graphic and brand design, film and television production, motion graphics, illustration, entertainment, and UX Design. He has helped shape brands and drive growth for clients such as Cavender’s and Deloitte, while contributing to and leading teams at Pizza Hut, Capital One, Fidelity Charitable, and Sabre. Nate is passionate about mentoring others, fostering creative growth, and building high-performing teams that deliver outstanding results.
John is a Senior Art Director at Panini America with 15+ years of experience designing collectible trading cards for MLB, the NFL, and the NBA. He also works as a freelance illustrator for clients including NPR, ESPN, and the Biden–Harris Administration.
Paula Rusk is a creative leader with 32 years of experience in brand building, visual direction, and creative strategy. As Vice President of Creative at Baby360, a health education agency specializing in the maternity experience, she oversees creative direction for the brand and leads a team in designing and customizing products for over 3,300 healthcare facilities across the U.S. Her work at Baby360 spans a wide range of media, from videos and digital apps to websites, social media, and print materials.
Before joining Baby360, Paula was Creative Director at Pier 1 Imports, where she was instrumental in shaping the brand’s creative vision for print and digital campaigns. She managed everything from art direction for photoshoots, catalog design, and email and website design, to in-store signage and loyalty programs.
Throughout her career, Paula has partnered with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to implement business strategies, improve creative workflows, and achieve profitability. She is known for her ability to blend insight, strategy, and design to tell cohesive stories and build strong brand identities.
Paula is passionate about sharing her career journey to inspire others.
Kaya is a Senior UX/UI Designer at JPMorgan Chase with over a decade of multidisciplinary experience spanning graphic design, branding, photography, videography, and UX. She brings a unique perspective to digital problem-solving and currently specializes in fintech within the customer identity and authentication space. She crafts high-fidelity, user-centered solutions that balance business objectives with usability and security. Kaya thrives in open collaboration with product owners and stakeholders, delivering functional, intuitive, and impactful designs. Passionate about creative growth, networking, and mentorship, she is dedicated to designing experiences that not only meet user needs but also enrich people’s lives in meaningful ways.
Jimmy is a creative director with 25+ years of experience leading award-winning work at advertising agencies and building high-performing in-house teams. He has helped over 100 brands, from start-ups to global icons, including Jack Daniel’s, GameStop, Texas Tourism, and Vari (formerly VariDesk). Today, he focuses on brand development, integrated marketing campaigns, and AI-empowered creative solutions that blend human imagination with tomorrow’s technology.
Andrew is a Executive Director and Transformation Leader with 20+ years of global experience spanning finance, technology, government, logistics, telecom, healthcare, life sciences, and insurance. He blends UX/Product leadership with deep enterprise Agile expertise to drive organizational change and measurable performance. Andrew has led initiatives for Fortune 100/500 companies and institutions including The World Bank, FedEx, Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. A founding member of Agile Uprising, he’s also an enterprise and career coach known for mentoring teams through complex modernization. A creative and content creator, Andrew shares practical insights with the community through talks and thought leadership. People-first, tech-savvy, and collaborative, he brings clear thinking and strong interpersonal skills to every engagement.
Ashley is a Lead UX Designer with over 15+ years’ experience with big travel brands like Travelocity and Southwest Airlines. Her passion is solving complicated Customer problems and building approachable, easy to use, and joyful end-to-end digital Customer experiences.
Maria is a Senior Creative with over a decade of experience shaping how big brands like Michaels, JCPenney, and Academy Sports + Outdoors connect with their audiences. Fascinated by storytelling, culture, and the ways communication shapes how people experience brands — she is always exploring new ideas and learning on the go, so she is great at helping creatives navigate career challenges and discover what’s possible in corporate creativity.
Nicolle is the Creative Director at Acuity Marketing, where she helps audiology clinics tell their stories in fresh and meaningful ways. With two decades of experience in creative strategy and design, she’s learned how to balance big-picture vision with the details that drive results. Nicolle loves sharing her journey with mentees, encouraging them to trust their creativity, stay curious, and always connect their work back to people.
Aneil is a multidisciplinary design lead whose journey began with a deep curiosity for how creative problem-solving can push beyond conventional limits. Inspired by a resourceful upbringing and moments of everyday innovation—like watching his mother’s creative fixes—he first pursued architecture before discovering a passion for graphic design at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. With a background spanning architecture, industrial design, and visual communications, Aneil brings expertise in UX/UI, design thinking, and user-centric strategy. He has led innovation and delivered impactful digital experiences across global markets, and remains committed to embedding user-centered cultures within organizations. Today, Aneil continues to shape the future of design by creating visionary products that elevate brands and enrich customer experiences.
For a long time now, Adam Polansky has been closing the gap between ideas and reality. He has been both a UX Director and a Principal UX Strategist with companies like Sabre and Bottle Rocket working for clients like Marriott Bonvoy, Texas Instruments, and Radio City Entertainment. A dedicated storyteller, teacher, mentor, and UX community member, he’s written multiple articles, run workshops, and spoken at events worldwide. He’s co-founded and helped coordinate several events where you’re as likely to find him backstage as on-stage. Adam is a contributing author to Usability Success Stories: How Organizations Improve by Making Easier-To-Use Software and Websites (Rutledge 2006). He lives in McKinney, Texas with his family and two black cats and is currently a Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Scott is a seasoned Creative Director, artist and business owner with over 20 years of experience in experiential and brand design. His career has been defined by bringing brands to life across physical, digital, and print environments—blending strategic vision with bold creative execution. With deep expertise in experiential design, Scott has led the development of immersive brand moments, large-scale graphics, and environments that resonate with audiences and elevate the identity of organizations. As a leader, he has built and mentored high-performing creative teams, fostered collaborative cultures, and guided projects from concept through execution—always focused on clarity, impact, and meaningful storytelling. Whether shaping a brand’s identity or orchestrating complex design programs, he brings a hands-on, results-driven approach to every engagement.
