From trivia-fueled pool parties in Miami to five-tier pyramids sketched out on cocktail napkins, Jacksonville brought the fun and the leadership to AIGA retreats. In this episode, we’re joined by longtime partners-in-crime Karen Kurycki (aka CMYKaren) and Varick Rosete (TigerLily Chief Design Officer) to relive the wild, heartfelt, and often hilarious stories from their years leading the Jacksonville design community. These two have done it all—presidents, mentors, party planners, pyramid architects—and their chapter motto said it best: “Have fun. Get sh*t done.”

Key Takeaways:

• How a bag of Pringles sparked a legendary retreat icebreaker 
• Why Miami might actually be the birthplace of the pyramid (sorry, Omaha)
• The mysterious origins of the 6 a.m. Club and why it still lives on
• Behind the scenes of Jacksonville’s epic “room parties” (and why they weren’t really in Jacksonville’s room)
• Building lasting community impact—from high school mentorship programs to 70+ chapter events a year

It’s a trip down memory lane that shows how design leadership is equal parts planning, partying, and people-first community building.

Key Moments in This Episode

1. 00:16 – Meet the Jacksonville duo: Karen “CMYKaren” Kurycki and Varick Rosete, design leaders known for blending creativity, leadership, and community.
2. 02:21 – Karen’s AIGA journey: From volunteer chair to chapter president to launching the Discover Design mentorship program.
3. 05:19 – Varick’s fast track: How a love for connecting people turned into a leap from membership to VP to president.
4. 06:45 – Miami retreat memories: Poolside beers, Pringles trivia, and the surprising birthplace of the pyramid.
5. 10:14 – Pyramid engineering: Napkin sketches, five-tier ambitions, and why security guards weren’t amused.
6. 12:00 – Masked introductions: Jacksonville’s Michael Jackson masks made a memorable (and sweaty) first impression.
7. 13:41 – Crashing retreats: How Varick became known for sneaking into leadership gatherings without a badge.
8. 19:14 – Designing for good: Karen shares how social design talks inspired a decade-long mentorship program in Jacksonville.
9. 26:40 – The Jacksonville party myth: Why their chapter became legendary for gatherings—even when they weren’t technically the hosts.
10. 29:54 – The 6 a.m. Club: The origin story of an all-night tradition that stretched across multiple retreats.
11. 37:23 – 76 events in one year: The ambitious streak that energized (and nearly exhausted) AIGA Jacksonville.
12. 40:16 – Beyond AIGA: How both leaders continue to shape community after their official chapter roles.

About our guests

Karen Kurycki – Designer, illustrator, and socially engaged creative known for her watercolor work and civic design projects. Former AIGA Jacksonville president and creator of Discover Design, a mentorship program for students.

Varick Rosete – Chief Design Officer at TigerLily, longtime Jacksonville design leader, and former AIGA Jacksonville president. Known for connecting cultural resonance with design and building community through events like One Spark Festival.

Featuring

• Guest Karen Kurycki, connect on LinkedIn
• Guest Varick Rosete, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

Design leadership with heart—and a healthy dose of activism. Michele Cooper and Kelly Holohan dive into how they transformed AIGA Philadelphia from nearly invisible to a powerhouse of community, mentorship, and thoughtful fun. Expect stories of financial discoveries, grassroots programming, and leadership that’s as thoughtful as it is rebellious.

Key Takeaways

• How two Philly designers turned a chapter with little visibility into a thriving creative hub
• Why uncovering hidden membership funds changed everything for programming
• The origin story of the Philadelphia Design Awards and how it elevated local work
• What really happened at the Miami retreat hot tub (and why Kelly thought, “I’m too old for this”)
• How chapter skits, stunts, and T-shirt performances built camaraderie across cities
• The leadership secret: motivating volunteers by tapping into their personal “why”
• How Philly grew its membership from the 500s to nearly 800 with bold, people-first strategies

Episode Chapters

1. 00:46 – Meet Kelly Holohan: Designer‑activist, educator, former AIGA Philly president focused on LGBTQ+, women’s rights, and environmental justice.  
2. 01:15 – Meet Michele Cooper: AIGA stalwart since 1999, diversity champion, design director, and partner at Cooper Graphic Design.  
3. 02:59 – How they joined AIGA: Kelly joined via a committee invite post‑Manhattan; Michele got propelled into leadership just months after attending.  
4. 07:50 – Money moves: Amy Davis discovered where the membership revenue was hiding—suddenly, AIGA Philly finally had funds.  
5. 09:27 – Programming boom: New funds launched student tours, “New to You” series, sustainability talks, community‑selected speakers like Saul Bass’s designer and Michael Bierut.  
6. 11:48 – Philadelphia Design Awards born: Post‑presidency, Michele teamed up with Alan Espiritu to launch PDA—the first of its kind.  
7. 24:51 – Retreat life: Leadership retreats were highlighted as “fun college days” compared to the seriousness of conferences.  
8. 25:52 – Miami magic: Kelly remembers an epic hot‑tub night so wild even she thought, “I’m too old for this.”  
9. 28:31 – Chapter playtime: From performance skits to recreating the “Love” statue with chapter T-shirts—the Philly room was the place to be.  
10. 36:17 – Leadership lessons: Kelly discovered how to motivate volunteers by understanding their “why”—a skill that leveled up her teaching leadership.  
11. 47:40 – Membership surge: Through their energetic recruiting and programming, Philly soared from the 500s to nearly 800 members.  

About Our Guests

Kelly Holohan – Designer-activist, educator (Tyler School of Art), and founder of movements like We the Women and Sisters in Solidarity. Her design work spans exhibitions and collections—from LGBTQ+ advocacy to global exhibits. As AIGA Philadelphia’s president (2007–2009), she melded activism with community.  

Michele Cooper – Longtime AIGA Philly leader (since 1999), past president, founder of the Philly Design Awards, and 2019 Fellow Award recipient. Co-founder of Cooper Graphic Design, Michele champions social justice through projects like Sisters in Solidarity and postcard campaigns for change. 

Featuring

• Guest Michele Cooper, connect on LinkedIn
• Guest Kelly Holohan, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

Two design leaders, one powerful connector, and a story of mentorship turning into lifelong creative partnership—this episode is a masterclass in community, transformation, and the wild, wonderful culture of design retreats. Hear how cold emails blossomed into careers, how chapter leadership became a training ground for corporate change, and why human pyramids (and arm-wrestling in Denny’s) became legendary.

Key Takeaways

• A cold email changed everything: how Jenny’s outreach to a connector unlocked career-long leadership in AIGA and beyond.
• Mentorship in motion: Doug Powell introduced them, their partnership flourished, and he later reunited them professionally at IBM.
• Volunteer leadership is scalable leadership: Seth’s AIGA experience taught him how to structure repeatable systems—a key skill at IBM.
• Some habits stick: from human pyramid diagrams to impromptu arm-wrestles and Denny’s storylines, design community rituals are unforgettable.
• Retreats are more than meetings—they’re cultural boot camps: from security profiles to nighttime antics and shared rituals, those moments formed their leadership DNA.

Episode Chapters

1. 00:43 – Meet Seth Johnson: Design Director at IBM, educator, and former AIGA Chapter President.   
2. 01:31 – Meet Jenny Price: Global Design Lead Producer at GM, architect of IBM’s first DesignOps community and playbook.  
3. 02:41 – Jenny’s cold email to Doug Powell: The spark that lit her AIGA involvement.  
4. 03:07 – First shared AIGA event: Seth and Jenny both at the same W Hotel event—though hadn’t yet met.  
5. 04:14 – The pivotal introduction: At GAIN 2010, Doug introduced them—setting a path that changed both their careers.  
6. 05:00 – Jenny launches board leadership: Her first AIGA board role—Co‑Director of Education—while still new to Minneapolis.  
7. 07:46 – Seth’s parallel path: Introduced to AIGA through local connections and mentors, moving quickly into chapter leadership.  
8. 11:20 – Seamless partnership: Their roles visually aligned—Jenny succeeding Seth on education, then VP after his presidency.  
9. 15:56 – Reunited at IBM: Doug invites Jenny to help build IBM’s DesignOps community—the AIGA playbook going corporate.  
10. 21:57 – AIGA lessons at scale: Seth reflects how AIGA taught him how to make initiatives repeatable and scalable—critical to his work at IBM.  
11. 34:18 – Leadership retreats get real: Designers are profiled for their habits by hotel security—ugh, wearing human pyramids like a badge of honor.  
12. 36:00 – Human pyramid training: From diagrams in Illustrator to napkin-coded six-tier team builds—a Minnesota tradition.  
13. 43:38 – Denny’s arm wrestle moment: Jenny accidentally flips David out of his chair mid-arm-wrestle; legendary snapshot captured.  

About Our Guests

• Seth Johnson – Design Director at IBM’s Chief Data Office, educator at Parsons and Art Center, former AIGA Minnesota president. Seth’s journey from local volunteer to corporate design leader showcases how leadership in community scales to global impact.  
• Jenny Price – Global Design Lead Producer at General Motors (Craft & Interface), pioneer of DesignOps at IBM (built its community and internal playbook). Her volunteer roots in AIGA helped her architect new systems of design leadership in enterprise contexts.

Featuring

• Guest Jenny Price, connect on LinkedIn
• Guest Seth Johnson, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

Season 1 wasn’t just about retreat tall tales—it was a masterclass in real leadership. In this wrapped-up chat, hosts Rachel and Erik unpack the key lessons that surfaced across the season—from stepping into leadership despite imposter syndrome and the power of a single invitation, to why retreats are where connections happen and how humble gestures become leadership in action. This episode isn’t a recap—it’s a reflection on what it means to lead, together.

Key Takeaways

• You don’t need to feel ready to start leading—action builds confidence.
• An ask is powerful—leadership often begins with someone saying, “Hey, we’d love you here.”
• Retreats shape us more than events do—they’re where people evolve into leaders.
• Small, messy actions matter—gracious leadership often happens offstage.
• People are our legacy—connections outlast work portfolios.
• Mentorship completes the circle—being invited and then inviting others is leadership in motion.
• Season 1 was the structural foundation—and it’s only getting stronger in Season 2.

Episode Chapters

1. 00:02 – Why this episode exists: Rachel shares how reviewing transcripts with GPT revealed stunning leadership insights hidden just below the retreat stories.  
2. 01:11 – Lesson 1: Leadership starts before you feel ready: Imposter vibes are universal, but leadership grows in the doing.  
3. 04:27 – Lesson 2: One invitation can change everything: A simple “Wanna join?” unlocked leadership paths for many guests.  
4. 09:18 – Lesson 3: Retreats aren’t events—they’re origin stories: From Grand Rapids energy to hot tub bonding, these aren’t just trips—they’re accelerators of belonging.  
5. 13:10 – Lesson 4: Real leadership is small, messy & generous: It’s not always the mic, but the unseen gestures—like greeting at the check-in table.  
6. 16:29 – Lesson 5: This community is the product: It’s the people that turn chapters into ecosystems—relationships matter more than portfolios.  
7. 21:05 – Lesson 6: Full-circle moments make it worth it: From mentee to mentor, the loop of giving back is the heartbeat of design community.  
8. 29:48 – Behind the scenes love: Erik and Rachel reflect on how much this podcast—Season 1—has meant to them personally.  
9. 33:22 – What’s next for Season 2: A teaser—returning by August with duo interviews, a bi-weekly rhythm, and subscriber exclusives.  

About the Hosts

Rachel Elnar & Erik Cargill continue their journey shaping Cheers & Tiers, curating design leadership stories with warmth, levity, and honesty. From pulling insights out of transcripts to building community one episode at a time—they lead by listening, storytelling, and lifting others.

Featuring

• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

Meet a powerhouse of clarity, creativity, and community: Kristine Johnson—AIGA chapter ally, brilliant in visual cognition, and master at translating complexity into clarity. In this episode, she shares how she turned $350 into $85,000 in chapter funding, revived legacy programs like Into the Woods, and built youth‑focused impact through the LINC program—all fueled by coffee chats, mentorship, and a network of collaborators.

Key Takeaways

• From empty coffers to capital: Kristine’s bold fundraising turned $350 into $85K—through systems and community trust.
• Mentorship matters: Her success was propelled by energy from the board, mock interviews, and collaborative resilience.
• Retreats made real: Into the Woods connected minds and disciplines via place-based, unplugged creative exploration.
• Impact beyond design: The LINC program reshapes lives—connecting youth in need with arts, scholarships, and hopeful futures.
• Networks as two-way streets: AIGA taught her—as a designer and leader—that giving and receiving in networks is where they thrive.
• Culture happens in hallways: Human pyramids are more than stunts—they’re trust-building team rituals in motion.

Episode Chapters

1. 00:02 – Meet Kristine Johnson: With a background in biocommunications and visual cognition, she yields design strategy with precision—and a champion for equitable storytelling.  
2. 01:17 – Sponsorship transformation: From $350 in the bank to over $85,000—Kristine details how she built a reliable, value-driven funding model.  
3. 03:20 – Mentors & momentum: Her initial fear of fundraising was quelled by smart mentors who leveraged mock interviews and strategy to guide her.  
4. 06:17 – Most memorable retreat: Minneapolis: A jam‑packed content-driven retreat where bonds, frameworks, and inspiration were forged over hallway conversations.  
5. 08:09 – Cross‑chapter collaboration: Seattle and Boston shared programming systems—Business Basics series and email workflows made smarter through shared notes.  
6. 10:37 – Into the Woods: A rustic, unplugged program (formerly Design Camp) that fused disciplines; Kristine helped keep it alive at Sleeping Lady.  
7. 13:44 – Creative unplugged magic: With no screens allowed, Into the Woods featured craft-based learning, intimate talk sessions, and cross-discipline inspiration.  
8. 17:30 – The LINQ program: Kristine’s leadership in the LINC initiative, now in its third year, brings creative workshops and scholarships to underserved youth in Seattle.  
9. 23:27 – The power of networking & contribution: She reflects on how AIGA taught her that giving and receiving in a network are equally vital.  
10. 31:53 – Spontaneous human pyramids: AIGA culture captured in hallway pyramids—impromptu, team-driven, and filmed as instant memories.  

About Our Guest

Kristine Johnson – With an academic foundation in biocommunications and visual cognition, Kristine brings clarity to complexity as a strategist, lecturer, and AIGA board veteran. In Seattle, she served as Sponsorship Director (2009–2014) and chaired the national selection committee. She revitalized chapter funding, collaborated cross-chapter on programming, preserved creative rituals like Into the Woods, and leads the impactful LINC program for youth arts access. 

Featuring

• Guest Kristine Johnson, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

Meet Bernardo Marguils — a design-tech polymath whose journey spans graphic design, computer science, and marketing leadership. Fresh out of school, he dove headfirst into AIGA Philadelphia, learning on the fly, leading transformational board experiments, and turning volunteer roles into career-defining skills. This episode uncovers how messy learning, human pyramids, and hot‑tub jam sessions shape creative leadership.

Key Takeaways

• The best learning happens when you’re thrown in—Bernardo hit the ground running as Sponsorship Chair the week before graduation.
• Failing forward is real: his first sponsorship and fundraising experiments taught him through trial, error, and unexpected wins.
• Rituals matter—a retreat’s pool, hot tub, and Sharpie-fueled room parties are as formative as any workshop.
• AIGA isn’t just volunteering—it’s a network powerful enough to land jobs, schools, and show up at pivotal career moments.
• Real leadership is about creating space—not owning every answer, but asking the right questions and empowering others.
• Coming full circle: from mentee to mentor, Bernardo embodies the continuing ripple of design community giving back.

Episode Chapters

1. 02:04 – The first AIGA chapter – Bernardo reveals that AIGA Philadelphia was established in 1981, making it the first official chapter—sorry, New York.  
2. 03:18 – Calling in fresh – Just before graduation, Bernardo is tapped as Sponsorship Chair—totally unprepared and totally ready.  
3. 07:25 – First fundraiser experiments – Paper show was fading. After apologizing to vendors, he schemes tiered sponsorships: Gold, Silver, Bronze.  
4. 12:58 – Trials and pivots – Experimented with a resource fair instead of a paper show. Though it lost money the first year, success arrived in venue partnerships.  
5. 15:02 – Birthplace of pyramids – Forget Miami—human pyramid legends began in Omaha, not glamorous but wildly memorable.  
6. 19:27 – Retreat learning 101 – At his national board retreat in Miami, he absorbs hundreds of ideas and finds belonging across generations.  
7. 22:13 – Post-conference ritual – Pool > hot tub > late-night sea submerge. No formal room parties, but magic still happened.  
8. 23:48 – Sharpie tactics for room parties – Security kicked them out, so they Sharpied room numbers on wrists and kept the party alive.  
9. 28:21 – AIGA connection networks – A conversation in a Miami cab led to job leads, grad school recommendations, and mentors lining the way.  
10. 29:44 – Leadership with data – Partnering with his VP, he analyzed decade-long board data to reshape recruitment and board participation.  
11. 31:53 – Leadership as facilitation – Bernardo reframed his role as enabling board conversations and experimentation—not doing everything himself.  
12. 37:14 – Mentor turn – Once a mentee, now a mentor in Philly’s mentorship program—full-circle moment.  

About Our Guest

Bernardo Marguils is a creative-leadership chameleon—equally at home in code or composition. Currently the Director of Marketing at Penn Medicine Doylestown Health, he previously engineered at Amazon and served multiple terms on AIGA Philadelphia’s board. From innovating fundraising systems to reshaping how the chapter recruits and leads through data, his background in design, computer science, and strategic facilitation makes him a standout leader. 

Featuring

• Guest Bernardo Margulis, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

When your idea of fun is starting or reviving entire AIGA chapters, you know community is in your DNA. From launching a student group in Colorado to helping restart Seattle, Gage Mitchell has been at the center of design communities wherever he lands. Along the way, he’s pioneered programs like Design for Good and Changemakers, built frameworks like the Path to Impact Workbook, and—of course—helped fuel retreat traditions involving pyramids, cowboy hats, and 6 a.m. send-offs.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership is built by doing: Gage founded or revived multiple AIGA chapters—from his college years onward.
• Rituals spark connection: Human pyramids, 6 a.m. club farewells, and cowboy-themed retreat skits formed strong creative bonds.
• Theory falls flat without practice: He turned abstract sustainability frameworks into tangible tools people can use.
• Design with impact works best when it’s co-created: Changemakers proved design + community = real solutions.
• Start small, scale smart: To restart Seattle, he began simply—with social meetups, delegating, and building momentum.
• Community-making is the finest leadership: Gage’s strength lies in planting ideas and letting the group water them.

Episode Chapters

1. 03:30 – Founding AIGA Fort Collins: Gage jumps into leadership by starting the student chapter mid-college—and becomes president by default.  
2. 09:24 – Saving AIGA Charlotte: Moves post-grad, finds a chapter on the brink of closing, and helps revive it with a new board and events like “Morning Buzz.”  
3. 12:22 – Building in Madison: After a travel hiatus, lands in Madison and steps up as the city rep, building community from scratch.  
4. 14:31 – Seattle board in weeks: Moves northwest, attends an AIGA event within weeks, and joins the Seattle board almost immediately.  
5. 14:42 – First leadership retreat: Recounts his intimidating first retreat—walking in to find hundreds of creatives who instantly felt like friends.  
6. 21:55 – Building the 6 a.m. club: How an early-morning farewell ritual for an ED became an AIGA folklore favorite.  
7. 28:25 – Design for Good gets real: Turning academic frameworks into accessible, practical discussions and workshops attendees can actually use.  
8. 30:29 – Birth of Path to Impact: How merging design, sustainability, inclusion, and good practice led to a chapter-ready workbook supported by a grant.  
9. 38:21 – Launching Changemakers: AIGA Seattle’s program pairing creatives with nonprofits to co-design solutions—real consulting, real change.  
10. 36:51 – Riding stage hobby horses: Leading retreat fun in Dallas: cowboy hats, hobby horses, and stage performances that embed memory and camaraderie.  
11. 45:19 – Restarting AIGA Seattle: Working through legal hurdles to bring the chapter back to life—one coffee meetup at a time.  
12. 47:49 – Pyramid mania: From hotel lobbies to ping-pong bars—structural, impromptu human pyramids served as creative bonding rituals.  

About Our Guest

Gage Mitchell – Founder of Modern Species, advocate for B Corp design ethics, and creative strategist based in Seattle. Gage has a storied history of chapter-building—from Colorado to Charlotte to Madison—and most recently, spearheading the rebirth of AIGA Seattle. He’s fused community energy into frameworks like Design for Good, Changemakers, and the Path to Impact Workbook, grounding activism in accessible design practices. 

Featuring

• Guest Gage Mitchell, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

Meet Victor Davila—a designer, illustrator, professor, and Orlando’s creative catalyst. From co-founding mentorship programs to teaching, retreat‐born innovations, and even community healing after tragedy—Victor’s AIGA journey is rooted in connection, courage, and creative care.

Key Takeaways

• Serve to grow: Victor’s leadership isn’t altruism—AIGA shaped him as much as he shaped it.
• Belonging kicks ego: Whether in introverted rings or human pyramids, design retreats make leaders out of quiet people.
• Design heals: After Pulse, he helped transform grief into creative community care.
• Connection births movement: From AIGA Unidos to Changemakers, new ideas often start with a shared language or spark.
• Dare to assemble your tribe: When voices weren’t available, Victor created Giant Illustrators—a reminder that leadership is sometimes creative self-assembly.

Episode Chapters

1. 01:28 – AIGA roots: Victor joined AIGA Orlando in 2011, stepping into roles from education chair to co-president and president.  
2. 03:08 – Leadership as learning: Through committee roles and retreats, he found AIGA to be a reciprocal growth engine.  
3. 05:04 – Retreat initiation: His first leadership retreat in Philadelphia was a crash course in connection—where introversion met creative community.  
4. 08:22 – Problems, meet purpose: Victor learned to lean outward—advocating for his community removed the glare from self-consciousness.  
5. 10:46 – A network in motion: Juggling boards for AIGA, DEC, Creative Mornings, and UCF, he insists it works when you surround yourself with teammates who catch the ball.  
6. 17:38 – Retreat rituals: Grand Rapids brought bar experiences in a church-turned-bar, human pyramids tall enough to make security sweat, and an unforgettable feeling of belonging.  
7. 21:16 – Designing after tragedy: In Raleigh, news of the Pulse shooting hit. Back home, the chapter organized Love by Design—a community healing event in real time.  
8. 23:45 – Sparks to movements: A Spanish-language moment at a board retreat ignited AIGA Unidos, a space for Spanish-speaking members to feel seen.  
9. 25:37 – Changemakers in action: Orlando adapted Seattle’s model to pair designers with nonprofits for branding sprints—real work, real impact.  
10. 38:16 – Build your tribe: Victor founded Giant Illustrators—a peer network born because he couldn’t find the others; a design family forged by passion.  

About Our Guest

Victor Davila is an Orlando-based illustrator, designer, and associate professor at UCF’s School of Visual Arts and Design. His creative reach spans editorial, animation, games, and children’s books—and his leadership extends across AIGA Orlando, the national board, Creative Mornings Orlando, Giant Illustrators, and design education.  

Featuring

• Guest Victor Davila, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

From check-in desk volunteer to AIGA Fellow, Wendy Quesinberry has seen it all. Known for her sharp branding work and her knack for cultivating community, she steered AIGA Seattle with a “quality over quantity” mindset, brought design legends to town, and later kept the creative spirit alive through casual happy hours. Along the way, she collected retreat stories involving bottle service mishaps, border-crossing bus trips, and the kind of friendships that only grow from late-night design antics.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership often starts at the door—Wendy turned check-in duty into chapter presidency.
• Fewer events, more impact—the power of focused programming over quantity.
• Retreats build culture—beds as seats, quirky bar tales, and creative rituals stick forever.
• AIGA is a test lab—board roles let Wendy rehearse big ideas in a little sandbox.
• Connection heals—her “Happy Hour” created a judgment-free space for reconnection.
• Design community is worth the ride—even across borders (with Bloody Marys in tow).

Episode Chapters

1. 01:42 – From check-in desk to president: How volunteering at the door led Wendy to become Membership Chair (2002–2006) and eventually president of AIGA Seattle.  
2. 04:02 – Retreat theatrics: Her first leadership retreat in Las Vegas featured a hilarious Doctor Phil-style recap of the year.  
3. 05:05 – Letting go is hard: Her final retreat as president was in Miami—she stepped down before the Omaha retreat in 2008.  
4. 06:12 – Bottle service chaos: In Miami, the retreat scene included queen-size beds as seating and an awkward bottle-service fiasco that ended in “room parties.”  
5. 10:25 – Quality over quantity: Early in her presidency, Wendy trimmed the chapter’s event calendar in favor of fewer, more meaningful gatherings featuring luminaries like Stefan Sagmeister and Marty Neumeier.  
6. 12:14 – Hosting visiting design heroes: She’d chaperone guest speakers like Gail Anderson and Louise Fili—taking care of logistics, dinners, and even paying for parking.  
7. 16:35 – Starting her studio in a recession: Post-graduation, Wendy launched Q&A during a recession, slowly building a client list from freelancing into a full studio.  
8. 18:32 – AIGA as leadership sandbox: She used chapter board roles to experiment creatively and strategically—without risk to her studio.  
9. 19:22 – “Creative People Doing Happy Hour”: Born from pandemic-era longing for connection, this relaxed monthly meetup helped rebuild community energy in Seattle.  
10. 30:30 – AIGA road trip to Vancouver: Seattle designers rented buses to a conference in Vancouver, wore custom “AIG-EH” tees, and crossed the border quite tipsy. Legend.  

About Our Guest

Wendy Quesinberry is the Principal of Quesinberry & Associates (Q&A), a boutique branding firm in Seattle. With three decades of experience, she has guided major clients like Microsoft, Amazon, UPS, and the Gates Foundation. Wendy served as AIGA Seattle president (2006–2008), directed the 2015 Redesign Awards, and was honored as a 2019 AIGA Fellow. She’s also taught at Cornish College of the Arts and continues to cultivate design community through initiatives like her popular “Creative People Doing Happy Hour.”  

Featuring

• Guest Wendy Quesinberry, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research

Meet Frances Yllana—a branding sage, community builder, design operations leader, and the kind of person who’ll rip apart a hotel sink to save a wedding ring. Over a decade of service with AIGA shaped her journey from volunteer communicator to a civic tech dream job leading design operations. Expect heartfelt stories, civic design in action, and the reminder that taking things apart isn’t always about breaking—they’re just making space for someone else.

Key Takeaways

• Cold outreach can spark a decade of growth—Frances started with a simple “Can I help?” and ended creating a chapter-wide strategy.
• Leadership isn’t about titles—it’s connection, surveys to figure out hugging styles, and carrying bananas for fun.
• Retreat rituals make the chapter culture—whether it’s portable props or deconstructing plumbing, those are the memories that stick.
• You can’t fire volunteers—but you can empower them. Boards teach systems thinking and collaboration.
• Civic impact scales—Design for Democracy turned creative energy into change, from posters to get-out-the-vote campaigns.
• Volunteering builds access—AIGA introduced Frances to opportunities, mentors, and eventual design operations leadership.

Episode Chapters

1. 02:08 – From zero to communications chair: Frances cold-called AIGA DFW and landed the communications director role—then VP—all in one year.
2. 03:47 – Membership boost via programming: She and the president doubled events and tripsled control—membership jumped from 70 to 150.
3. 05:44 – Retreats change everything: Her first leadership retreat “opened the all-access pass”—introductions, inspiration, and belonging.
4. 10:19 – Huggers vs side-huggers survey: At the Philadelphia retreat, she collected field notes to see who was a big-bear hugger—and used it as an ice-breaker.
5. 12:21 – That inflated banana: A strange prop at a presidents panel turned into her signature retreat sidekick.
6. 14:46 – Sink disassembly saves the day: When a friend lost her ring in the bathroom, Frances disassembled the sink—no tools—found the ring in the trash. 
7. 18:09 – Leadership lessons: you can’t fire volunteers: AIGA taught her humility—collaboration matters more than control.
8. 20:23 – Stepping stones to design ops: Her board leadership paved a path to build systems and structures—naturally shifted into design operations.
9. 26:25 – Design for Democracy impact: She led “get-out-the-vote” poster campaigns and civic design projects that made voting accessible and inspiring.
10. 30:43 – AIGA opened new doors: A reference from AIGA leadership connected her to her current DesignOps role at Coforma—design, civic tech, operations, all in one.
11. 34:38 – AIGA is about belonging: Whether couch-hopping in new cities or inside jokes over mispronounced names, the AIGA network is home.

About Our Guest

Frances Yllana is a design and community strategist turned Principal Manager of Design Operations at Coforma, leading civic-tech design with empathy and structure. Her decade-long AIGA journey—from communicator to President’s Council Chair and co-chair of Design for Democracy—fuelled both personal growth and professional evolution. 

Featuring

• Guest Frances Yllana, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedIn
• Host Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedIn

Support the Show

• Theme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic Oceans
• Produced by Chapter 2 Media
• Subscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updates

Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research