In this episode of Ladies Who Create, co-hosts Jess Rosenberg and Liz Meyer sit down with Diana Mounter, Head of Design at GitHub. Diana shares her journey from an apprenticeship in print design to leading design at one of the world’s most respected tech platforms. She opens up about navigating the transition into leadership, balancing deep work with structure, and the importance of cultivating a strong team culture. Diana also talks about the challenges of pitching ideas to executives, fostering creativity at all levels, and how community plays a critical role in her process. Whether you're curious about design leadership or looking for insights into stepping into a bigger role, this episode is full of valuable wisdom and candid advice. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on design, leadership, and finding balance in both work and life.

On this International Women’s Day, we’re thrilled to launch Season 2 of Ladies Who Create with an episode that celebrates innovation, resilience, and the power of female leadership. In this inspiring conversation, our guest Rachel Gogel shares her unique journey—from growing up in the vibrant cultural landscape of Paris to making a remarkable mark as a creative leader in the U.S. Rachel opens up about her rapid ascent to art director in her 20s and how her diverse experiences have shaped her career.

She delves into the evolution of fractional leadership and explains how designing your time intentionally can transform not only your professional life but also your personal well-being. Rachel’s insights reveal the value of embracing flexible work models that empower women to lead, mentor, and advocate for pay equity while staying true to their creative passions. 

Join us as we explore the intersections of culture, creativity, and leadership on a day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women everywhere.

Tune in for a conversation that’s both a celebration and a call to action, inspiring women to carve their own paths and redefine what it means to lead with purpose.

About Rachel:
Rachel Gogel (she/her) is an independent creative executive whose career has followed the rise and dominance of an entire era of digital design. Since founding her SF-based consultancy in 2020, she has brought her expertise to both major companies like Dropbox and women-founded ventures such as Chicken & Egg Films. Currently serving as an interim creative director at Airbnb, Rachel brings strategic leadership to global organizations on a fractional basis while exploring the dynamic intersection of design, culture, and technology. Before launching her business, she built multidisciplinary teams at GQ, The New York Times, Facebook, and Godfrey Dadich. Passionate about nurturing the next generation of creative talent, Rachel divides her time between consulting and education. She teaches Career Design Lab at California College of the Arts’ DMBA program and offers an on-demand course through the School of The New York Times. Her commitment to mentorship extends through platforms like ADPList, Talk To A Creative Director, and AIGA NY, building on her role as AIGA SF’s Women in Leadership & Design chair (2021–24). A queer advocate championing marginalized voices, Rachel addresses industry inequities through speaking engagements, published writing, and active involvement in purpose-driven initiatives. Recognized on Forbes and Inc.’s “30 under 30” lists, she later earned a 2022 Webby nomination for spearheading the Departures rebrand. Her insights have been featured in PRINT, Creative Review, Fast Company, and Design by Women. After hours, you can find Rachel museum hopping, playing basketball, or plotting her eventual return to her beloved hometown of Paris.

rachelgogel.com

@rgogel (IG, Threads, X)

rachelgogel.bsky.social (Bluesky)

In this special season finale episode of 'Ladies Who Create,' Liz Meyer and Jess Rosenberg interview the extraordinary Jessica Hische live from Figma's Config 2024 conference. They discuss her early career, the spirit of generosity in the design community, and balancing a thriving career with family life.

More about Jessica:
Jessica Hische is a lettering artist, illustrator, and author based in Oakland, California. After graduating from Tyler School of Art in 2006, she worked at Headcase Design and Louise Fili Ltd. before going freelance in 2009. Her Daily Drop Cap project, where she created a new illustrative letter daily, significantly boosted her career. Jessica is known for her side projects like "Mom This is How Twitter Works" and "Should I Work for Free?" She coined the term “procrastiworking” and is active in the design community, serving on the Type Directors Club board and speaking at events worldwide. Her clients include Wes Anderson, USPS, Tiffany & Co., and more. Jessica has been recognized by Forbes, Print Magazine, and Adweek, and has authored best-selling children's books and "In Progress."

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Threads 

In this episode, hosts Liz Meyer and Jess Rosenberg sit down with the incredibly talented Maya Ealey, a prolific brand designer, illustrator, and author who has left her mark on some of the most beloved products in the tech industry (Getaround, Lyft, Asana, Square, and Yahoo - to name just a few!) Maya shares invaluable advice for aspiring creatives, insights into balancing client expectations with artistic vision, and exercises that help her hone her craft. Dive deep into the creation of her impactful book, "The Anti-Racist Vocab Guide: An Illustrated Introduction to Dismantling Anti-Blackness" and explore her thoughts on delivering powerful messages through her work.

More about Maya:
Maya Ealey is an author and multi-hyphenate creative leader based in sunny SF Bay Area specializing in art direction, brand design and illustration. Her love for color, technology, representation and nostalgia is reflected throughout her work. Maya is currently a Brand Design Lead at Yahoo where she's focused on brand evolution and expression across Yahoo's product ecosystem. Outside of her 9-5, she also maintains an independent practice as an editorial illustrator, working for a number of clients — including Harvard Business Review, The HuffPost, Independent Magazine, Rebel Girls, Apple, Eddie Bauer and Another Planet Entertainment. Her book, "The Anti-Racist Vocab Guide: An Illustrated Introduction to Dismantling Anti-Blackness" is available for purchase here.

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Website
Twitter

In this fun and engaging episode of Ladies Who Create, hosts Liz Meyer and Jess Rosenberg sit down with the dynamic duo Amy and Jen Hood, the brilliant minds behind Hoodzpah, a Southern California branding and design agency. The Hood sisters share their inspiring journey, detailing their work with industry giants like Google, Disney, and Target. They also delve into their passion for empowering startups through hands-on workshops and their acclaimed book, "Freelance Business and Stuff." Join the conversation to hear about their creative highs and lows, surprising career shifts, and insights on staying motivated and connected within the design community.

Website: https://hoodzpahdesign.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/hoodzpahdesign

In this episode of 'Ladies Who Create,' hosts Liz Meyer and Jess Rosenberg engage in a captivating conversation with Kelin Carolyn Zhang, a dynamic designer who has transitioned seamlessly from roles in the tech and design fields to running a successful independent practice. Kelin shares her unique career trajectory, including her time at Ueno, her impactful experiences at Twitter, and how generative AI has revolutionized her creative process. Discover the inspiring stories behind her latest innovative projects like Poetry Camera and learn how strategic career decisions and the influence of AI have profoundly shaped her path. Tune in for an insightful discussion full of inspiration and practical advice for any creative professional.

More about Kelin:
Kelin Carolyn Zhang is an independent designer, artist, and educator creating software with a soul. Her client practice focuses on 0-to-1 design and prototyping for novel AI products. She is also one of the creators of Poetry Camera, a camera that prints poems of what it sees. Previously, she led design on Twitter Spaces, taught at School of Visual Arts, and was the first design hire at Ueno. Her past clients include Apple, Google, Meta, Uber, and many early-stage startups. She graduated from MIT with a Bachelor's in Computer Science.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelin-carolyn-zhang-84725521/
Website: https://www.carolynzhang.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/kelin_online

Join us as we dive into the inspiring journey of Sneha Sankar, a leading independent designer. Sneha shares her incredible story of growing up with no designers in her family to becoming an influential figure in the tech and Web3 industries. We discuss her passion for typography, her experiences working in tech companies, and her venture into Web3 projects with her independent design practice. Sneha highlights the importance of mentorship, the power of sharing knowledge, and how she promotes design in various industries. This episode is packed with insights and advice for both seasoned professionals and those just starting out in the creative field. Tune in to learn from Sneha's experiences and how she navigates the evolving landscape of design.

Twitter: https://x.com/snehasanks
Website: https://snehasanks.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snehasanks/

In this episode of 'Ladies Who Create,' hosts Liz Meyer and Jess Rosenberg interview Andrea Mata, a creative director and digital designer based in Mexico City. Andrea shares her inspiring career journey, from selling creative tattoos as a child to working with major global brands like Google, NBA, TikTok, and more. She discusses the evolution of her career, emphasizing her experiences in editorial and digital design, her time at prominent agencies like Ueno and Jam3, and her current role at Runway, an AI company that is transforming creative workflows. Andrea also delves into the concept of combining creativity with technology, especially through AI tools, and how these innovations are democratizing creative expression. She provides insights into overcoming imposter syndrome, staying open to learning, and balancing work with personal life. Finally, she offers valuable advice for young creatives looking to break into the industry.

More about Andrea:
Andrea Mata is a Creative generalist. She's currently doing her thing at Runway, an AI research company, where she cooks up awesome initiatives to make Runway the go-to tool for creatives everywhere. Andrea's into everything from websites and apps to interactive experiences and even messing around with AI. She calls Mexico City home, where she lives it up with her pup, and sips on the best coffee in the world.

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In this engaging episode of 'Ladies Who Create,' we welcome Charlota Blunárová, a multifaceted designer who has successfully navigated the evolving landscape of design careers. Charlota shares her journey from industrial design student to co-founder of the We3 Collective, emphasizing the non-linear path of career development in the design world. This conversation dives deep into the impact of career pivoting, the exploration of web3 and blockchain, and the innovative approaches to branding in the digital age. Charlota also discusses the intersection of design and technology, including her experiences with AI tools and the importance of creativity and strategic thinking in design. Join us as we explore the dynamic and ever-changing world of design through Charlota's unique lens.

More about Charlota:
Charlota Kolar Blunarova is a brand and digital designer and co-founder of WE3.co, a distributed design collective. She invests creative capital in early-stage tech startups across AI, blockchain and the new Internet in her role as a design partner at IDEO CoLab Ventures. Previously, she was a design lead at IDEO, helping clients like CHANEL, H&M, Ford, and Moncler to design innovative products and services awarded the Red Dot Award or Core77 Design Award. Charlota loves the thrill of working with startups to take their brand and product from a napkin sketch to launch; especially in the topics of web3, AI tools, FemTech, venture capital, and the future of work. She constantly seeks to reinvent her design career - so far, she has tried out being an industrial design student, calligrapher, wedding photographer. Charlota firmly believes in the power of prototyping life and career choices with a designer's mindset. After living and working in the US and Germany, she has returned to Prague, Czech Republic. Off-duty, Charlota indulges in experimenting with generative AI, arranging flower bouquets, and assembling complex LEGO sets with her husband.

www.blunarova.com
https://twitter.com/0xCharlota

In this inspiring episode of "Ladies Who Create," we explore the journey of Jolene Delisle. She's a visionary in design and creative industries, and the founder and Head of Creative at The Working Assembly. Jolene's career evolved from working as a Creative for ad agencies and tech companies, to the exciting challenge of starting her own agency. She openly discusses overcoming personal and professional hurdles, mastering self-promotion, and the thrill of entrepreneurship. Jolene shares how she balanced industry leadership and motherhood, and offers insight into her unique approach to brand building, team management, and achieving fulfillment in both her personal and professional life. Her story stands as a testament to the creativity, resilience, and ambition of women in creative industries. It's a must-listen for any aspiring creative entrepreneur.

More about Jolene:
Jolene Delisle is the founder & creative director of the branding agency The Working Assembly. Her work has been recognized by the Type Directors Club, Print, D&AD, The One Show, and Fast Company. She has been named to the Forbes Next 1000 entrepreneur list, Inc's top female founders, and Adweek's Creative 100, honoring the most innovative and inspiring individuals. Jolene is passionate about bridging the gap in creativity, tech, and culture and invests, advises, and prioritizes founder diversity. In 2022, Jolene became the owner of a 1950's ice cream shop in Stone Ridge, New York, called Cherries.