Step into your future with confidence at the Emerging Professionals Workshop, exclusively tailored for graphic design students gearing up for graduation! This one-of-a-kind event is meticulously crafted to equip you with the essential tools and insights needed to make a standout entrance into the professional world.
Get a head start with personalized portfolio reviews conducted by industry veterans. This is a golden opportunity to receive constructive feedback and tips on how to showcase your work in a way that resonates with potential employers and clients.
Mingle with fellow emerging professionals and industry experts in a vibrant, collaborative environment. Forge valuable connections, exchange ideas, and learn from the experiences of established professionals in the field.
Agenda
- 10:00am Portfolio Reviews
- 12:00pm Lunch & Networking
- 1:00pm Keynote Presentation
- 2:00pm Panel Discussion
Pricing
AIGA Student members: FREE
Non-members: $15
*** MUST REGISTER TO RECEIVE PORTFOLIO REVIEWS (CUTOFF IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20TH, 11:59PM).
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
➡️ Apply to be a reviewer: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHV9YQCA29Gpb_Ufd6KlWKoUNwS28QHtyZUTrVhwmfk7Mc_g/viewform
This event is sponsored by CT State Community College Norwalk.
Keynote Speaker:
Karl Heine is the founder and “solutionist” at creativeplacement, a cultivated, curated talent consultancy for the creative industry. Serving brands, agencies, and in-house departments — the firm secures opportunities for emerging and seasoned professionals.
Karl has worked in the industry as a placement specialist, career coach, speaker, educator, designer, and maker for over 35 years.
As a Faculty professor at the School of Visual Arts, Karl teaches an ongoing professional practices course in the BFA illustration and comics department. Since 2014, he has taught self-promotion in the summer illustration residency program.
A diverse and seasoned educator, Karl has taught graphic design, typography, business practices, entrepreneurial portfolio, design thinking, self-promotional marketing, packaging design business, illustration marketplace, and product innovation.
In addition to teaching, Karl frequently lectures at design-focused institutions and industry associations in the US and Asia, including AIGA, Graphic Artist Guild, CADC, Pratt, Parsons, RISD, USC Roski School of Art and Design, Portfolio Center, Fordham University, UCONN, University of Hartford, Syracuse University, M.AD School of Ideas and Carnegie Mellon University.
Karl’s work has been widely recognized by industry competitions and publications, including Communication Arts, Dieline, CreativePro, FPO, PaperSpecs, and Felt & Wire. In prior industry involvement, Karl was a founding board member of the AIGA Brand Central Chapter and a board member of the Connecticut Art Directors Club for eight years. In 2019, he received the CADC Lifetime Achievement Award.
Passionate about high-quality products that are kinder to the earth, Karl’s Bridgeport-based custom notebook brand DesignerJournals uses recycled materials and local manufacturing within the tri-state area to keep a low carbon footprint. His clients include the School of Visual Arts, Pictoplasma, Design Observer, Type Directors Club, Type Drives Culture, Typo Berlin, Monotype, Typographics, Better World by Design, Yves Béhar, Lynda.com, Adobe Typekit, Megaglam, and P!Q.
Panelists:
Angela Chen-Wolf is a dedicated problem solver and designer, shaped by her experiences navigating the challenges of graduating from design school during the 2000s crash. With her time as an intern turned full-time Designer at Alexander Isley Inc., Angela absorbed invaluable lessons under Alex Isley's mentorship, delving deep into the nuances of branding beyond just a logo and surface aesthetics.
After about a decade at Alexander Isley Inc., Angela’s journey led her to her current role as the Director of Design at the Yale School of the Environment. Some of her contributions include the creation of comprehensive brand guidelines, the revitalization of the School’s annual alumni magazine, Canopy, and the cultivation of essential design assets for various school entities.
Dedicated to design excellence and committed to elevating brand narratives, Angela strives to continue making impactful strides in effective visual communication.
Butch Quick is a senior-level Creative Director / Packaging Designer and multidisciplinary creative — with expertise across CPG, Branding, Promotion, and Advertising. Early engagements included King Casey, Group 4, Clarion, SF&G, Draft / MCA, Ryan Partnership, e-Media, and Anthem Worldwide.
In 2009, Quick created BQuick Design — a studio dedicated to building brands through innovative, effective promotional marketing campaigns.
Key clients past and present: Guinness, Kraft, Singer, Labatts, Dr Pepper, Playtex, MLB, NFL, NHL, USTA, Evian, Zunda Design Group, Daymon Worldwide, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Snapple, Mystic, SoBe, Fetcher Knight, LAM Design, TFI Envision, New York Road Runners Club, The
Jackie Robinson Foundation, Blue Buffalo, John Freda, BareMinerals, Bissell, KAO Brands, VO5, Luzern Labs, Product Ventures, and FILA.
A notable iconic identity was created for the first Barcelona restaurant in South Norwalk Connecticut and still stands as one of my favorite projects.
Adding to Butch's visual expertise in 2016— stunning street photography and portraiture from a special project in Cuba to unique candid shots in New York City. Butch has had solo and several group shows from Connecticut to Upstate New York. Capturing top accolades from UCONN in Stamford, Silvermine Artist Guild, and the Carriage Barn Arts Center.
Amy Gorrek is an independent multi-disciplinary designer and collage artist. She specializes in thoughtful, strategic branding and packaging design—empowering her clients to stand out in the marketplace.
Amy began her career working in small, award-winning design firms in Atlanta and New York City. In 2007, she formed Studio AG, a one-woman boutique design studio based in Norwalk. She works directly with business owners, and non-profits, and also consults on a freelance basis with in-house teams and design firms.
Clients include Martha Stewart Living, John & Kira’s Chocolates, Galison Stationery & Gift, Mudpuppy Kids, Brad Meltzer, Chabaso Bakery, and the New York International Children’s Film Festival.
Amy’s work has been awarded by the AIGA, HOW magazine, Black Book Awards, and The Dieline, and featured in The New York Times Holiday Gift Guide. Amy’s collage art has been published in Contemporary Collage Magazine, The New York Times Style Section, Uppercase Magazine, and Rag & Pulp, Encyclopedia of Inspiration published by Uppercase Magazine.
With a decade of design expertise, Sam Angermann has centered much of her career around the world of hospitality. She was first introduced to the foodie landscape during her time at Box 8 Creative and quickly fell in love with the industry. The joy of building connections with small business owners combined with her talent for crafting compelling brand and marketing strategies is ultimately what drives excitement in her work.
Sam is currently an Art Director at Hatch 130, a creative marketing agency in Connecticut. Parallel to her role at Hatch 130, Sam is also a creative consultant whose love for branding and community plays into her ability to leverage her expert guidance and extensive network of industry collaborators to launch her clients toward success.
Ben Applebaum has had the privilege of being a creative professional his entire career. Starting at Turner Entertainment, he had the opportunity to work at every network and every department within the company — from Cartoon Network to Turner Classic Movies, from public affairs to production. After this initial client-side experience, he has been in creative agency roles for over 20 years, from a copywriter to leading creative departments.
His client experience includes Anthropologie, Burt’s Bee’s, Coca-Cola, Don Julio Tequila, Erie Insurance, Filippo Berio, Guinness...and almost every alphabet letter.
In 2018, he left behind working for larger holding companies to co-found Feast, a marketing and innovation agency that helps clients connect their purposes with purchases.
Outside of these roles, he has also written eight books of dubious literary quality that have been mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the New York Times. His other passion has been speaking about the creative process and empowering undergrads to build their brand stories in their career path. He has spoken to companies like AB InBev and Unilever as well as at universities like Columbia, Harvard, Quinnipiac, and Wake Forest.
Andrea Pataro Schwartz has over 20 years of experience working as a designer with a focus on Consumer Packaged Goods branding and packaging. While the majority of her work has been on the brand side, Andrea has also done concept work on the agency side, giving her a well-rounded view of the CPG industry and the important role design plays within it. Her desire to be a part of something bigger, to see her hard work make it to the outside world and into the hands of the consumer has pulled her back to where her true passion lives which is brand building.
Andrea’s method is to take a few leaps back to view the proverbial forest, ensuring the brand becomes a true ecosystem. A system where each design decision–large and small–positively affects the next. Andrea views brands as a living entity just as the people who use them. She understands that since people evolve, the brands they love should be on that same evolutionary journey, building a memorable consumer experience with proven results.
She asks the right questions, listens to all points of view, checks the ego at the door, and has lasting relationships with colleagues and clients built on trust and respect. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
