SESSION SPEAKERS
Oct 18 - 19, 2024
Friday speakers
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Darvill Rodriguez
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CONTENT CREATOR
Keynote Speaker | Beyond Boundaries: Embracing Creative Exploration in Every Aspect of Life | 9:20 - 10:00 am
Darvill is a creative director and content creator. Over the past decade, his diverse background as a creative marketer led him to work with companies such as: Adobe,TikTok,YouTube, Meta, and Google. Specializing in marketing, content creation, branding, and strategy– he merges fresh perspectives from both the business and creative worlds.
He is a creative, witty enthusiast– who is passionate about inspiring professionals and creatives to think outside the box and turn their creative journeys into successful pursuits.
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Ryan Kuwada
GRAPHIC DESIGNER @ SMUD MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND CURIOSITY
Breakout Session Host | How Graphic Design Affects Environments And Human Behavior | 10:10 - 10:50 am
Known for his innovative approach to visual storytelling, Ryan Kuwada creates compelling designs that captivate and inform. Ryan began his design career as a freelancer, then landed an in-house design role, and finally, stepped into the role of graphic designer at the Museum of Science and Curiosity, where he has spent the past two years immersing himself in the specialization of exhibit design. His tenure has honed his creative skills and deepened his understanding of the unique intersection between artistry, educational engagement, and human behavior.
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Meghan Leno
MARKETING DIRECTOR @ HONEY
Breakout Session Co-Host | Beyond the Logo: What It Means To Build A Strategic Brand Identity | 10:10 - 10:50 am
Meghan Leno is the driving force behind Honey’s marketing endeavors for clients and the studio. Overseeing the marketing team, she guides the strategic direction of Honey's work across a range of projects including brand development, marketing and campaign strategy, partnerships, packaging, and websites.
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Angela Bode
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR @ HONEY
Breakout Session Co-Host | Beyond the Logo: What It Means To Build A Strategic Brand Identity | 10:10 - 10:50 am
Angela Bode leads Honey's design initiatives for clients and the studio. She specializes in brand development, omni-channel campaigns, packaging, and website design for industries including B2B, QSR, CPG, healthcare, and technology. Her strategic approach to design creates effective visual solutions.
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Jennifer Bourn
BRAND BUILDER AND BUSINESS COACH/CONSULTANT FOR FREELANCERS
General Session Host | Pitch Yourself: Interactive Pitch Workshop And Facilitated Networking | Friday and Saturday @ 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Jennifer Bourn uses her 19 years experience as a freelance brand strategist, designer, and copywriter, and seven years experience as a course creator and business coach to transform businesses into extraordinary brands and business owners into unignorable, confident experts. Jennifer helps creative freelancers build profitable businesses and organizations level up their brands, messaging, and websites. In 2023, she turned her full-time business into a side hustle when she accepted the role of Chief Marketing Officer for Motivation Code.
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Jeff Fong
CEO @ THE FILM SQUAD
Breakout Session Host | Captivating Video: Think Like An Actor Or Director To Get More Views | 1:30 - 2:10 pm
Jeff Fong, a seasoned filmmaker with 22 years in the game, is not just creating films — he’s living them. For a decade, his production company, The Film Squad, has blended narrative-driven branded content with cinematic artistry. Today, Jeff is producing a mockumentary feature film and documentary focused on social impact. He is also dedicated to The 52 Saga, a project that has him creating one short film each week for a year. As the founder of Modest Film Society, Jeff brings local filmmakers together to showcase their work and build the cinematic community.
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Landon Lee
CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE COLLABORATOR @ NOBLE CREATIVE COLLECTIVE
Breakout Session Host | Portfolio To Profits: How To Build A Successful Career In The Design Field | 1:30-2:10 pm
Landon Lee is a creative aficionado with 15+ years of experience. He has worked with non-profits, government entities, local organizations, visitor bureaus, tech startups, and creative agencies. Landon’s diverse skill set includes shooting and editing television commercials to creating award-winning animations and producing podcasts and music. He now aims to bring creative thinking to the world through his creative collective, Noble Creative Co., delivering polished creative solutions with a passion for meaningful work backed by professional visuals.
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Michelle Trippi
OWNER AND DESIGNER @ EMPTY CREATIVE
Breakout Session Host | Navigating Creative Partnerships: Lessons From A Creative Business Breakup | 2:20 - 3:00 pm
Michelle Trippi’s creative career began in the furniture and fixture design industry. Her innovative, functional designs can be found in Trader Joe’s, the Jelly Belly Factory, Holiday Inn, Hilton, Whole Foods, and other major hotels and retail establishments. Eventually, a flexible schedule and creative freedom led Michelle to become an award-winning graphic designer. After her 5-year business partnership dissolved, Michelle embraced freelancing, and founded her agency, Empty Creative, with a new partner — faithful but lazy Zelda, her Fox Red Labrador.
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Robby Gill
MANAGER, EMERGING TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS @ AMAZON WEB SERVICES
Breakout Session Host | How To Revamp The Spirit And Morale Of A Collective Organization | @ 2:20 - 3:00 pm
Robby Gill leads a team of Partner Development Managers within the Emerging Technology Partnerships organization at Amazon Web Services. He is currently getting his Masters of Public Administration at the University of Southern California Sacramento satellite campus. In his free time, he enjoys walking with his fiance and dog, as well as playing sports and attending sporting events!
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Carmen Zagazeta
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL EXPERIENCE, DESIGN & CONTENT @ BLUE SHIELD OF CALIFORNIA
Breakout Session Host | From UI Kit To Design System: A Case Study From Blue Shield | 3:10-3:50 pm
Carmen Zagazeta is a Peruvian-born creative currently living in Sacramento who has a keen interest in photography and video. As a designer, creative director, and photographer, she specializes in User Experience and Digital Design and has experience working within many industries. Her current work focuses on healthcare and leading medium to large cross-functional teams.
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Bestaida LeBron
CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP COACH @ IMPROVEQ
General Session Host | Creative Harmony: Balancing Creativity And Work Without Burning Out | 4:00 - 4:40 pm
Betsaida is a renowned facilitator, dynamic speaker, and award-winning comedian with 18+ years of experience. She blends psychology, diversity education, and improv comedy in her unique Playful Leadership approach, empowering teams to collaborate, communicate, and bring joy to their work. Her expertise in fostering positive work cultures ensures teams are productive and thrive with purpose.
saturday speakers
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Megan Morgan
ARTS EQUITY ADVOCATE
Keynote Speaker | Radical Creativity Through Inclusion, Belonging, And Balance | 9:20 - 10:00 am
Megan Morgan is a writer, artist, speaker, yoga teacher, and podcast host. Passionate about being active in and promoting inclusivity in the arts, and beyond, she graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute with an MFA in photography, and the University of Toronto with a BA in Art & Art History. Hegan’s book, The End of Me, was published in 2019. She also hosts the My Yoga Audio podcast, providing free audio-only meditations and yoga classes and interviews with creatives, wellness experts, and people giving back to their communities and helping others thrive. Megan is currently the Race & Equity Manager at the California Arts Council and was featured at the BOLD Speaker Series in 2023.
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Patrick Boehner
FREELANCE WEB DESIGNER
Breakout Session Host | Behind The Curtain: The Strategy And Design Process Of A Website Build | 10:10 - 10:50 am
Patrick Boehner once made himself a promise that he'd never become a designer. Fast forward a decade and Patrick now specializes in crafting beautiful yet intentionally designed websites for professional service companies, mission-driven organizations, and non-profits. Based in the Bay Area, he helps established brands elevate their online presence, enhance their messaging, and improve user experience to reach their next big goal.
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Kim Felix
EMOTIONAL WELLNESS FACILITATOR / CREATIVITY COACH / ARTIST
Breakout Session Host | The Art Of Self-Care: Restore Your Creative Well | 10:10 - 10:50 am
Kim Felix has been providing emotional/mental health wellness journeys for local and statewide organizations and communities for 20+ years. These journeys range from founding a mental health based program for young adults, volunteering for a nonprofit organization that leads self-awareness retreats, leading self-expression & art play sessions, and facilitating hundreds of mental health sessions/workshops/classes as an Advisory Board Member for the California State Employee Emotional Wellness program. As a Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator, Creativity Coach, and Emotional Wellness Guide, Kim provides a safe space for guiding and supporting individuals on their path of holistic wellness.
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AJ Tendick
COMMUNICATIONS GROUP MANAGER @ SACRAMENTO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS
Breakout Session Host | Ready, Set, Trails! Elevating Creativity in Government Campaigns | 1:30 - 2:10 pm
Designer turned marketer, brewery owner, and now communications manager at SACOG, AJ has shaped the agency’s creative vision for 17+ years. His philosophy? Craft designs that inspire while making information a breeze to understand. AJ’s journey is a testament to his passion for creativity and effective communication.
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Mia Lopez
COMMUNICATIONS ANALYST @ SACRAMENTO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS
Breakout Session Host | Ready, Set, Trails! Elevating Creativity in Government Campaigns | 1:30 - 2:10 pm
With over a decade of crafting vibrant community campaigns, Mia brings her creative spark to the private, nonprofit, and government sectors. She’s on a mission to make SACOG fun and accessible, and she’s a true believer that communications can change the world!
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Zuza Hicks
OWNER @ NICELY MADE
Breakout Session Host | Ready, Set, Trails! Elevating Creativity in Government Campaigns | 1:30 - 2:10 pm
As a brand designer, Zuza cherishes the human side of business and delights in seeing clients' faces light up as their visions come to life. She blends visual branding with thoughtful strategy to deliver tangible results, believing brands should never be bland. With Zuza, brands burst with zesty flavor, full of unique character and values.
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Eric Howard
CO-FOUNDER AND HEAD OF INTERACTIVE @ FATHOM
Breakout Session Host | Understanding The Creative Industry And Positioning The Value You Create | 1:30 - 2:10 pm
Eric Howard runs a multimedia, direct message, creative studio and a tight-knit team of strategists, designers, artists, content producers, writers, and technologists who tell brand stories from the ground up and beyond.
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Tamara Lawrence
CREATOR, COACH, STRATEGIST, STORYTELLER, AND GLOBAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Breakout Session Host | Make It Matter | 2:20 - 3:00 pm
Tamara Lawrence (Tee) is an acclaimed creator, coach, strategist, storyteller, and global Creative Director. Tee began her professional journey in 2013 as a designer in Germany. She then joined the world of ad agencies and tech, where she recently led brand, product, and marketing campaigns at Uber. With a track record of leading, coaching, and mentoring individuals and teams, Tee believes empowering and cultivating inclusive spaces with diverse talent unlocks innovation that transcends mediocrity and fosters excellence with a meaningful impact-driven ROI.
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Stacy Thal
BRAND STRATEGIST, TRUE NORTH BRANDING
Breakout Session Host | Get Hired AMA: Pick The Brain Of A Pro To Improve Your Brand And Portfolio | 2:20 - 3:00 pm
Stacy Thal is a Brand & Creative Strategist with over 20 years of experience at the top of brand storytelling in the competitive world of Silicon Valley marketing and advertising. An agency, Google, Walmart, and Yahoo alum, Stacy helps startup founders, entrepreneurs, and other business leaders build their brands by connecting the critical dots between what really matters to them and what actually moves their target audiences to action.
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Amanda Sebastiani
CREATIVE DIRECTOR @ SEBASTIANI DESIGN
Breakout Session Host | Level Up Your Career: A Peek Into CCA's Ascenders Academy | 3:10 - 3:50 pm
Amanda Sebastiani is a creative professional with 10 years of experience leading the direction, design, and execution of campaigns for high-level clientele with an emphasis in brand design, digital, and direct-to-consumer marketing and advertising. An accomplished leader with strong interpersonal skills, proven management abilities, and proficiency in client-facing roles. Thrives under pressure and tight deadlines, those who have worked with her find that she collaborates with enthusiasm and open communication.
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Will Rodriguez
VICE PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE @ WEIDNERCA
Breakout Session Host | Level Up Your Career: A Peek Into CCA's Ascenders Academy | 3:10 - 3:50 pm
Will Rodriguez is a multi-faceted leader responsible for cultivating the creative direction of WeidnerCA’s diverse portfolio of projects and clients. As Vice President of Creative, he oversees experiential design, art consultancy, R&D, and marketing. His entrepreneurial leadership fosters a collaborative environment that drives a culture of innovation and creativity.
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Aaron Winters
BRAND EXPERIENCE DESIGNER, ARTIST, WRITER, AND EDUCATOR
Breakout Session Host | Post-Perspective: Looking Past The Point-Line-Plane | 3:10 - 3:50 pm
While in a role as head designer, Aaron Winters poured his passion into art direction for print magazines and record labels, curating group art shows, and self-publishing. He has inspired creatives as an instructor, lecturer, and workshop leader at CalArts, Sac State, UOP, and the UCD Design Museum. Aaron's work has been internationally recognized and exhibited throughout the US, he was a finalist in the Adobe Cut & Paste live design competition, and recently he spearheaded Songs Illuminated magazine. His artistic practice explores post-consumer vernacular design using cut-paper and text-based abstract compositions, photography, and built environments.