AS WE CREATE

Pam Howard is the founder and principal of Firebrick Design . We talk about her early days in journalism and publishing and how that contributed to her work ethic. Pam also shares her thoughts on maintaining creative integrity and how any opportunity contributes to personal growth.

With many decades in advertising and marketing,  Andrew Wood shares how things got started for him in England, why he came to the US,  and what has kept him at Mintz + Hoke for so long. Andrew also shares the process behind some campaigns he's lead and why it's always important to keep the client in the room.   

Jaeme Brennan McDonald is a songwriter, audio engineer, and educator. His musical aspirations started very young as he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father . Though as he grew older, the studio became a more appealing environment.  We talk about working with other musicians as well as his own creative patience. 

Cindy Lau is a designer and illustrator. Her fascination for visual storytelling and her eventual career focus was first sparked by her father's love of comics. We also talk about balancing work opportunities with quality of life, and how teaching has allowed her to value her authenticity.

Sean Kernan is a photographer, writer, and teacher. We chat about his early days in theater an how that transitioned into a very successful photography career. Sean has an amazing ability to stay curious and inspired and we discuss how that has influenced his teachings over the years. 

Ben Keller is a mural artist and painter. From a very young age, painting and drawing were the only things that helped Ben escape the tensions of everyday life. His art became his sense of purpose and has allowed him to develop a style that is uniquely his and very respected in the fine art and commercial worlds.

Faye Pite Beresner is the senior creative director at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society . Faye shares how years of freelancing in graphic design influenced how she later led creative teams for Victorinox and Assa Abloy , and how that compares to her current role.   

Jory Benerofe is a creative director and strategist. While his college career started in fine art, he made a switch to architecture for numerous reasons. Upon leaving school, it was a casual interaction with the owner of a small lifestyle brand defined the first 20 years of his career. That brand was Vinyard Vines . Jory has since gone on to lead creative teams at HumanCo and currently building hi...

This is agreat conversation with CADC Hall of Famer,  Mike Scricco . Mike spent decades in the design and advertising world and shares what it was like working at an agency and then becoming a partial owner. We also talk about his current role leading the Civic Design program at the University of Hartford and how it's given him a level of fulfillment he's never experienced.

From a very young age, Amy Graver's imagination lived in her personal journals until an art teacher advised her to peruse a career in journalism. While attending school in Boston and working at the Boston Globe , Amy's love of graphic design was born while working in the magazine dept. We chat about running  Elements Design Studio for over 20 years and what led to her current role at the Yale Scho...

Creative Director Tim Anderson leads the team at Roadwerx , an experiential marketing and event production agency. We talk about his early years learning about the commercial art world, running his own agency for 17 years, and making sure he only keeps one toe in reality to make a memorable experience. 

Marcela Kovac is a graphic designer and co-founder of  Bananaland . She shares her experience in running a small boutique agency while keeping things in balance as a parent, and why Bridgeport has always been the cornerstone for many of her projects.    

Graeme Swank's path to the creative world was anything but straight, but now he knows he's where he's supposed to be. We talk about his time at Cooper Union - both as a student and faculty - as well as current projects he's working on with Typetr and Hoodzpah Design .

kHyal's diverse background encompasses experiences rooted in fine art, high end audio, graphic design, marketing, and fashion design. As the founder of  Fizz Agency and MegaGlam , the lifestyle brand combining fashion, design and street art, kHyal is far from slowing down. 

Jeremy Brazeal is the Executive Creative Director for Reality . Although Jeremy's roots started in illustration - he always had his heart set on becoming a creative director. Though there were a few detours along the way, Jeremy eventually led creative teams for both Lego and Coca-Cola. We talk design, leadership, and how cycling keeps him in balance. Enjoy this conversation!

Kelly Walters is an artist, designer, educator, researcher and the founder of  Bright Polka Dot . Ever since Kelly was a student at University of Connecticut, many of her creative efforts have focused on race and representation in design. In addition to her studio, Kelly is also the Director of the Communication Design BFA program at  Parsons School of Design . We also discuss how continuing her o...

Nate Solberg's creative curiosity started at a very young age and he shares how a massive college project shaped his work ethic. He talks about some influential internships and his current role at North American Entertainment Group . We are also very grateful for Nate as he created the logo and brand of this very podcast.

Cassandra Hamer's love of design started very early in her childhood with her classmates being some of her first "clients". Currently, she is on the in house design team of Ace Hardware and talks about how she got there. She shares with us how the lack of design education in public schools contributed to her eagerness to learn and was the motivation to write ABC's of Design . 

Bob Vitale is one of the founding members of the design studio, SVP Partners. He shares how a supportive family allowed him to pursue graphic design and how that sparked the beginning of his career. We also discuss a charity organization near and dear to Bob's heart called Sticks for Soldiers, which provides support to wounded military veterans.  

For the past 10 years, designer Chuck Brooks has been at the award-winning design studio, Box 8 Creative in New Haven.   Chuck shares some insight into the creative team's process that has helped steer many successful brands such as Mecha Noodle Bar , Alvarium Brewing and Roasting , and Doro Restaurant Group.

Butch Quick is an illustrator and designer who's interest in comic books at a young age set him on his creative path. We discuss his experience as a concept artist and his love of package design. Having been in the business for over 40 years, Butch is still evolving, and his more recent interest in portrait photography has allowed him a whole new way to connect. 

Dan Taylor talks about his early days at RIT and then moving to New York City and interning at Pushpin Studios. He talks about how Taylor Design came to be and how he and his team stay focused in an ever-changing world.   

After graduating from the University of Bridgeport, Karl found himself working in commercial art sales to supplement his freelance work. Without knowing it at the time, this led him on the path to start  Creative Placement . We talk about the current state of the creative world, his love of photography, and how Designer Journals came to be.  

Today we sit down with CADC Hall of Fame recipient, Richard Hollant. Richard's creativity started at a very young age growing up in Haiti and he shares the common theads that connect everything he does. He has influenced many communities and organizations with his agency Co:Lab and discusses the mindset behind Freecenter .

Today's conversation is with designer and the current CADC president, Carissa Decelles . Her love for design was heavily influenced by her time at Uconn studying with  Edvin Yegir . Carissa is currently the art director and brand development lead at Miranda Creative  and also involved in many advocacy efforts here in Connecticut.