Business Today

In this episode, we discuss the frustrations of designing for big clients with specific visions, no longer being a moody teenager, finding inspiration in unlikely places, and the future of design. 

Originally from a small fishing town in Gaspésie (eastern Québec), Mathias Harvey is now living my best life in Montréal. After studying in communication, arts and graphic design, he graduated from the UQAM’s school of design in the spring of 2022. Since then, he’s been hired at HAVAS Montréal as an art director and has been working on various projects (TV, print, social media and more). He works with a variety of clients, from international corps like Keurig, to smaller charities and cultural events like film festivals.

In this episode, we discuss architecture, sustainable design, upcycling, and augmented reality with Zoey Zhu. 

Zoey Zhu is a designer and creative technologist at IDEO based in the bay area. Working in the intersection of design, emerging technology, education, and sustainability, she creates physical and digital objects to reflect and communicate the relationship between humans and the built environment. Her practices have been notable in several platforms, including NYC Climate Week, MIT Museum, Bandung Biennale, International Design Conference (IDC), Design Museum Week, etc. Prior to IDEO, Zoey studied architecture and computer science at MIT. 

You can find her at https://iam-zy.com/.

In this episode, we discuss the merits of working from home as a designer, moodboarding and vision-boarding, sustainable packaging and product design. We also grow an idea for a hypothetical coffee shop. 

Based out of Madison, Wisconsin, Amelia Lynn is a multidisciplinary designer passionate about creating fresh, playful, and approachable designs. Currently, she works at Bartlett Brands, a creative agency focused on smart strategies, stylish storytelling, and sustainable design.

In May of 2022, Amelia graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a bachelor's degree in Fine Art. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she dabbled in numerous design internships, improving her skills and widening her network of design professionals. Following graduation, she accepted a full-time position as a remote graphic designer at Bartlett Brands after interning with the creative agency for several months. Specializing in branding and packaging design at the small design studio, she assists the all-women team in building brands that challenge the status and cut through the quo.

When she's not designing, Amelia enjoys visiting local cafes, thrifting unique pieces at second-hand shops, and cuddling with her cats.

You can find her at byamelialynn.com.

Gloria Wang talks with Ziad Foty, CEO of Design in DC, about connecting design work to local markets, managing and resolving creative conflicts, and storytelling through company designs.

In this episode, Ami Werner and Dan Gladden, Head of Strategy and Creative Director, are joining us to talk about their unique paths to Bulletproof, an international strategic design agency working to making brands more successful. Listen in on their perspectives on transformations in social media and their advice to college students interested in creative industries.

Kimberley Tran speaks with Kailu Guan about her work combining augmented reality with fashion products, launching her own successful digital skin care platform, and incorporating user experience into her designs. 

Applications for the 2022 Design Nation Conference are due TOMORROW, February 4th. Design Nation is an all-expenses-paid exploration of the versatility of a career in design, how design is applied differently across industries, and what it looks like to be a design leader facing the business and social challenges of our world. Experience keynotes, executive seminars, and panels led by industry leaders, attend workshops to develop professional skills, and gain networking opportunities with the next generation of design leaders. The conference will run from April 9-10th 2022, at The Shed, Hudson Yards, in New York City. 

Applications include resume and portfolio submission, as well as short-answer responses. All applications are considered on a need-blind basis, and all travel and accommodation costs are covered for accepted attendees. For more information, please visit our website: https://dn.businesstoday.org/.

Gloria Wang chats with Renee Miller, President and Creative Director of The Miller Group Marketing, a woman-owned, creatively led, strategically driven digital advertising and marketing agency based out of Los Angeles. In this podcast, Renee discusses how audiovisual projects are the future of the marketing world and how The Miller Group positions itself to help companies craft their brand message in terms of sustainability and diversity in order to create consumer impact. Renee also shares advice on the practical skills that aspiring designers need to know when entering the digital industry. 

Mary Zalla, Global President of Consumer Brands at Landor & Fitch, one of the largest brand and design firms in the world, shares with us how she got started in the design industry and her five truths for emerging designers to excel in the field – designing with purpose, designing brands that move, looking for the overlooked, and being comfortable with ambiguity.

Jacqueline Brassey currently leads Enduring Priorities Learning at McKinsey & Company, where she is responsible for learning of key strategic topics including: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Mental Health & Resilience, Risk, Cybersecurity, Communications, Purpose & Values. Previously, she was responsible for leading learning of McKinsey's top 600 leaders, and she started her career at Unilever. Additionally, she continues academically as an Adjunct Professor at IE University and Research Fellow at the VU in Amsterdam. She also is the lead founder of ‘The Confidence Project’ to raise awareness on this topic in the academic and professional context and build emotional flexibility of leaders and organizations. Last but not least, she is very passionate about her voluntary role as Supervisory Board Member at Save the Children the Netherlands.

In this episode, we touch on many subjects, including Jacqueline's advice for young professionals interested in consulting, her views on continued career growth, and her research on emotional flexibility and authentic confidence. 

In this Design Nation 2021 podcast, Gloria Wang speaks to Joanne Chan, CEO of Turner Duckworth. Turner Duckworth is a global strategic design and project management firm that strives to design unmistakable visual identities and packaging for the world's greatest brands, clients of which include Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Levi's. In this podcast, Joanne speaks about her role at Turner Duckworth for facilitating creativity, the story behind a memorable project with Levi's regarding trademarks, and how designing for the digital and screen age has transformed the meaning of space and simplicity for her.

Lisa Skeete Tatum is founder and CEO of Landit, a personalized career pathing platform created to increase the success and engagement of women and diverse groups in the workplace. She was formerly a General Partner at Cardinal Partners, an early stage venture capital firm, and she started off her career at Procter & Gamble, after having attended Cornell University and Harvard Business School.

In this episode, we touch upon many subjects, focusing on why you need a "Board of Advisors," how to build your personal brand, and Mrs. Tatum's own experience doing all of these over her career. We hope you enjoy our first episode!

Crossing the Career Chasm is a new series from Business Today, with the goal of preparing students for their careers after college. We hold conversations with seasoned executives who share their stories and the advice they've accumulated bout how to start your career off successfully, "crossing the chasm" from an entry-level role to a leadership one. 

For Design Nation 2021's third podcast, Kathy Li speaks to Katy Olson, Editor of AD Pro (https://adpro.architecturaldigest.com/), which is a members-only community for design industry professionals and includes over 100 years of searchable Architectural Digest archives. Before AD Pro, Katy Olson had an extensive background in editorial strategy, including roles as Executive Editor of Business of Home, as well as at Hearst Corporation, People Magazine, and Work Style, an Italian magazine based in Milan, where she ran the workplace design section. She received her Master of Science with Honors from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University. She is a reiki master and a native New Yorker.

In this podcast, Katy shares more about her passion for the history of design, the importance of events in the design community, and how AD Pro is using education to help emerging designers and small businesses enter the industry.

For Design Nation 2021's second podcast, Vivian Li speaks to Jacob Pace, CEO of Flighthouse Media (https://www.flighthousemedia.com/). Known as the leading GenZ brand and agency, Flighthouse Media has more than 30 million followers across platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) and was named a 2020 Most Innovative Company by Fast Company. Previously, Flighthouse Media has worked with global celebrities and influencers including blackbear, Charli D'Amelio, and Marshmello.

In this podcast, Jacob chats about what drives him each day as a 22 year old CEO and what has helped Flighthouse take off on social media with GenZ. He also shares how young entrepreneurs and artists can keep up momentum as they explore their own creative passions. 

In this podcast, BT Boost Podcast Host Jemima Williams speaks with Ettie Philitas, Investment Director at Africa50, an infrastructure investing platform. He speaks about his journey and the lessons he learned while becoming involved in African infrastructure investing. Listen to learn about how to use and expand your professional networks purposefully, career paths into investing in developing markets, and the changing landscape of infrastructure in Africa in the age of Covid-19. This is an especially exciting episode because Ettie is a BT alum himself!

In this episode of BT Beats, we speak with Caroline Casey an award-winning social entrepreneur and founder of The Valuable 500 - a catalyst for an inclusion revolution that exists to position disability equally on the global business leadership agenda. Throughout the conversation we discuss her experiences as a founder and how she has tried to bring about social change. Thanks for listening!

For Design Nation 2021's first podcast, Sowon Lee speaks to Renata Amaral Morris, CEO and Founder of EAT Creative Studio, and Gabriel Seibel, who acts as Partner, COO, and Head of Production for EAT. Founded in 2009, EAT (https://eat.studio) is a world-class design studio developing brand identities from diverse perspectives. Previously, EAT has worked with internationally renowned brands such as Amazon, Netflix, Red Bull, and Adidas. 

In this podcast, Renata and Gabriel share more about the strengths of having a global team structure, how EAT communicates their values of transparency and authentic representation in their design work, and what their creative techniques and sources of inspiration are. In addition, the pair share their excitement for their recent new brand launch for EAT!

In this podcast, Boost journalist Persis Baah interviews Kanyi Maqubela, a managing partner at Kindred Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital fund based in San Francisco, California. Maqubela discusses what it means to be an entrepreneur, what is necessary for an innovative startup, and how he runs a successful VC.

In this podcast, we speak with George Bridges, Lord Bridges of Headley, who is currently the senior advisor to the group executive chairman of Banco Santander, a multinational Spanish bank. Throughout the conversation, we discuss his career and experiences, the upcoming International Conference, and the concept of profit with purpose.

Indra Sofian is the co-founder of Sora Schools, a new kind of virtual high school where students explore their interests and future careers. In this episode, we discuss his experiences as an entrepreneur, what motivated him to found Sora schools, and what his goals are for the company. Thanks for listening!

Timothy Sam Wijaya is a current junior at Brown University studying PoliSci and is also the founder of Kerja!, an internship platform that connects US-educated Indonesian students with Indonesian companies. In this episode we discuss how he became involved in entrepreneurship, his experience building Kerja, and more. Thanks for listening!

Shaifali Aggarwal is the CEO and Founder of Ivy Groupe, a boutique MBA admissions company that provides personalized services to clients worldwide. In this episode, we discuss the process of applying to business school, recent trends in MBA admissions, and Shaifali's own experience building Ivy Groupe. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Inside BT, we sit down with Alyssa Nguyen, the Director of Design Nation, to discuss the process of moving the DN 2020 conference online as well as her broader vision for the conference this year.

The International Conference is one of Business Today's oldest programs and is in its 46th year of operation. During this episode, we chat with Felipe Bickenbach, the Director of this year's conference, on his experience transforming the flagship event into a weeklong digital event to serve three hundred students across the globe. Felipe shares the challenges and tribulations he encountered while also providing advice for students thinking about hosting digital events themselves. Inside BT is a series that was launched to reflect on how Business Today, a nonprofit that's entirely run by undergraduates, has adapted to the new digital normal created by COVID.

On this episode of Inside BT, we speak with Emily Cheston, the Director of Boost, a new program she started within the club early this summer. Boost seeks to elevate Black executives and provide mentorship for Black students. Emily speaks to the significance of such a program for the BT community and the students we serve at large. Inside BT is a series that was launched to reflect on how Business Today, a nonprofit that's entirely run by undergraduates, has adapted to the new digital normal created by COVID.

In this episode of Inside BT, we sit down with Katie Dykstra, the Director of Human Capital for Business Today, and hear about the changes Business Today has made towards preserving accessibility and equity in recruiting new members. Inside BT is a series that was launched to reflect on how Business Today, a nonprofit that's entirely run by undergraduates, has adapted to the new digital normal created by COVID. 

Corporate Contacts, Business Today's flagship internship program, is key to BT's finances and operations. Traditionally an internship program that takes undergraduates on road trips across the country to pitch to CEO's for sponsorship and participation, this summer's program was transitioned into a virtual format. Vignesh Panchanatham, this year's Director of Corporate Contacts, speaks to the frustrations he faced and takeaways he learned in this episode of Inside BT. Inside BT is a series that was launched to reflect on how Business Today, a nonprofit that's entirely run by undergraduates, has adapted to the new digital normal created by COVID.

In few years before COVID, Business Today had already begun transitioning to a stronger online presence, as opposed to its traditional print magazine. In 2020, our move to explore digital content creation reached new heights, though facing the challenge of leading a team residing in different places all around the globe. In our first episode of Inside BT, Amy Wang, Director of Content, speaks to her experience leading this team and what it means for the future of BT content. Inside BT is a series that was launched to reflect on how Business Today, a nonprofit that's entirely run by undergraduates, has adapted to the new digital normal created by COVID.

Design Nation's Females in Leadership panel was joined by Deborah Alden (Sr. Director of Culture OS), Brooke Hopper (Lead Designer at Adobe),  Elisa Jagerson (Former CEO of Speck Design) and Annie Rosen ( Art Director at VICE Media) and was moderated by Conference Director, Alyssa Nguyen. 

Phil Ruppanner, CEO and Founder of Upperquad, joins Grace Hong, President of Business Today, in the opening conversation of Design Nation 2020. 

Kay Unger,  Fashion Designer & Chairwoman of Parsons Board joined Design Nation 2020 in a conversation with our Director of Design, Avi Giland. 

For Design Nation 2020's Building a Brand panel, we were joined by Phil Delbourgo (SVP of Design at VOX), Oliver Maltby (Executive Creative Director at Interbrand), Tom Quish (Head of Design at Rightpoint), and David Schwarz (Founding Partner of Hush) and moderated by Cordelia Lowry, Junior Director of Student Relations, and Julie Shin, Junior Director of Outreach. 

As part of the Design Nation Conference 2020 Digital Experience, Sandra Campos, CEO of Diane Von Furstenberg, delivers a keynote on her journey to becoming a leader in the fashion industry. 

In this episode, Business Today shares advice from Beau Thomas, Managing Director of private equity firm Audax Group, on how to navigate the job market during a financial crisis. As someone who graduated in 2009 into a financial crisis himself, Beau describes what the job search looked like for an undergraduate junior or senior during his time. He encourages current undergraduates to make the most out of the current pandemic by using this time to really pursue an interest, be proactive with putting more work on their plate, and show genuine concern about the personal lives of senior people in their firms.

Amy Wang (Director of Content at BT) is joined by Schwarzman Scholars Michael Shin ('19) and Amanda Morrison ('20) in a discussion of the value of cross border communication and how the program has adapted to the global pandemic. 

As part of the Design Nation Conference 2020 Digital Experience, Matteo Bologna, founder of Mucca Design, joins Seoyoung Hong (Assistant Director of Content for Design Nation) for a podcast and shares his unique story into design. Founded in October 1999, Mucca Design works with clients we all recognize, including Barnes & Noble, Sephora, and Whole Foods. This podcast shares more about Matteo and how he got started in illustration and then graphic design, and how he successfully built his career as a designer and a founder of Mucca Design. Matteo also shares some advice that he hopes young designers will remember as they enter the industry.