Meet the HUMANS
Jason Mesut
Design Partner
London, UK
Kat Egan
Growth Partner
Hudson, NY, USA
Tom Klimovski
Coding Human
Melbourne, Australia
Geoffrey Kirkman
Strategy & Policy Human
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Miranda Van Gendt
Strategy Human
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Peter Drake
Creative Partner
London, UK
Mike Johnston
Strategic
London. UK
Luke Byrne
Coding Human
Manchester
Kerry Kelley
Producer
Cambridge, UK
Marga Arrom Bibiloni
Brand & Creative Partner
London, UK
Remy Bourganel
Metadesign & Strategy Human
Paris, France
Simon Walker
Photo Human
London, UK
Sean Reynolds
Creative Partner
Brooklyn, USA
Andor Ivan
Visualisation Human
London, UK
Bryan Sayle
Operations Partner
Halifax, Canada
Chris Sams
Product Design Human
Norwich, UK
Deborah Linton
Words Human
Manchester, UK
Jan Golding
Experience Design Human
London, UK
Courtney Liddell
Project Management Human
New York
Mundhir Eltahir
Design Human
Dubai, UAE
Alexandra Jugović
Creative Human
London, UK
Paul Bean
Design Human
Santa Barbara, USA
Jen Rice
Transformation Human
Split my time between London and Florence
Sarah Kay
Strategy Human
Oregon, USA
Rob Noble
Founder & Client Partner
London, UK
Mike Simpson
Creative Human
Santa Monica, California
John Sunart
Facilitation & Strategy Human
Edinburgh, UK
Gina Soloperto
Behavior Design Strategist
NYC, USA
Emilie Chen
Creative Human
London, UK
Jannicke Mikkelsen
Polar Human
Svalbard
Kevin Godley
Creative Polymath Human
Dublin, Ireland
Terry Virts
Astro Human
Houston, USA
Vassoula Vasiliou
Creative Partner
Miami, USA
Chloe Gottlieb
Design & Product Strategy Partner
NYC, USA
Ale Lariu
Creative Partner
London, UK
Nicola Pickup
Producer
Windermere, UK
Adrian Barrow
Strategic Partner
Los Angeles, USA
Julia Plowman
Brand Purpose Partner
Portland, USA
Sergio Brodsky
Brand & Foresight Strategist
Melbourne, Australia
Hristos Varouhas
Strategic Partner
Sydney, Australia
Rick Palmer
Growth Partner
Cirencester, UK
Kyle Duncan
Technology Human
London, UK
Henny Swan
Accessibility & Inclusion Human
Brighton, UK
Caroline Cockerham
Textile Human
Wilmington, USA
Mark Blaisse
Strategy & Storytelling Human
Amsterdam
Shea Gonyo
Developer Human
Cincinnati, USA
Stefan Boublil
Brand Event Specialist & Creative Partner
New Hope, USA
Clare Townhill
Strategy Partner
Bruton, UK
Alex Smith
Design Partner
NYC, USA
Kerry Bodine
Customer Experience Human
San Francisco Bay Area
Kevin Farnham
Experience Design Partner
San Francisco, USA
Iain Gore
Creative Human
Los Angeles
Adrian Rossi
Creative Partner
London, UK
Raquel Chicourel
Strategy Human
London
Subha Naidu
Crea-dev Human
Perth, Australia
Daniel Janoff
Creative Human
NYC, USA
Joe Sheldrick
Sound Designer & Composer
Bristol, UK
Emily Daley
Research Human
London, UK
Thu Do
Digital Design Human
NYC, USA
Joel Uden
Content Human
London, UK
Dr. Katie Van Horne
Research Human
Seattle, USA
Pete Johnson
Creative Human
New York, New York
Joe Whelan
Design Human
Manchester, UK
Flo Fantinel
Product Design Human
London, UK
Vic Kirk-Owal
Strategy & Innovation Partner
London, UK
Joe Federer
Social Strategy Partner
St. Louis, USA
Lasse Lindqvist
Strategy & Sustainability Human
Helsinki, Finland
Alexie Sommer
Sustainable Design Human
Biarritz, France
Howard Moggs
Growth Partner
Melbourne, Australia
Jack Penate
Musician & Creative Human
London, UK
Rob Ferneyhough
Creative Human
London, UK
Suzie Webb
Design Human
Oslo, Norway
Simon Waterfall
Creative Partner
Berkeley, USA
Rob Lawrence
Creative & Strategy Partner
London, UK
Lisa deBettencourt
Design Strategy Human
Boston, USA
Jennifer Burgos
Content Strategy Partner
Abergavenny, UK
Dilly Gent
Creative Director & Producer
Los Angeles, USA
Duncan Madden
Content Human
Köln, Germany
Matthew Cockerill
Design & Product Strategy Partner
London, UK
Suki Fuller
Analytical Storyteller
London, UK
Jason Mesut
Design Partner
London, UK
Superpower
Multi-dimensional critical thinking
Traits valued in others
Integrity, curiosity, clarity
Passionate about
Design, Coaching, Futures
Favourite food
A good old Indian Curry
Fun fact
My parents run the longest running waterbed business in UK
Career highlight
Speaking on stage at Interaction conference in Amsterdam
Most annoying thing
Fixed perspectives
Kat Egan
Growth Partner
Hudson, NY, USA
Superpower
Connecting people to other people, solutions and new possibilities that elevate what they thought was possible.
Traits valued in others
Kindness, focused attention, curiosity, exploration, creativity, playfulness
Passionate about
Reconnecting people to work & values that resonate – and nature!
Favourite food
Butter
Fun fact
I studied pre-Veterinarian Medicine in college
Career highlight
Traveling for 3 weeks throughout Peru, speaking Spanish exclusively, with black Peruvian singer Susana Baca, while working with David Byrne and his recording label.
Most annoying thing
Stubbornness
Tom Klimovski
Coding Human
Melbourne, Australia
Superpower
Creating Data Platforms to tell a story for organisations
Traits valued in others
Ability to rally around a core idea
Passionate about
Everything as code
Favourite food
Meat
Fun fact
I enjoy the pursuit of knowledge and learning from others, which has led to deep understanding of the following hobbies (in order): Woodworking, American-BBQ, Lawn-maintenance, Meat-curing, Flamenco Guitar, Running, Coffee, Swimming, Muay Thai, Piano are in current rotation
Career highlight
Starting a brand-new region (APAC) for a US company and building it out to a viable technical, data business
Most annoying thing
Need to practice more humility
Geoffrey Kirkman
Strategy & Policy Human
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Superpower
connecting people/organizations who only after the fact see it as obvious
Traits valued in others
sense of humor, desire for adventure, integrity
Passionate about
travel, my kids' soccer games, live music, language
Favourite food
mango
Fun fact
I enjoy being a cultural chameleon
Career highlight
lead author (with Jeffrey Sachs and Klaus Schwab) of the World Economic Forum's first Global Information Technology Report
Most annoying thing
a long commute
Miranda Van Gendt
Strategy Human
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Superpower
Creatively surprising humans with their own superpowers for impact the world could really use some more of right now
Traits valued in others
Curiousity, drive, openness, playfulness, humbleness, warmth, radical honesty and guts to be a 360 human
Passionate about
Next level vibes, systems and solutions for all life to have a chance at a brighter future on this pretty planet
Favourite food
Lush (vegan) cheese nacho's with all the goodies on top, anything with rhubarb and chunks of homemade paradise bars
Fun fact
Mini people, groceries, sticks, feathers, shoes and toys juggler on an Amsterdam cargo bike. Daily.
Career highlight
Switching from brand to agency side, without picking sides. Still hired by both.
Most annoying thing
She's a real life Duracell bunny and extremely hard to bore
Peter Drake
Creative Partner
London, UK
Superpower
Inspiration
Traits valued in others
Curiosity, humour and commitment
Passionate about
My children. Trees.
Favourite food
Gluten Free
Fun fact
Won a BAFTA but wasn't there to collect it...
Career highlight
Stanley Kubrick once said he liked something I'd done, then died before we could become pals.
Most annoying thing
Blond haired despots
Mike Johnston
Strategic
London. UK
Superpower
Identifying and creating value that others miss
Traits valued in others
Curiosity, openness, questioning, care, honesty, not taking yourself too seriously
Passionate about
The power of creativity to change individuals, communities, organisations and society
Favourite food
I love all my children equally
Fun fact
I went to a military school (but led the misfits unit)
Career highlight
Jame Blunt serving me rose at his villa in Ibiza as his friend pitched his startup
Most annoying thing
Dogma (amusingly copied this from someone else)
Luke Byrne
Coding Human
Manchester
Superpower
Finding common ground
Traits valued in others
Empathy, Authenticity, Passionate
Passionate about
Spending time with my family
Favourite food
Itailian, Indian, East Asian
Fun fact
I can do 100 keepie uppies in sandals
Career highlight
Being part of some amazing teams that have worked as one to deliver great products
Most annoying thing
Trying to read a news article on a local newspaper website while a million and one adverts pop up
Kerry Kelley
Producer
Cambridge, UK
Superpower
Helping teams get the job done
Traits valued in others
Ability to distill down what is actually important and impact it
Passionate about
Farming and helping farms diversify
Favourite food
Italian
Fun fact
I grew up a beach bum in California
Career highlight
Designing the initial Genius Bar App used in every Apple store around the world with 2 other people
Most annoying thing
Wasting time
Marga Arrom Bibiloni
Brand & Creative Partner
London, UK
Superpower
Passionate about building brands people want to spend time with.
Traits valued in others
Vision, curiosity and integrity
Passionate about
Today, and tomorrow.
Favourite food
Carbonara
Fun fact
I’m synesthetic - you might be light green
Career highlight
Excitement. Happens every time I embark in a new interesting project.
Most annoying thing
I burn the porridge most mornings
Remy Bourganel
Metadesign & Strategy Human
Paris, France
Superpower
Models
Traits valued in others
Genuine interest for care and impact. Desire to challenge the status quo.
Passionate about
Autopoiesis/system dynamics, from purpose to impact.
Favourite food
Duck breast with honey sauce and balsamic vinegar
Fun fact
As comfortable playing gipsy jazz then pipe organ.
Career highlight
Nokia, Insights & Innovation, exploratory design research, AI generative framework.
Most annoying thing
Ego.
Simon Walker
Photo Human
London, UK
Superpower
Organised. Proper, annoyingly, organised.
Traits valued in others
Generosity
Passionate about
Sport. Particularly Chelsea FC
Favourite food
Sashimi
Fun fact
I've shared a beer with Mandela and had tea with Margaret Thatcher.
Career highlight
Being blown up in a bomb blast.
Most annoying thing
Lateness
Sean Reynolds
Creative Partner
Brooklyn, USA
Superpower
Making the complicated simple
Traits valued in others
Equal measures of Fun, Curiosity & Passion
Passionate about
Football (soccer), Travel, T-Shirts, and Whiskey
Favourite food
Seafood & Curry (but never at the same time)
Fun fact
Age 7, I had a picture featured on the Take Hart Gallery (UK kids TV show)
Career highlight
Building a successful Creative Agency.
Most annoying thing
Marketing Jargon (Bullshit), while tangled cables are also a pet hate.
Andor Ivan
Visualisation Human
London, UK
Superpower
ADHD
Traits valued in others
Openness combined with vivid imagination
Passionate about
New Technologies, Cars and Photo equipment, Homemade pasta
Favourite food
Pasta.
Fun fact
Elton John asked staff to call an ambulance for me as a child due to concussion
Career highlight
Full screen visuals on Times Square and Piccadilly circus paired with a couple of double spread articles in different magazines.
Most annoying thing
Speed and budget limits
Bryan Sayle
Operations Partner
Halifax, Canada
Superpower
Reading the room
Traits valued in others
adventure, empathy, story telling
Passionate about
Simplicity, removing obstruction
Favourite food
Malpeque Bay Oysters
Fun fact
I don't know everyone in Canada.
Career highlight
Too many to list.
Most annoying thing
People standing on escalators
Chris Sams
Product Design Human
Norwich, UK
Superpower
A calm and considered approach.
Traits valued in others
When people ask for help.
Passionate about
Exploring the globe off the beaten track.
Favourite food
Sushi, Curry
Fun fact
I once rode a bike from Southern Spain to the UK, and caught a train to Singapore.
Career highlight
Living and working in 5 countries.
Most annoying thing
Buzz words, plus a lack of transparency in a project.
Deborah Linton
Words Human
Manchester, UK
Superpower
A way with words
Traits valued in others
Loyalty, tolerance, respect, humour
Passionate about
Bed (going to bed, getting into bed, my own bed)
Favourite food
Dark chocolate
Fun fact
I enjoyed a stint (could be swayed to resurrect it) as a grassroots football manager
Career highlight
Dispatching from the frontline of war
Most annoying thing
Velvet, rogue apostrophes
Jan Golding
Experience Design Human
London, UK
Superpower
Logical problem solving
Traits valued in others
Honesty, Modesty, Sense of Humour
Passionate about
Dungeons & Dragons, Skiing, Walking
Favourite food
A good burger!
Fun fact
I used to be in a metal band and had long blond hair (those were the days!)
Career highlight
Founding and running an award-winning creative agency with a strong focus on culture
Most annoying thing
Inability to sleep when my brain's too busy
Courtney Liddell
Project Management Human
New York
Superpower
Figuring things out
Traits valued in others
Honesty, curiousity, compassion
Passionate about
Learning and efficiency
Favourite food
All things cheese
Fun fact
I was once in a yoga class with Michelle Obama
Career highlight
Whatever is next
Most annoying thing
False Confidence
Mundhir Eltahir
Design Human
Dubai, UAE
Superpower
Discovering the person inside through photography
Traits valued in others
Honesty, Respect, Transparency
Passionate about
Creating brands that connect and engage with people
Favourite food
Turkish, Persian
Fun fact
I only dress in black
Career highlight
Creating the design language for Etihad Airways and being a part of the branding team of the Louvre Abu Dhabi
Most annoying thing
Police siren
Alexandra Jugović
Creative Human
London, UK
Superpower
Intuition, creativity, entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, resourcefulness and passion.
Traits valued in others
Authenticity, kindness, passion, creativity and sense of humour.
Passionate about
I am passionate about exploring the essence of what it means to be human now, designing experiences that connect Art, Technology, and Humans.
Favourite food
Figs! They taste best eaten straight off the tree, ideally still warm from the sun.
Fun fact
I have a brown belt in Karate, and I am a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher: www.unifiedkundalini.yoga
Career highlight
Building and running the iconic agency Hi-ReS in London and growing the studio into a global powerhouse with offices in Berlin and New York.
Most annoying thing
Not really getting annoyed, won't give anyone this power over me ;)
Paul Bean
Design Human
Santa Barbara, USA
Superpower
An eye as accurate as a spirit level
Traits valued in others
Integrity
Passionate about
Great craft
Favourite food
A traditional Sunday roast (w/ all the trimmings!)
Fun fact
Passionate club cyclist
Career highlight
Taking The Brain Tumour Charity from £2m to £15m+
Most annoying thing
Tardiness
Jen Rice
Transformation Human
Split my time between London and Florence
Superpower
Pattern-matching, framework-building, authenticity-eliciting
Traits valued in others
Non-linear thinking, originality, curiosity, systems-minded, kind and inclusive
Passionate about
Creating wholeness -- in ourselves, organizations and the world
Favourite food
Ethiopian, sushi
Fun fact
Left the US in 2019 to roam the world with a camera and a carry-on; now based in Egypt
Career highlight
Discovering that transformation comes from within, and adding coaching to my human-centric toolbox
Most annoying thing
alternative facts
Sarah Kay
Strategy Human
Oregon, USA
Superpower
Helping people think differently about what's possible.
Traits valued in others
Kindness, Curiosity, Courage, Growth Mindset.
Passionate about
Learning (anything) and Creating A Bold Future.
Favourite food
Indian. Without question.
Fun fact
I'm a certified Life Coach (CPCC).
Career highlight
Exploring the potential impact of the Nike Brand around the world. Spending time defining the intersection of Brand, Innovation and Sustainability.
Most annoying thing
Trying to fold my deflated stand-up paddle-board to put it back in its bag...
Rob Noble
Founder & Client Partner
London, UK
Superpower
A combination of persuasion & bringing people together
Traits valued in others
Authenticity, Loyalty, Social, Grit, Humorous, Kindness
Passionate about
Liverpool Football Club and visiting places I've never been
Favourite food
Japanese
Fun fact
I had lived in 39 places I called home by the time I was 39
Career highlight
Founding and building three globally renowned Creative Businesses
Most annoying thing
Being asked for passwords every 30 mins of my day
Mike Simpson
Creative Human
Santa Monica, California
Superpower
Developmental Vision
Traits valued in others
Kindness, humility, courage, gumption
Passionate about
Spending time with my kids
Favourite food
Yakitori Tebasaki
Fun fact
I lived in Tokyo for 10 years
Career highlight
Commissioning and working with Syd Mead
Most annoying thing
Using a car horn unnecessarily
John Sunart
Facilitation & Strategy Human
Edinburgh, UK
Superpower
Untangling complicated webs
Traits valued in others
Trust, Inclusion, Curiosity
Passionate about
Catalysing other people
Favourite food
Fruit crumbles
Fun fact
I got my pilots licence and driving license in the same month
Career highlight
Designing and running an event to define of the future strategy for a global product I use every day
Most annoying thing
Spreadsheets that should be databases
Gina Soloperto
Behavior Design Strategist
NYC, USA
Superpower
Super-connector of people and resources to viable solutions
Traits valued in others
Integrity, humility, compassion, passion, openness, balance, intention
Passionate about
Creating inclusive experiences, sense of belonging
Favourite food
anything but beets and pickles
Fun fact
I became an Ironman athlete in my 30's with no prior athletic experience.
Career highlight
Under Armour Youth Project, cracking a critical narrative and positioning for GenZ
Most annoying thing
I'm often 5 minutes late
Emilie Chen
Creative Human
London, UK
Superpower
empathy
Traits valued in others
passion
Passionate about
art, design
Favourite food
Mi Fen
Fun fact
Half French and Half Taiwanese
Career highlight
Landing my dream job at the National Theatre in 2014
Most annoying thing
Water inside your shoes
Jannicke Mikkelsen
Polar Human
Svalbard
Superpower
Shooting movies in remote locations where humans have not before ventured with a camera.
Traits valued in others
The ability to laugh at bad jokes.
Passionate about
Aerospace, Ocean & Polar exploration (with a camera).
Favourite food
Drytech
Fun fact
Directed the rock band QUEEN’s live-music video in VR titled “VR The Champions”
Career highlight
Live streaming to 55million people via satellite from Earth orbit flight setting the world record for fastest polar circumnavigation via North- and South pole. Callsign: One More Orbit.
Most annoying thing
Frostbite
Kevin Godley
Creative Polymath Human
Dublin, Ireland
Superpower
Unfeterred imagination
Traits valued in others
Patience, passion, a sense of humour, open mindedness, a strong work ethic, lack of ego.
Passionate about
Generally: Innovation. In Music / film / Art / Writing / tech. Specifically: Making things that don't exist yet.
Favourite food
Vegetarian, in any shape or form
Fun fact
I won a silver medal for full-bore pistol shooting. {Just call me Dirty Kevvy.)
Career highlight
One World One Voice - ZOO TV outside broadcast - Muscle Memory
Most annoying thing
The increasing number of convoluted protocols needed to access data online.
Terry Virts
Astro Human
Houston, USA
Superpower
Floating in weightlessness
Traits valued in others
Down to Earth nature, reliability
Passionate about
Democracy, energy, politics, exploration
Favourite food
Pasta
Fun fact
Did a cameo in the TV series Star Trek Enterprise. I also took the most ever still photographs from space, they tell me over 319,000.
Career highlight
Helping to film the IMAX movie A Beautiful Planet while in space on the ISS
Most annoying thing
Saying you'll do something and then not doing it
Vassoula Vasiliou
Creative Partner
Miami, USA
Superpower
360 degree overview
Traits valued in others
Trustworthy, Respectulness, Passionate, Driven,
Passionate about
Travel, culture and a mean espresso
Favourite food
Japanese
Fun fact
Owned a 1969 VW KarmannGhia for 18 yrs! Called the yellow submarine! Looking to replace it…
Career highlight
Moving to San Francisco and reconencting with Fitch, to be a VP, growing and running their new design studio. Growing the teams from 11 to 50+ multidisciplinary designers.
Most annoying thing
Structured Procrastination
Chloe Gottlieb
Design & Product Strategy Partner
NYC, USA
Superpower
Quantum Leaps By Design
Traits valued in others
Bravery
Passionate about
The Power of Design to Unleash Human Potential
Favourite food
Passionfruit
Fun fact
Grew up in a yoga community
Career highlight
Designing collaboration tools for 1bn users
Most annoying thing
Meetings that only yield more meetings
Ale Lariu
Creative Partner
London, UK
Superpower
Connection
Traits valued in others
Presence
Passionate about
Women's rights and music documentaries
Favourite food
Smoked trout
Fun fact
I’m used to swim and sail competitively. I was in a band and appeared on MTV.
Career highlight
being number 29 out of the 100 most creative people in business beating Tom Ford, Jamie Oliver and the founder of Four Square
Most annoying thing
Mansplaning
Nicola Pickup
Producer
Windermere, UK
Superpower
Multi-tasking
Traits valued in others
Empathy
Passionate about
Equal opportunities and swimming outside
Favourite food
Penang curry
Fun fact
If I enter a raffle I tend to win.
Career highlight
Working with a Brewery start-up delivering an ecommerce website and marketing strategy. Someone had to sample the goods.
Most annoying thing
Littering
Adrian Barrow
Strategic Partner
Los Angeles, USA
Superpower
Strategic Imagination, Simplification, Problem Solver
Traits valued in others
Courage, Humility, Generosity
Passionate about
A designer's power to make the world both more beautiful as well as useful.
Favourite food
Chilli lime lobster tails
Fun fact
I've lived the life of a global nomad. I might have been a gypsy in a past life.
Career highlight
Saturn Sheetmetal TVC
Most annoying thing
Not being able to travel (see comment above about being a gypsy).
Julia Plowman
Brand Purpose Partner
Portland, USA
Superpower
I have two: 1. I'm a connector and relationship builder; I can use both my left and right brain. I connect people and ideas. 2. My positive energy. I always see opportunity.
Traits valued in others
Honesty, intelligence and humor
Passionate about
Learning and experiencing new things
Favourite food
My mom's cheese grits
Fun fact
As Senior Class President at Wellesley College, I orchestrated the meeting of Barbara Bush and Raisa Gorbachev at commencement and was a central voice in the controversial, global conversation about women's empowerment.
Career highlight
So far? Leading the strategic and creative development of the Girl Effect; capturing the attention of the world's corporate and government leaders, cultural icons and the public and increasing direct investment 10x for adolescent girls to break generational poverty.
Most annoying thing
I like momentum. I find it annoying when work stalls.
Sergio Brodsky
Brand & Foresight Strategist
Melbourne, Australia
Superpower
Original thinking and precise execution
Traits valued in others
Intelligence, sense of humour, integrity, connectedness
Passionate about
Culture, current affairs, brand marketing & enterprise branding, movies, travel, exercise and a good roof
Favourite food
Steak. Medium-rare.
Fun fact
I'm somewhat related to Nobel Prize Laureate (literature) Joseph Brodsky
Career highlight
Being listed an Agenda Contributor to the World Economic Forum
Most annoying thing
Having to deal with subjective opinions that undermine the objectivity of effectiveness
Hristos Varouhas
Strategic Partner
Sydney, Australia
Superpower
Crafting Holistic Brand Strategies on Global Brands
Traits valued in others
Honesty, thoughtfulness, humour, sharing food
Passionate about
Being present in my kids everyday lives
Favourite food
Fasoulakia
Fun fact
I've got 3 passports (NZL, Greek, Aussie) but lack the moves of Jason Bourne
Career highlight
Running global brand strategy on Apple for Media Arts Lab
Most annoying thing
Dishes not being rinsed before being neatly placed in the dishwasher!
Rick Palmer
Growth Partner
Cirencester, UK
Superpower
Relentless determination, curiosity and staying power
Traits valued in others
Loyalty, passion, creativity, positivity
Passionate about
People
Favourite food
Anything Italian
Fun fact
I have my own tree on the Chelsea Embankment
Career highlight
Following Prince on stage in NY to collect my Webby Award
Most annoying thing
Arrogance
Kyle Duncan
Technology Human
London, UK
Superpower
Speed without sacrificing attention to detail
Traits valued in others
Kindness
Passionate about
Humanity
Favourite food
Middle Eastern
Fun fact
Always skeptical, never cynical
Career highlight
Joining Group of Humans (obviously!)
Most annoying thing
Misanthropy
Henny Swan
Accessibility & Inclusion Human
Brighton, UK
Superpower
TBD
Traits valued in others
Honesty, clarity, inclusivity
Passionate about
Wild swimming
Favourite food
Chinese hotpot and any authentic Chinese food.
Fun fact
I used to do voiceovers for kids TV when I lived in China.
Career highlight
Participating in meetings at the United Nations
Most annoying thing
Document finders
Caroline Cockerham
Textile Human
Wilmington, USA
Superpower
If it's a textile, I can make it.
Traits valued in others
Humor, follow through, creative thinking
Passionate about
Sustainability as it relates to textiles
Favourite food
French fries with mayo
Fun fact
I sew a lot of my own clothes...because I enjoy it, but mostly because I'm cheap.
Career highlight
Starting my own business, making sustainable home textiles in the USA
Most annoying thing
Mouth smacking (?)
Mark Blaisse
Strategy & Storytelling Human
Amsterdam
Superpower
writing
Traits valued in others
generosity, humor, brains
Passionate about
passionate people
Favourite food
fish
Fun fact
driving around the Mediterrenean in a Landrover
Career highlight
Silver Rose in Montreux for a documentary on Pol Pot
Most annoying thing
Waiting for people who have invited me
Shea Gonyo
Developer Human
Cincinnati, USA
Superpower
Translating creative into functional products
Traits valued in others
Creativity, Passion, Authenticity and Work Ethic
Passionate about
Family
Favourite food
Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken
Fun fact
I can still do a tre flip
Career highlight
Launching
Most annoying thing
Having to do the same thing twice
Stefan Boublil
Brand Event Specialist & Creative Partner
New Hope, USA
Superpower
Giving a shit
Traits valued in others
Curiosity
Passionate about
The Hero’s Journey
Favourite food
Chocolate
Fun fact
Got 6 Pfizer shots and now I can see 15 seconds into the future.
Career highlight
Recording an album and writing a book concurrently.
Most annoying thing
Not eating chocolate.
Clare Townhill
Strategy Partner
Bruton, UK
Superpower
Getting to the right questions.
Traits valued in others
Integrity, grit, kindness, bravery
Passionate about
Global detective fiction, great coffee
Favourite food
Too many to mention
Fun fact
I used to run parties as the Creative Producer for the world's biggest nightclub
Career highlight
Flying a gospel choir to Ibiza to sing Bohemian Rhapsody to 10,000 clubbers at dawn.
Most annoying thing
Any flavour of BS
Alex Smith
Design Partner
NYC, USA
Superpower
Pattern Recognition
Traits valued in others
Authenticity
Passionate about
Abstraction
Favourite food
Fat
Fun fact
Built and sold Red Boxes in high school
Career highlight
Building a computational model that outputs chairs
Most annoying thing
Building features when we should be building foundations
Kerry Bodine
Customer Experience Human
San Francisco Bay Area
Superpower
Making complex topics easy to understand
Traits valued in others
Kindness, honesty, humor, and curiosity
Passionate about
Improving the human experience one small interaction at a time
Favourite food
Pink lady apples and peanut butter
Fun fact
I've travelled to all 50 states in the US
Career highlight
Speaking at the Louvre
Most annoying thing
The sniffles that accompany my allergies
Kevin Farnham
Experience Design Partner
San Francisco, USA
Superpower
Business transformation through design
Traits valued in others
Authenticity
Passionate about
Systems thinking
Favourite food
Anything from my garden
Fun fact
I have a chair addiction
Career highlight
TED. Chris Anderson had an enormous vision for spreading ideas across the world. We helped him achieve that. It was the experience of a lifetime.
Most annoying thing
Predictable design solutions
Iain Gore
Creative Human
Los Angeles
Superpower
Creative problem solving
Traits valued in others
Honesty
Passionate about
Studio Gear
Favourite food
BBQ
Fun fact
First commercial credit was UK boy band Blue
Career highlight
Brian Eno asking me to play percussion for him because he said he was not very good at it.
Most annoying thing
That streamed music does not have full artwork and credits. I’ve spent countless hours looking at album artwork and reading credits.
Adrian Rossi
Creative Partner
London, UK
Superpower
Eternal optimism
Traits valued in others
Humble. Egoless. Principled.
Passionate about
Humility
Favourite food
It's the company
Fun fact
I'm not funny
Career highlight
Being surrounded by more talented people
Most annoying thing
Talking in the third person
Raquel Chicourel
Strategy Human
London
Superpower
Solving problems. No matter how small, big or impossible.
Traits valued in others
Sense of humour and a bit of madness
Passionate about
Gaming and zombie apocalypse series/films
Favourite food
Rainbow cake
Fun fact
I discovered a new species of snake :)
Career highlight
Building an artificially intelligent gaming & snacking robot
Most annoying thing
Fake news
Subha Naidu
Crea-dev Human
Perth, Australia
Superpower
Mobile
Traits valued in others
Trust
Passionate about
Beautiful simple digital
Favourite food
Custard
Fun fact
I have 6 cars, 1 works
Career highlight
Sleepy App, our first digital product
Most annoying thing
That time I accidentally grabbed an edamame from the 'used' pile and tried to eat it. Oh god.
Daniel Janoff
Creative Human
NYC, USA
Superpower
Writing the campaign strategy AND the campaign copy.
Traits valued in others
Honesty and Openness
Passionate about
Music that I haven’t heard yet
Favourite food
33-cent ramen
Fun fact
I put a disco floor into my dining room
Career highlight
When I was 18 I did some Ghostwriting for America’s Most Wanted
Most annoying thing
People who talk too much. Mercy!
Joe Sheldrick
Sound Designer & Composer
Bristol, UK
Superpower
Always aiming to do something new and different
Traits valued in others
Being open and honest
Passionate about
The power of sound!
Favourite food
Tapas
Fun fact
I was on a Channel 4 documentary called Brat Camp when I was 17 : D
Career highlight
DJing at Glastonbury for a Radio 1 Clash competition against Heartless Crew hosted by MistaJam
Most annoying thing
People playing bad music loudly on their phones on a train
Emily Daley
Research Human
London, UK
Superpower
I'm an empath
Traits valued in others
Humility, openness, humour
Passionate about
Psychology, art & design, feminism
Favourite food
Pickles
Fun fact
My face was on times square
Career highlight
Making my voice heard as the only woman on a NYC trading floor
Most annoying thing
Loud eating
Thu Do
Digital Design Human
NYC, USA
Superpower
Walking between Design, Technology, and Strategy in an ever-changing environment
Traits valued in others
Honesty
Passionate about
Equality and freedom of expression
Favourite food
Cajun 'the boil'
Fun fact
Had a rap band, obsessed about dinosaurs
Career highlight
Start and launch my own startup
Most annoying thing
Relentlessly curious
Joel Uden
Content Human
London, UK
Superpower
Clarity
Traits valued in others
Honesty
Passionate about
Sports cars and motorcycles (with a penchant for Italian)
Favourite food
Sushi and jerk chicken (but never together)
Fun fact
I've volunteered as a Police Officer with London's Met for many years
Career highlight
Getting into the D&AD annual twice for my copywriting
Most annoying thing
Dreadful pedantry
Dr. Katie Van Horne
Research Human
Seattle, USA
Superpower
Designing for learning
Traits valued in others
Humble, Inquisitive, Connected
Passionate about
Creating experiences for learning, collaborative design, and equity in our systems
Favourite food
Crusty bread with butter
Fun fact
I am a twin parent
Career highlight
Impacting the science learning experiences of tens of thousands of school age children across the U.S. through open-source instructional materials.
Most annoying thing
Will tell you about my dog and her daily activities
Pete Johnson
Creative Human
New York, New York
Superpower
Creative intuition
Traits valued in others
Honesty, sense of humor
Passionate about
Running
Favourite food
Hornado (roast pork)
Fun fact
I own a dairy farm in Ecuador
Career highlight
Sliming Beyoncé
Most annoying thing
I like proper spelling and punctuation in texts.
Joe Whelan
Design Human
Manchester, UK
Superpower
Photographic Memory
Traits valued in others
Honesty, genuine, loyalty, compassion, empathy, hard working, humble, common sense.
Passionate about
My family, design, music, classic films, classic box sets, good food, good wine.
Favourite food
Chinese, indian, Thai, Italian, Greek, Sunday roast.
Fun fact
I was in a band in the 90's called the YAYA's. Oasis supported the YAYA's in Oldham and our bass player joined them on tour.
Career highlight
jkrowling.com
Most annoying thing
Unfairness, dishonesty
Flo Fantinel
Product Design Human
London, UK
Superpower
Passion, empathy & meditation
Traits valued in others
Kindness, transparency and a good sense of humour
Passionate about
Travel, nature and design
Favourite food
Difficult decision, but the Italian cuisine transports me back to my roots and surely makes me feel at home
Fun fact
I’ve been a Wine Angel in California, which might explain my devotion to wine
Career highlight
The fervent London tech startup scene makes me feel upbeat. Since I became a freelancer, I had multiple opportunities to work with entrepreneurs to build dreams from scratch, whilst creating positive impact to the users.
Most annoying thing
Arrogance and lack of communication
Vic Kirk-Owal
Strategy & Innovation Partner
London, UK
Superpower
Entertaining. I have a knack for hosting great meals and meaningful conversations with eclectic crowds.
Traits valued in others
Vulnerability and a sense of humour
Passionate about
Universal design
Favourite food
Okra
Fun fact
I can weld steel
Career highlight
Turning field research on digital technology in rural India into a photo essay exhibition that pulled a crowd of a quarter million visitors to a gallery in Mayfair in two weeks.
Most annoying thing
Dogma
Joe Federer
Social Strategy Partner
St. Louis, USA
Superpower
Internet dorkdom
Traits valued in others
Empathy
Passionate about
Psychology
Favourite food
Medium-rare burger topped with a fried egg (trust me)
Fun fact
My first "social network" was a test-based online roleplaying game called Dragonrealms
Career highlight
Seeing client work hit the Front Page of Reddit organically
Most annoying thing
Buzzword salad
Lasse Lindqvist
Strategy & Sustainability Human
Helsinki, Finland
Superpower
Simplifying the most complex
Traits valued in others
Honesty, authenticity, learning mindset
Passionate about
Leaning new things, freediving with whales, photography and nature
Favourite food
My mama’s meatballs
Fun fact
I financed my college by being a professional musical theater dancer in the Nordics
Career highlight
Designing an award-winning NASA astronaut space suit
Most annoying thing
I sleep walk
Alexie Sommer
Sustainable Design Human
Biarritz, France
Superpower
Intuition & single line sketching
Traits valued in others
Clear & authentic communication, holding & delivering a vision, Curious with a good sense of humour.
Passionate about
Deep culture, environmental & social impact, getting into nature, and tuning into the zeitgeist.
Favourite food
Grilled Lasbordes Pays Basque hazelnuts…. chips & beer comes a close second.
Fun fact
Grew up running down sand dunes.
Career highlight
Latest highlight is bringing Design Declares to life
Most annoying thing
Style without substance
Howard Moggs
Growth Partner
Melbourne, Australia
Superpower
The Law of Attraction
Traits valued in others
People that are uninhibitedly themselves
Passionate about
Derby County
Favourite food
Pizza
Fun fact
I played for Robbie Williams football team in LA
Career highlight
Moving from London to Los Angeles to open the first U.S. office for Ralph&Co. in 2008.
Most annoying thing
I drum on everything
Jack Penate
Musician & Creative Human
London, UK
Superpower
Creating three part harmonies
Traits valued in others
Honesty and compassion
Passionate about
Drawing and painting
Favourite food
Chinese
Fun fact
I was brought on stage by Missy Eliot as a teen and did the worm across the stage.
Career highlight
Playing The Other Stage at Glastonbury
Most annoying thing
Will bore you about ancient history
Rob Ferneyhough
Creative Human
London, UK
Superpower
Storytelling
Traits valued in others
Honesty, open-mindedness, fearlessness, perspective and humour
Passionate about
Arsenal FC
Favourite food
Vietnamese
Fun fact
Oliver Reed nicknamed me Trotsky
Career highlight
Meeting Oliver Reed
Most annoying thing
My dog
Suzie Webb
Design Human
Oslo, Norway
Superpower
Making the invisible, visible
Traits valued in others
Honesty, bravery, humour
Passionate about
Imagination, the human as a part of nature, creativity
Favourite food
My own woodfired pizzas
Fun fact
I have an aptonym.
Career highlight
When I first realised I didn't have the Sunday fear anymore
Most annoying thing
Clumsy emojis
Simon Waterfall
Creative Partner
Berkeley, USA
Superpower
Talking
Traits valued in others
Passion
Passionate about
Not repeating myself
Favourite food
Sushi
Fun fact
Planned to be in silicon valley for 2 years
Career highlight
Tomorrows challenge
Most annoying thing
When i am late and its my fault
Rob Lawrence
Creative & Strategy Partner
London, UK
Superpower
Imagination, daring, commitment, honesty, loyalty
Traits valued in others
Courage
Passionate about
What's next
Favourite food
A chalice of milk
Fun fact
I held a Guinness World Record and I've got a bunch of tech patents for spyware
Career highlight
Building and owning the cheapest broadband network in the UK
Most annoying thing
about me? Or just generally?
Lisa deBettencourt
Design Strategy Human
Boston, USA
Superpower
empathy and connecting dots, systems, and people
Traits valued in others
humility, wit, humor, patience, kindness, open mindedness
Passionate about
healthcare as a human right, equality, and sustainability
Favourite food
chocolate
Fun fact
I’m a huge heavy metal fan 🤘🏼
Career highlight
Co-founding IxDA and IxDA Boston (which I ran for 7 years)
Most annoying thing
arrogance and misogyny
Jennifer Burgos
Content Strategy Partner
Abergavenny, UK
Superpower
Building relationships
Traits valued in others
Transparency, Loyalty, Passion, Humour, Risk taker, Kind & Kind
Passionate about
Understanding and learning what people want, helping them achieve that and of course - bread
Favourite food
Purple Sprouting Broccoli Salad with Tahini dressing and walnuts
Fun fact
Speak 5 languages
Career highlight
Getting David Beckham animated into a Scooby Doo Episode for Adidas, as a way of selling more trainers !
Most annoying thing
Rushing
Dilly Gent
Creative Director & Producer
Los Angeles, USA
Superpower
My Kid
Traits valued in others
Honesty, transparency, empathy, humour, efficiency, talent, common sense & kindness.
Passionate about
Music, the marriage of music and film, Educating people about the environment in a fun, easy to understand way.
Favourite food
Brussel Sprouts.
Fun fact
I won a demolition derby.
Career highlight
Radiohead's Creative Director for 17 years. Grammy Nominated. Produced 60 short films for Al Gore.
Most annoying thing
I tend to eco-rant...
Duncan Madden
Content Human
Köln, Germany
Superpower
The written word (though I’d like it to be flying)
Traits valued in others
Empathy, candour, humour
Passionate about
Immersion (physically, mentally, spiritually)
Favourite food
Changes with each new week (currently königsberger klopse)
Fun fact
I talk to myself out loud all the time – it's cathartic and helps me work through problems
Career highlight
Publishing my first book 'Found in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of Place Names'
Most annoying thing
Wilful ignorance, discrimination, mosquitoes
Matthew Cockerill
Design & Product Strategy Partner
London, UK
Superpower
Imagination
Traits valued in others
Open mindedness, expertise and dedication.
Passionate about
emerging technology, shifts in culture and climate
Favourite food
Ramen
Fun fact
The tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong when I lived there isn’t even in the top 150 today.
Career highlight
Helping create the world's first ethical and modular smartphone for Fairphone.
Most annoying thing
I'm not a very good listener
Suki Fuller
Analytical Storyteller
London, UK
Superpower
Can tell the story of data making it understandable for all.
Traits valued in others
Honesty, communication
Passionate about
Life, ethics
Favourite food
Macaroni and Cheese
Fun fact
I consider Penguins family
Career highlight
Yet to come.
Most annoying thing
I am intolerant of intolerance.