Seattle Interactive 2022 Speakers
Shantelle Liu
Zoom
eCommerce UX Designer
Shantelle Liu is a UX/UI designer who enjoys creating minimalist, user-centric, and pixel-perfect designs to tell the story of a brand. Currently, Shantelle is an e-commerce UX designer at Zoom. Her main job there is to design eCommerce solutions for zoom.us, covering all stages of the eCommerce process from product listing to purchasing, as well as upgrade funnels and user billing management. In previous professional endeavors, Shantelle has leveraged her design skills for a variety of companies in different industries, from leading tech companies like Apple and Microsoft to governmental agencies and start-ups. When Shantelle is not working on design, she enjoys traveling around the places, playing with her bunny Judy, and exploring new cuisines in the kitchen.
CloseKavi Kardos
Corporate Finance Institute
Director of SEO
Kavi Kardos is an altruistic SEO evangelist with eight years’ experience leading organic search strategy for industry-leading companies in entertainment, cybersecurity, the nonprofit sector, and many more. As the Senior Learning & Development Specialist and SEO Manager for Moz, she created the Technical SEO Certification for Moz Academy and has contributed to Whiteboard Friday, several customer education webinars, and the Professional's Guide to SEO. Kavi is currently Director of SEO for the Corporate Finance Institute, a world-class provider of online coursework and certifications for finance professionals. When she’s not obsessing over spreadsheets and site architecture diagrams, Kavi can be found hosting pub quizzes for Geeks Who Drink or watching a baseball game with a good beer in hand.
CloseAlex Ilten
VTProDesign
Executive Creative Director
As VTProDesign’s Executive Creative Director, Alex excels across a broad range of fields. While he’s an expert in kinetics, robotics, and 3D modeling, that’s not how his career started.
Alex initially trained as an architect, receiving both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in architecture from the University of Kansas. After that, he packed his bags and set off for Southeast Asia, where he designed large-scale structures. That experience led Alex to work on other projects around the globe, including for the Vatican and the Empire State Building.
His obsession with creation has bled into the digital world, too. Alex has been down more rabbit holes than Wonderland’s Alice and enjoys sound design and 3D printing. Since working at VTProDesign, Alex has worked with the company to create brand activations for brands such as Netflix, Heineken, Doodles, and more.
CloseAdam Myhill
Unity
Creative Director
Adam Myhill's career has spanned video game, film and technology innovation worlds, working as a Creative Director at Unity, including a technical Emmy. Using his experience on multiple titles and as a feature film DP, Myhill created a ground-breaking procedural cinematic and in-game camera system called Cinemachine, which is now an integral part of Unity’s offering, where he now works to empower creators. He also holds numerous technology patents around virtual cameras, procedural cinematography and interactive spectator experiences. Adam is also an advisor for Transitional Forms, a world leader in AI-generated content.
CloseMarisa Peacock
The Strategic Peacock
Chief Strategist
Marisa Peacock is the founder and chief strategist of the Strategic Peacock. Marisa helps organizations create and implement online strategies that appropriately target the right audience with the right information using the right media. Before founding her company in 2010, Marisa managed and produced websites, multimedia, and online content for not-profits, independent schools and small businesses. Marisa is also a full-time lecturer in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
CloseHamid Ghanadan
The Linus Group
Founder & CEO
For over 25 years, Hamid has dedicated his career to developing highly actionable branding and marketing strategies for leading healthcare companies such as 10x Genomics, Invitae, Panasonic Healthcare and more. Hamid has shared his innovative insights with the public at large on the TedX stage and through the publication of his two books, Persuading Scientists and Catalytic Experiences. By leveraging decades of experience, a deep understanding of human behavior, and proprietary methodologies, Hamid leads the way in helping business leaders make transformative decisions for the future.
CloseKristin Apple
The Linus Group
President
As President of LINUS, Kristin Apple is a healthcare leader, passionate brand strategist, and innovative catalyst. For over twenty years, she has worked client-side and as an advisor to the world’s largest consumer healthcare, CPG, and pharmaceutical companies. She is passionate about changing the way healthcare is delivered and experienced today.
Prior to LINUS, Kristin built and led the healthcare vertical at a global brand and innovation consultancy. She focused on uncovering insights, guiding strategy, and fueling innovation for the world’s most relevant brands - such as: Nestlé, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Amgen, American Medical Association, Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Her love for health and wellness started when she spent nearly six years at Eli Lilly launching five blockbuster drugs while rotating through different roles in the sales and marketing divisions.
CloseJenny Burns
Allen Institute
Digital Content Manager
Jenny joined the Allen Institute In 2017. As Digital Content Manger, she oversees the Institute’s digital storytelling campaigns on the website and social media channels. She dabbles in many forms of content production including video, photography, copywriting, graphic design and often flexes the basic html she picked up during the Myspace days to add pizzazz to website layouts. Jenny is passionate about supporting mission-driven organizations that benefit humankind. In 2015, she received a Master of Communication in Communities and Networks degree from the University of Washington’s Communication Leadership program.
CloseRachel Tompa, Ph.D.
Allen Institute
Senior Editor
Rachel joined the Allen Institute in 2018. As Senior Editor in the Communications department, she writes news, feature stories and press releases covering all the Institute’s scientific divisions for alleninstitute.org. Before joining the Allen Institute, she worked as a science writer and editor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center for nearly 10 years, most recently covering basic sciences as a staff writer in the Communications department for Fred Hutch News Service. A former molecular biologist, Rachel has been writing about science and health since 2007, covering a wide variety of topics including the microbiome, cancer, gene editing, evolution, global health, technology, science policy and infectious disease. She received a B.A. in biology from the University of Chicago, a Ph.D. in molecular biology and biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
CloseElena Cai
eBay
UX/UI Designer, Content Creator
Elena (Aliena) Cai is an innovative and results-driven UI/UX Designer with a cross-disciplinary background in design, computer science, and business. Elena runs a tech Youtube channel, "Aliena Cai," with 22K+ followers who love her talks about design and tech. Starting in 2017, Elena has been active in the Speculative Design community, where she brought innovative speeches, workshops, and projects to companies in Silicon Valley.
CloseSteve Barrett
Tether
Executive Creative Director
Steve brings more than 30 years of broad, multidisciplinary design and branding experience to the leadership team at Tether. Prior to joining Tether in 2011, Steve spent six years working in the Starbucks Global Creative group, most recently as the VP of Brand Design, where he led the global brand identity refresh initiative. Steve’s ability to maintain strategic focus while carefully cultivating a design aesthetic were critical in applying the brand identity system across a multitude of customer-facing touchpoints—including the iconic white cup, packaged coffee, Starbucks Cards, menu systems and packaged food. Previously Steve worked as Design Director at Hadley/Green Creates, a Seattle ad agency, and with Werkhaus Design, where he provided creative leadership for the Seattle studio and its clients for more than 13 years.
CloseBrianne Dromey
One Net Inc.
Senior Copywriter & Brand Strategist
A marketing enthusiast who knows her way around a spreadsheet, Brianne has collected years of certifications and experience in digital marketing for clients like Lenovo, Western Union and SteelSeries.
From an in-house marketing team to freelancing in web design and content strategy, she now guides her team as Lead Copywriter at One Net Inc where she positions global companies to slay the competition. If she’s not laying out content strategies for clients, she’s likely roaming the backcountry on Vancouver Island looking for hidden ferns or exploring obscure peaks.
CloseBryan O'Neil Hughes
Adobe
Director of Product Management
Bryan O'Neil Hughes is Director of Product Management & Partner Outreach at Adobe, overseeing a portfolio of Creative Cloud applications & services. Bryan has been product owner for both flagship desktop applications (like Photoshop) & multiple class-leading, 1.0 mobile products (like Adobe Fresco, Adobe Capture, Photoshop Mix & Photoshop Fix). Since 1999 he has helped to drive product vision; strategic alignment w/key partners; to lead distributed product teams & to harness & filter feedback for Adobe's professional desktop & mobile apps. Hughes is passionate about partnerships & is a champion of many collaborative efforts both within & beyond Adobe. Hughes is one of Adobe's primary spokespeople, representing the company across creative segments & platforms. Bryan can often be found leading keynotes, seminars, user groups, & workshops.
Bryan is a featured keynote speaker, having represented Adobe in two Apple Keynotes (the launch of Apple Silicon/M1 and the launch of the M1 iPad Pro); on the main stage, at Adobe MAX six times, representing Photoshop, Lightroom and a host of mobile products (also 5X Adobe MAX Master); countless Photoshop Worlds; Photo Plus Expo; Photokina; WPPI & many more. Bryan has authored original content for dozens of publications & several original series for Adobe (Bryan's videos have enjoyed over 15M views).
Before joining Adobe, Bryan was a professional photographer & retoucher. Beyond Adobe, Hughes is a regularly published photographer, editor, & the author of dozens of magazine articles & two books. Hughes continues to license imagery professionally. Hughes is also a driving instructor for the BMW Car Club of America -- when he isn't driving very quickly, he enjoys running marathons very slowly.
CloseLuis Antezana
CROWN
Director of Strategy & Technology
I love to apply my deep understanding of social platforms and marketing technologies towards strategizing creative ways to help brands resonate with their audience. My whole career has been about immersing in emerging technologies to understand both the user experience and the back-end, while applying marketing and business acumen to make sure there's creative interest, strategic purpose, and a bottom line result. But technology is nothing if it doesn't connect with people, so I make sure I'm engaged in the real world as much as possible, culturally and professionally. My ultimate reward is seeing people reap the benefits of a great execution.
CloseDominique Luster, MLIS
The Luster Company
Founder
Kind of like National Treasure meets The Great Migration, Dominique is one part archivist -one part researcher – full parts natural haired bourbon connoisseur, with a dash of genealogy for taste. Dominique has been working in the cultural heritage and memory fields for nearly 10 years. In this time, she’s come to be known as a champion for Black history and Black-centered storytelling. After working at universities, libraries, and museums across the country, she came to understand that history is not merely a listing of events in chronological order. But rather, a meticulously curated phenomenon of power. All too often, the stories of marginalized communities are suppressed, oppressed, erased, or forgotten. With this as a north star, Dominique started The Luster Company to rechart that path. The Luster Company is an outpour of spirit by way of helping individuals and organizations uplift, honor, and tell stories that represent the lived experiences of the Black diaspora.
CloseRuben Ayala has a passion for all things data and technology. He has over a decade of experience working alongside agency and brand direct partners to implement omni-channel media strategies that deliver innovative storytelling for consumers and business outcomes for brands. Currently, he is a Director of Sales at Viant, a leading people-based advertising software company, and is dedicated to educating marketers around the evolving digital landscape and its benefits to addressability and privacy for brands and consumers alike.
CloseAndrew Wilcox
Simple Works
Creative Director
Andrew began his career in advertising in 2008 as an art director at Wieden+Kennedy, Shanghai. When not at work, he was riding his bike around Shanghai, eating great food and taking photos. In 2011 he moved stateside, to Wieden+Kennedy, Portland. In 2012 he moved to New York to become the 64th employee at Droga5, helping it grow to well over 600 in three years. In 2017 he moved to Seattle to join Amazon's in-house creative team. He led advertising launch work for Alexa and the Echo Dot, Echo Spot and Echo Show. He oversaw creative for international expansion of Echo / Alexa into France, Italy, Spain and Mexico. In 2019 he joined a small team of highly intelligent people to start what would become Amazon Halo. As co-creative director he worked to build that brand from scratch, and oversaw all subsequent creative campaigns.
Andrew has learned more from his failures than from his successes. He's learned that the most valuable thing we can do as communicators is to create simple solutions to complicated problems. Simple work is memorable, sharable, flexible and repeatable. Complicated work doesn't work.
Currently, Andrew consults new companies and agencies with focus in the tech space.
ClosePaul Peterman has spent his career helping companies reach their full potential. Paul currently serves as Senior Managing Director, North America at Reddit, where he leads partnerships with some of the world's largest brands. Reddit's unique, community-first approach has made it one of today's fastest-growing platforms, serving over a half-billion people each month.
CloseAlison Ver Halen
AV Writing Services, LLC
CEO
Alison Ver Halen is a content marketer, SEO strategist, speaker, and author who always loved to write, but was told growing up that writers don't make any money. That proved false when an attorney offered to pay her to write blog posts for his law firm and Alison realized she could make a career out of this. She has been doing that ever since and has never looked back.
CloseRebecca Coleman
The Narrative Group
President
Rebecca Coleman holds over 20 years of experience in building great relationships with clients and even better campaigns for their brands. Currently, she is President at The Narrative Group, an award-winning creative agency that specializes in people-centric and earned-led brand experiences for some of today’s biggest brands including McDonald’s, Harmless Harvest, and Universal Pictures. Prior to The Narrative Group, Rebecca founded Something Massive, a strategy-led advertising agency and video production company behind ad creative and campaigns for brands like Plum Organics, Oikos, KIND, and Bolthouse Farms.
CloseGlobal brand strategist with 20 years' experience building strong consumer connections for top brands. Proven track record of identifying powerful consumer insights, telling captivating stories and leading integrated plans that drive brand & business growth. Experience in both agency and client roles with a diverse skill set that includes consumer research, brand strategy, marketing strategy & plan development, concept development, content creation, channel management, leadership development & project management. Embracing digital innovation has been a consistent theme throughout my career. Ultimately, passionate about taking brands to exciting new places.
CloseWil Arndt
OXD
Creative Director
Wil Arndt is the Creative Director at OXD, a digital consulting firm, and ThoughtFarmer, a cloud-based intranet product, where he drives product and business strategy while working with clients like Electronic Arts, Government of British Columbia, Pokémon, and Honeywell. Over his nearly 30 year career, Wil founded digital firm Mod7 (acquired by OXD), garnered over 150 industry accolades—including SXSW, Applied Arts, HOW Magazine, The Webby Awards, and The Art Directors Club—and has had his work featured at the Venice Biennale and the Banff World Media Festival. Guiding teams through change, Wil challenges designers and communicators to stay curious and open to new ideas and perspectives. He’s also the only designer in the world who can claim to have once been employed as a pirate. Ask him about it sometime.
CloseJess Vice
STRUCK
Strategy Director
Jess Vice, Strategy Director at Struck, has over 12 years experience in CRO, marketing, SaaS, and product. She is consistently thrilled with how much more there is to learn. She is intensely aware that the first point of contact is always the internal teams she works with -- if they don’t have a relationship built on trust, she won't be a successful user researcher. Jess offers qualitative and quantitative research, generally with software/product/SaaS users. She's particularly good at making meaning from the research and providing teams with data-driven recommendations for what they should do/build next (product strategy, short and long-term). Jess aims to collaborate with conscientious, heart-driven folks who are creating meaningful outcomes in the world.
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