Speakers

Adam JK is a Toronto-born, Honolulu-based artist whose illustrative work is rooted in honesty, humour and a little bit of darkness. His books and journals, including Things Are What You Make of Them, have sold over a million copies in 20 languages worldwide. Obsessed with aphorisms and ephemera, Adam’s work seeks to craft new reminders from familiar sources, offering his brand of “back-handed optimism” as a token of encouragement and camaraderie for other creative, emotional and deeply human people.

Known for his bold, politically charged illustration, Edel uses a variety of materials in his work, he has created covers for TIME, The New Yorker, Communication Arts and Der Spiegel, and has collaborated with The New York Times and the US Postal Service. Other clients include Billboard Magazine, Conde Naste Traveler, Esquire, Fortune, Hyperion Books, Los Angeles Times, McGraw-Hill, MTV, New York Magazine, Nike, Pepsi, Rolling Stone, The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, University of Chicago Press and Vibe. He is the recipient of both a Gold and a Silver Medal for editorial illustration from the Society of Illustrators. He has illustrated three children’s books, Mama does the Mambo, Oye Celia, a biopic about Celia Cruz, and Float Like a Butterfly, a story about Cassius Clay. His 2023 memoir, Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey tells his story of migration and identity.

Lauren and Gabby founded Super Kee in 2021 to create the kind of studio they always wanted to work for. As Creative Director, Gabby creates story-led brand systems that are based on a strategic foundation. Prior to Super Keen, Gabby worked at leading design studios across Sydney, Berlin and NYC. She has worked on brands like Apple Music Awards, Ableton, Netflix, and RBMA. Gabby curates a directory called OMGLORD that shares thoughts on design, creativity, and handy resources. As Strategy Director, Lauren helps founders translate their vision into clear strategy and compelling creative work. She has worked with big global brands like Samsung, Google and Airbnb as well as dozens of founder-led startups like Propel, Oura and Tempo. Lauren taught at Parsons School of Design and mentors at New Inc, an arts and technology incubator from New Museum.

Through colourful imagery and fragmented narratives, Raman hopes to reach into a realm of honest emotionality and willful fragility, creating surreal worlds and characters that oscillate between the familiar and the fantastical. They have directed music videos for artists from across the globe, working with labels such as Universal, Warp Records and Downtown Records, as well as other clients like Adult Swim, Medium and The New Yorker. With a background in illustration and design, Raman expanded his practice and toolset from project to project, venturing into animation, filmmaking and music videos. In their work, they transition fluently from 2D to 3D animation to illustration.

Temi is an absolute force of creativity, depicting layers of his Nigerian culture with colours, patterns, dimensions and textures. Finding his style by merging a love for photography and graphic design, he creates powerful experiences that move and challenge beauty standards. His work is a movement. His clients include Adobe, Apple, Google, HBO and the Oscars.

Valentina is a designer, creative director and author renowned for her ability to inspire, move and connect people through data-driven experiences. Her work includes the critically acclaimed The Infographic History of the World and the innovative Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica, a children’s encyclopedia filled with facts and infographics about the universe, wildlife and human anatomy. Valentina’s creativity and insight have led to collaborations with diverse organizations, from startups to global brands, in various fields and formats, including theatre performances, exhibitions and digital platforms. Beyond her projects, Valentina is passionate about education and knowledge sharing, offering coaching to corporate teams, lecturing at institutions like Columbia Business School and running popular Masterclasses. Her contributions to the field have been internationally exhibited and are part of the permanent collection at the Weltmuseum in Vienna. She was named one of Campaign’s 30 Future Creative Female Leaders in 2018.