Purpose X Design

Work is work, right? We don’t need to like it – just need to collect that paycheck.

Obviously not! Our careers are meant to be the manifestations of our dreams come true. We commit ourselves, work hard, and dream big – so why do we often struggle to find purpose in our work? Why does the grass always seem to be greener on the other side, even when we’ve made great efforts to get where we are?

In this Designers + Geeks, we’re bring together a distinguished group of speakers to look at the topic of “purpose.” We’ll discuss ways to find meaning in your work, and lessons learned along the way. Our speakers have lived, learned, and worked hard to build great careers – they’ll share how they did it.
SILVIA CHRISTMANN | Executive Coach

Silvia Christmann is an expert at helping high-achievers reach their next level of success. She is growth coach and advisor to CEOs and entrepreneurs. She was born in Germany and currently spends her time with clients between New York, LA, London, Berlin, and Asia.

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TELISA DAUGHTRY | Founder of FlyTechnista

TeLisa Daughtry is a social entrepreneur, multi-disciplined creative, and self-taught developer of 19 years. She is the Founder & CEO of FlyTechnista.org and STEEAMnista.org; both have participated in The White House #CSforAll initiative.

In 2016 TeLisa was recognized as a ‘Changemaker’ by The White House’ United State of Women Summit, for Innovation & Entrepreneurship; she been listed #19 “Top 50 Visionary Women in Tech to Watch in 2017”; and she was recognized as a finalist for a 2017 Diversity in Tech Award. She is a Google Women Techmaker; a mentor at The Lower East Side Girls Club, and iMentor; a Next Step Advisor to Women@Forbes; and a participant in Y-Combinator Startup School. She is passionate about coding, creativity, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship; and empowering women, youth, and underrepresented groups of people in these spaces.

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LAURA KLEGER | Dir of Interactive @ Guggenheim & Partner @ Quadratic Media

Laura Kleger leads teams in the domains of technology, design, art, and film. She’s worked at the Guggenheim Museum since 2009, overseeing the museum’s web and mobile products including numerous launches and a 2016 redesign of Guggenheim.org lauded as “a model for other institutions” by the American Alliance of Museums. Her award-winning team extends the Guggenheim’s mission of sharing art and ideas and supports visitation at the landmark Frank Lloyd Wright building.
As co-founder of Quadratic Media, Laura produced and distributed the film The Discoverers, which was a New York Times Critics’ Pick, released theatrically across America, and is in worldwide distribution. Prior to the Guggenheim, Laura served in leadership roles at interactive agencies, owned a photography studio, founded a curatorial collective, and exhibited her artwork internationally. She graduated cum laude from Yale University and has an MFA in Visual Art from Columbia University. She lives in New York City with her husband, two sons, and Shiba Inu.

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DANIELLE KAYEMBE | Founder and CEO of GreyFire Impact

Danielle is a serial entrepreneur who works on projects at the intersection of women and social impact. Ms. Kayembe was a founding partner in initiatives to bring investors like TechStars, 500 Startups and Wingpact, from Silicon Valley to tour growing tech hubs in Africa. Through her wellness startup, Powerbase Meditation, she helps high-impact women step into authentic leadership. Danielle is an advisor to social impact startups and a mentor to Columbia University’s startup accelerator. She is a frequent speaker on topics related to women, social impact, technology and Africa at the United Nations, TEDx, Google, General Assembly and other events.

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DAN MALL | Founder & Director of SuperFriendly

Dan Mall is a creative director and advisor from Philly. He’s the founder and executive director of SuperFriendly, a design collaborative that brings exquisite creative direction & design to the world’s most important and interesting organizations. Dan is an enthralled husband & dad, author of Pricing Design, and co-founder and CEO of SuperBooked, a service that helps you find work with a little help from your friends. He writes about design and other issues on Twitter and on his industry-recognized site, danielmall.com.
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JIA WERTZ | Founder and CEO of Studio 15

Jia is the Founder and CEO of Studio 15, a socially responsible fashion brand for millennial women. Through Studio 15’s commitment to philanthropy, the company has funded more than 30 successful ventures for female entrepreneurs in Africa.