Diversity & Inclusion Committee Members

Xandr is a multi-hyphenated queer trans creative director, designer, illustrator, front-end developer, travelling speaker and educator. His design firm, ARToverMATTER, is a creative studio that gives a damn and specializes in helping changemakers make a positive impact in their communities. He is also a co-founder of Ripple of Change Magazine.

Outside of AOM, you might find Xandr as a guest speaker sharing stories about his entrepreneurial immigrant life journey or advocating for inclusive and accessible design. Xandr sits on the Board of the Association of Graphic Designers (RGD) Canada and chairs the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Chris is an award-winning strategic communicator, copywriter, and graphic designer living and working in Metro Vancouver, on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

Over the past decade (and change) he has freelanced up and down the Pacific coast to clients in the academic sector, including Simon Fraser University, UCLA, and Sacramento State, as well as to Vancouver's burgeoning tech start-up scene.

Chris recently joined Visual Capitalist as an Editor for Branded Content, working with a team of writers and designers to make the best darned tootin' data storytelling out there. When not doing deep dives on data troves, or freelancing, he can be found playing the banjo, working to improve his chess game, and trying really hard not to cut himself while woodworking in his garage.

My name is Olivia Baker-Sullivan and I am a Digital/UX Designer in Toronto, Canada. My current areas of greatest interest are drawn from past experiences: Interior Design, Web and Print Graphic Design and Event Design. Bilingue en Français et/and English. My goal in life is to have a career as diverse as my interests. Outside of design, I enjoy playing violin, piano and singing. I also enjoy digital and film photography as well as drawing and painting. I now regularly take yoga classes in downtown Toronto. I look forward to connecting with you!

Amanda DeVries is the principal and creative director of Eye Candy Design, a boutique branding and packaging design firm that creates fresh, iconic work for food and beverage companies. She has nearly 20 years experience as a brand consultant, art director and graphic designer. Amanda spent the first 10 years of her career in Ottawa, where governmental agencies kept her busy but not terribly inspired. In 2010, her family moved to southwestern Ontario to start an organic vegetable farm and this presented her with the opportunity to work directly with entrepreneurs and business owners. She also enjoys sharing her knowledge through various teaching gigs and mentoring younger designers. She is the mother of 3 children who share her love of good food, vintage shopping and travel.

I am a multidisciplinary graphic designer and creative director, with over 18 years of experience. My work opportunities allowed me to experiment and expand my visual aesthetic abilities using various materials. However, my passion remains photography and digital media, which allow me to express my thoughts on identity, emotion, heritage, place of origin, and cultural adaptability.  My training in the arts began in Tehran, Iran, in the 1990’s. I graduated with an M.A. from Azad University in 2002. My subsequent work as a designer and educator exposed me to a wide range of artistic strategies, allowing me to gain experience and proficiency in the visual arts. I moved to the United States in 2013 and completed my MFA at Florida Atlantic University in 2016. This is also where I started a career in the North American advertising industry. I moved to Canada in 2017 and reside in Toronto, where I continue to nurture my creative skills and experiences.  As an immigrant, I am immersed in rich learning experiences about social issues. And this has allowed my art to take on a new identity. By engaging with my audience and establishing a dialogue, I now incorporate their views into my art to present shared and collective perspectives.

While completing my portfolio for entry into the Ontario College of Art and Design (now OCADU), I discovered my passion and enthusiasm for graphic design and photography. I joined the corporate world for several years while simultaneously engaging in creative pursuits, including managing my own photography business. In 2010, I completed my studies in Advertising & Graphic Design at Humber College. Having further refined my design skills through my time at George Brown College and at the Ontario College of Trades, I now balance my role as the in-house graphic designer for the Michener Institute of Education at UHN with an active career as a freelance designer. All of my roles have provided me with a singular perspective and clear understanding of what is vital to maintaining positive work relationships while simultaneously meeting and exceeding client expectations from my work experience in the corporate, education, and regulatory sectors and as a creative design entrepreneur.

Senior Creative + Design Educator + D&AD Judge + International Speaker/Presenter + Futurist + Proud Anishinaabe from Little Grand Rapids First Nation

Do you know the expression, "Variety is the spice of life?" I continue to live by that every day. Since 2014, I have explored the many beautiful facets that graphic design, instructional design, and marketing have to offer.

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I have created a space for myself through generalism in highly regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and technology. Working in these kinds of industries, I have learned the unique art of taking highly technical information and translating it through visuals into engaging material that many people can understand.

Ashley is a multidisciplinary graphic designer based in Toronto, Canada. So far her career has focused on editorial design at Studio Wyse and Clean Eating Magazine. A big lover of magazines and books (she loves storytelling), you can sometimes find her hanging out at Issues Magazine Shop or checking out books at the library. In her spare time she also co-writes a newsletter on pop culture called Shaping the Narrative which is just an excuse to write about all the books she’s reading. Always up for a conversation; her favourite topics include books, dogs and The Real Housewives.