AARON DRAPLIN
Founder/President, Draplin & Partner, Wilderness

After getting a degree from Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Draplin served as Art Director for Snowboarder magazine and Senior Designer at Cinco Design Office. The Draplin Design Co. stepped out on its own four hairy feet in 2004. He rolls up his sleeves for the likes of Coal Headwear, Union Binding Company, Snowboard magazine, Grenade Gloves, Forum snowboards, Ride snowboards and Field Notes.

KAT TOPAZ
Founder, Topaz Design

Kat Topaz is a publication designer known nationally for her work. In Portland, she created the design for Mix magazine. Nationally, she has redesigned over 25 alt-weeklies, including the San Francisco Bay Guardian and Boston’s Weekly Dig. People tell her that her passion for type is contagious.

MARK SEARCY
Art Director-Portland Mercury

Mark Searcy co-founded Art Prostitute, the award-winning art and design publication and gallery based in Dallas, TX. Mark also taught design at the University of North Texas and Texas A&M-Commerce. In 2007, Mark uprooted himself from Dallas, leaving Art Prostitute in the stead of his business partner, and moved to the mountains of Portland, Oregon where he is currently the art director for the Portland Mercury.

MICHAEL KLEIN
Design Director for Originals - Adidas

REBECCA HUSTON
Director of Design Strategy-Twenty Four Seven

As a founding member of Twenty Four Seven, her philosophy and major responsibility has always been to create and/or leverage strategy that is both forward thinking, yet realistic to implement. Her specialties include: Consumer Insights, Trend Translation, Ideation and Brainstorming, Qualitative and Quantitative Research, Brand Strategy, Communication Strategy and Information Architecture.

TOMMY ALFSON
Student of Design

PINEY KAHN
Partner & Founder, milk milk

A veteran of pop culture biz (Capitol Records, Grand Royal/Beastie Boys, DC Shoes, etnies, and Red Bull), Piney founded milk milk (a marketing collective) in 2006 to do what she loves best – connect people. Piney lives in Portland, OR, where she enjoys watching Dr. Who and embarking on ill-advised home improvement projects.

JASON RESCH
Senior Account Manager, Twenty Four Seven

Jason Resch is a Senior Account Manager for an internationally award-winning multi-disciplinary design firm: Twenty Four Seven. His specialties include research, branding, marketing, and community outreach. His Twenty Four Seven projects range from managing the design/build process of world-class retail stores, shop-in-shops, and retail extensions to research projects that cut across strategy, 2D and 3D. Resch, an art community advocate, also teaches at the Pacific Northwest College of Art within the Communication Design program. www.twentyfour7.com www.pnca.edu

SHOAM THOMAS
Design Director, Downstream

Shoam is a West coast designer who has worked for the likes of Mattel, Nike, Autodesk, and Nintendo and continues his pursuit of clear graphic communication in current interactive, environmental, and branded display projects. A renaissance man, he can be found in Portland bouncing from record shops to wine bars to clothing stores doing his part to keep the economy afloat.

AMANDA KRAFFT
currently unemployed and totally awesome

Born and raised in Alaska (no, she doesn't know Sarah Palin), Amanda is new to the design world with a background in nonprofit work and an uncanny talent for making friends. When she isn't drinking caramel lattes you can find her rippin' up the dance floor, pouring over magazines, and hanging out with her twin sister.

E2K
Event Producers

From the stadium to the symposium, from a cast of thousands to a single inspirational speaker, e2k applies creativity, state-of-the-art production systems, and technical expertise to every project. We strive to transform events into experiences, shows into magical moments, and clients into partners.

http://www.e2k.com/