David Berman, FGDC, RGD helps organizations get great things done, through the motivation and techniques he provides for applying strategy, design, ethics, and creative branding and communications to business problems. He has over 30 years of experience in inclusive design and strategic communications. As an internationally-acclaimed expert speaker, communications strategist, graphic designer, typographer, and ethics chair, his thought-provoking keynotes and workshops have brought him to over 50 countries. David is a senior strategic consultant to the Canadian government, as well as other governments on four continents. His clients include BMO, IBM, the International Space Station, the World Bank, and the Aga Khan Foundation.

After receiving his university diploma for industrial design in 2003 from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover, Frank Zierenberg has been working for the iF International Forum Design. He has successfully conceived, organized and conducted the iF Design Award China, which was held eight times until 2010, as well as the iF Packaging Design Award and the iF Material Design Award. In 2015 he took over the responsibility for the most prestigious of the iF awards: the iF DESIGN AWARD. He also serves as the coordinator of the iF representative offices in Brazil, Poland, The Netherlands, Turkey, Korea and Japan, and takes care of international client relations.

Brenda is IxDA’s Executive Director. Prior to joining IxDA in May 2012, Brenda was Icograda’s Managing Director for seven years. More than 15 years as a practising designer has taken Brenda through design studios, print shops, daily newspapers, publishing companies and the advertising industry. She has been recognized for her design work and for her writing on technology’s impact on the creative field. Brenda is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and a certified member of the Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC).

With his world vision, renowned Hong Kong designer Freeman Lau has received numerous awards for his remarkable art and design innovations. In addition to his individual creations, Lau has been endlessly promoting the development of design in Hong Kong and Greater China.

Currently Head of GLS Institute of Design Ahmedabad. Previously, Principal Designer, Faculty of Communication Design; Activity Chairperson, IDS and IP&P, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (India).

Sophia Shih has studied in both Taiwan and abroad, receiving her MFA from Boston University, with additional studies at Yale University. Currently, she is a professor in the Department of Visual Design and the Department of Fine Arts, and in the Graduate School of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University.

Dr. Albert Inyoung Choi founded and a president of United Designs Alliance (UDA), a Global Design Organization, the director of the Design Research & Education Lab (DREL), an advisor of POOL magazine in India, an Honorary Professor at Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) in China, and professor of Brand Design at Hanyang University in Korea. He has taught at University of North Texas, and California State University Fullerton in the Visual Communication Design. Prior to become an educator, he worked for COY Los Angeles, a prolific graphic design firm in Los Angeles.

One of India’s most lauded designers, with over 55 prestigious national and international awards (18 of them being the President of India award) in Graphics, Advertising, Photography and Book Design. His other areas of specialization are Textiles (Printing, Weaving), Fashion Design, Environmental Design, Product Design, Exhibition Design, Interior Design, and Publication Design.

Krishna Amin-Patel is a senior Textile and Apparel Design educator at NID. She has also taught at various design institutes across the USA. Krishna co-authored a comprehensive tome called Of Fibre and Loom: The Indian Tradition with historian Lotika Varadarajan. She has had the privilege of exhibiting her own work at several platforms within the country and overseas.

India’s leading motoring journalist, he has his stamp on everything printed or broadcast and edited on automobiles.

Natalia is an alumna of The National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (Kyiv) and British Higher School of Art & Design (Moscow). She is the Founder, Director and Faculty at School of Visual Communication (SVC), and mentor at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School (KMBS). Nataly has authored more than 10 educational programs on design, contemporary art and development of creative industries; organized / co-organized design events: Visual Communication Gathering, International art project ‘Extreme territories’ (France, Ukraine, Georgia), Educational programs Ukrainian Design: The Very Best Of 2013-2015 and many others.

Educated at Design Academy Eindhoven as an industrial/product designer, Tet is a partner in Ketter & Co, a foundation unfolding social design and design thinking in city and area developments. She is a writer, catalyst and educator (Design Academy Eindhoven). She is Board member for City Development for the city of Eindhoven (5th largest city in the Netherlands) called Denk040 [Think040]. Since 2007 she is member of the Board of the famous Erasmus Award, the biggest cultural award in Europe. The King of the Netherlands is the patron of this Board. She headed the Dutch Design Awards from 2006 – 2011. Tet works and lives in the Netherlands.

Ashoke served as Executive Director, Senior Faculty, Distinguished Fellow and Professor of Communication and Management at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. He has a background in the engineering industry, international civil service, India Tourism Development Corporation, and has served a range of development institutions in India and overseas, particularly in the sectors of drinking water, sanitation, disability, livelihoods and education as well as artisans in many parts of the country. He was Hon’ble President of the Crafts Council of India for over twenty years and continues to serve CCI. An author and writer, his books include ‘Dances of the Golden Hall’ on the art of Shanta Rao, and ‘Rising’, on empowerment efforts among deprived communities in rural Gujarat.

Nina Sabnani is an artist and storyteller who uses film, illustration and writing to tell her stories. She graduated in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Vadodara and received a Master’s degree in film from Syracuse University, NY, which she pursued as a Fulbright Fellow in 1997. Her doctoral research at the IDC focused on Rajasthan’s Kaavad storytelling tradition. After teaching for two decades at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Nina has made Mumbai her home. She is Associate Professor at the Industrial Design Centre,
IIT Bombay.

In 1996, he became the first Pakistani visual effects artist in the Hollywood film industry. Motion picture credits with Walt Disney and Square USA include Deep Rising, George of the Jungle, Flubber, Armageddon and Final Fantasy. He is currently an associate professor at Habib University, Karachi, and through the Empathic design process, he is currently researching Digital Intangible Heritage for his Ph. D. from UNSW Arts & Design, Sydney.

Vimal is Managing Director for India for the iconic British motorcycle brand Triumph, and spearheads the sales development and growth of Triumph in the country. Triumph motorcycles have been winning awards and leading sales in this segment in India.

Co-Founder at Jaypore, a curated portal for India’s most beautiful products, and a Retail and Craft Professional with over 20 years of experience in consulting and driving growth at Fabindia, one of India’s most respected retailers. Shilpa has a keen interest in travel and food and has 2 concept ventures to her credit, a bespoke experiential travel portal Breakaway and Mustard , a concept restaurant in Goa which has a distinct Bengali and French menu meeting over Mustard as an ingredient.

Harshad is an alumnus of the prestigious Northumbria School of Design (Newcastle Polytechnic) in the United Kingdom. He has provided counsel to the C-Suite clients in leveraging design for business growth. His expertise and passion lie in crafting OmniChannel experiences
(Web+Mobile+Social+Cloud+Wearable+IoT) for customers to enjoy brands, thus helping the brands to win customers time and again by offering personalized products and services at every touch point. Harshad currently works as a Digital Strategist with State Farm, which is the biggest insurance and financial company in North America. Prior to this Harshad has worked with Accenture for a brief time. His major stint was with Cognizant Interactive where he was part of the core team that grew the digital line of business in US & UKCE. He has mentored at the George Masons University in Washington DC and professed business design at Welingkar Institute of Management in Mumbai.

Founder of INDI Design, India. Founder and president of ‘Design India’ (India’s largest social community of professional designers); and Chief Editor of POOL Magazine (for Design, Innovation and Art).

Former Director Content & Design, POOL Magazine & Senior Graphic Designer, INDI Design Pvt Ltd.