Join the AIGA CO Diversity and Inclusion initiative for a night of encouraging diversity in design education, discourse and practice to strengthen and expand the relevance of design in all areas of society. Together, we will discuss what it means to redefine equality and the importance of inclusion.
To start our evening, Brenda Herrera Moreno will be leading us in a mini-workshop to create meaningful and intentional conversations around race, gender, privilege and oppression. Following the panel discussion, she will also be offering a reflection opportunity.
Agenda
6:00-6:45 – Meet and Greet with food and refreshments
6:45-7:00 – Workshop with Brenda Herrera Moreno of In.Visible Paradigms
7:00-8:00 – Panel Discussion
8:00-9:00 – Reflection Opportunity with Brenda Herrera Moreno of In.Visible Paradigms and Conclusion
Panelists
AIGA CO welcomes the following notable panelists for a thoughtful discussion, bringing together the intersections of diverse identities and communities.
Ty May
they/them/their
At the intersections of Chicanx-American and non-binary, Ty May stands to advocate for all things, and always for love. They have a passion for the acceptance of one another. Growing up in Chicanx culture, Ty has courageously deconditioned themselves of traditional views and leading their life with love and inclusivity in mind. Leading by example, their goal is to help evolve their culture and society around openness and acceptance of all individuals, familiar or unfamiliar through a loving space. Ty has a passion to help people gain the understanding to see the flip side of the coin while connecting stories on a personal level, through allowing the world to see them in their most raw form.
Social Media: @ty.nonbinary
Damon McLeese, Executive Director at Access Gallery
he/him/his
Working at the connections of art, ability, and creativity, Damon is a speaker, trainer, activist, consultant, coach, mentor, and community artist. Damon has been the Executive Director of Access Gallery for more than 20 years and was the recipients of the 2014 Mayor's Award for Innovation in the Arts and was a speaker at the 2016 TEDx Mile High, Make and Believe event. In 2017, Damon received the prestigious Governor's Award for Leadership in the Arts.
Social Media: @accessgallery
Mar Pansy Luther
she/her/hers they/them/their
Mar Pansy Luther proudly identifies as a trans femme queer who uses she/her pronouns because it validates her identity, and they/them pronouns because it tears apart the social construction of the gender binary. She’s a writer and performs spoken word and drag locally! She’s stubborn as hell and enjoys the internet a little too much. You can probably find her writing some poetry, doodling in a sketchbook, sewing a fit, or listening to a podcast sped up 1.5x.
Social Media: @marpansy
Niki Robins, Co-founder and Content Director at Spectacle Marketing
she/her/hers
Niki Robins is a mixed-race, queer woman from San Francisco living in Denver, Colorado. Co-founder at Spectacle Marketing Agency, she harnesses the power of social media and content marketing to uplift the voices of small to medium-sized brands. Niki believes in good storytelling, change for progress, and that a killer bowl of ramen can fix all of your problems.
Social Media: @sittingshotgun and @spectaclemarketing
Josie ValadezFraire
she/her/hers
Josie Valadez Fraire is an indigenous womxn, feeler, lover, and thinker currently living on occupied Cheyenne and Arapaho territory in so-called Denver, Colorado. Her homelands are south of the colonial border in so-called Mexico. Her work is focused on community and youth-centered decolonizing knowledge sharing and mental health. Specifically, she works to unpack topics of indigeneity in Brown communities that have been denied access or opportunity to learn traditional ways of knowing and being. She loves to write, listen, laugh, pray, and (un)learn. Josie prays to support in healing herself, others, and our Earth through lovesharing and sacred connection with all relations.
Social Media: @JosieVF and @Cosas.Podcast
