Ellen Bruss, Creative Director, EBD

Ellen has a BFA with an emphasis in Graphic Design from Michigan State University. She started her career working in the music industry for both Denver-based Fey Concerts and Los Angeles-based MCA/Universal.

Ellen opened her namesake design and marketing firm, Ellen Bruss Design (EBD), in 1990. EBD specializes in the intersection of real estate and retail, addressing branding, corporate identity, marketing collateral, digital design, environmental design and consumer packaging. Clients include Hammond’s Candies, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Western Sugar, Lennar LMC, Wolff Companies,the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver, Redline, and the Denver Art Museum. As a side project, she is developing a hospitality brand with her husband Mark Falcone, of Continuum Partners. Their first project, Hotel Born in Denver, opened in the fall of 2017. Ellen oversaw the creative direction for the interiors, art collection, branding and signage.

EBD’s creative efforts have resulted in national and international recognition in over 200 publications, including Graphis, Print and How Magazines. Ellen was featured in GDUSA’s 2014 People to Watch issue, was honored with an AIGA Fellow Award in 2015, and was a judge of the 2017 Applied Arts Magazine Design Awards.

Ellen has served on the boards of ADCD (now One Club), AIGA/Colorado, and is a Trustee Emeritis of the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver.

Jennifer Jones, Managing Partner, Brand Design SRG

Jennifer has been in branding for over 25 years across three continents. Her focus is on helping companies link business strategy to brand experience through design and communications. Jennifer started her career in Hong Kong where she worked on brand identity programs around Asia-Pacific. In 1997 she moved to London, broadening her experience and study of cultural semiotics. In 1999, Jennifer returned to the US and joined Landor in San Francisco, where she led global branding programs for a wide range of Fortune 500 clients. She also developed new proprietary strategic tools and processes for Landor which remain in use today.

In 2005 Jennifer joined the Sterling-Rice Group in Boulder, CO. Over the last 14 years, Jennifer has built a robust design practice at SRG, cultivating a diverse and talented team of designers, namers, strategists and branding experts. SRG’s design practice encompasses design strategy, brand identity, packaging design, environmental branding and experience design and has been recognized for its award-winning work for CPG, restaurant, hospitality and healthcare clients.

Jennifer lives in Boulder with her two teenage sons, from whom she is constantly learning about Gen Z. She loves to travel, paint, dabble in interior design and has a black belt in shopping.

Lucia Robinson, Chief Creative Officer, Walden Hyde


Lucia Robinson cut her teeth in the media industry as a copywriter and journalist before falling in love with design. She mentored under award-winning creative director Nick Gamma of Time Warner and went on to lead Sustineo Creative. Lucia later co-founded Walden Hyde and Walden Hyde Ventures, where she is chief creative officer and has led projects for Unilever, Plum Organics, Klean Kanteen, and other natural food, outdoor, and hospitality brands. Lucia is mom to daughters Cora and Tessa, who are the inspiration for Walden Hyde's non-traditional approach to agency work-life balance. (Ask her about it!) Lucia also holds the fastest known time (FKT) for running the entire Oregon Coast self-supported.

Kate Bailey, Founder & President, Annabel Media and Founder & CEO, TARRA