Catherine believes we have the capacity and responsibility to build a better world one experience at a time. With over 20+ years in the art and design community, she has led and contributed to projects tackling some of our biggest challenges, including how to build products (digital and physical) sustainably at scale, creating a world where we can all age with dignity, and developing equitable engaging educational opportunities. She has experience working both in-house and as a freelancer with over 30 companies, organizations, and institutions.

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Amy Parker is the Executive Design Director and Co-founder of Woods Creative, a research and design firm, located in Boston and Portland, Maine. At Woods she leads creative strategy, ideation, and digital design to make communication solutions, digital products, and visual languages for brands spanning Fortune 500s to NASDAQ tech companies to non-profit arts organizations.
As Vice President of Programming at AIGA Boston, Amy actively builds community and brings people together across New England to uncover unexpected opportunities for collaboration. Most recently she co-founded the GENUX Symposium and co-leads ICA Boston’s Designer Lecture series. In addition to being plugged into the Boston design scene, she serves on the board of directors for SPACE and teaches design as an adjunct faculty member at the Maine College of Art & Design.

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Libby is a Boston-based design director with more than 15 years of experience leading global teams, driving user-centric product innovation, and delivering impactful digital experiences across enterprise and consumer markets. She is passionate about design quality and building strong teams where everyone can do their best work. She has worked at Rapid7, EF, Tank Design, Arnold Worldwide, Hecht Design, Linked by Air, and Conde Nast. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and Parsons School of Design.

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Danny Bianchi is born and raised in Massachusetts, and has become an established designer within the Boston community. He holds a BFA in graphic design from Lesley Art + Design and an AS from Middlesex Community College. Danny's previous work experience includes time at MMB as a studio designer, working on large accounts including Toyota, Yale New Haven Health, and Steward Healthcare. Currently, he works as a designer for SimpliSafe in Boston. Danny has also volunteered with AIGA Boston for a couple of years, assisting with the 2025 V.0 Mentorship program and other in-person events.

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Lorin Brown is a designer, illustrator, and educator whose work spans art, culture, and design. Born in New Jersey with early creative roots in Pennsylvania, Lorin’s visual language is shaped by music, technology, and streetwear. He holds a degree from CalArts, where he recently taught, and is currently adjunct design faculty at Maine College of Art and Design.
As founder of Intents & Purposes, Lorin leads a studio and apparel label specializing in brand design, illustration, and digital strategy. His practice is defined by collaboration, creative research, and a commitment to making meaningful contributions to the design community. Every project reflects a careful balance of intention and expression.

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Dan Vlahos is a Boston-based design leader, educator, and researcher. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at Bentley University and is President of AIGA Boston. Vlahos is also a member of the Boston Society of Printers and was a founding member of Design Museum Boston (now CoDesign Collaborative). His interdisciplinary design work has been recognized by the AIGA, the One Club, Print, How, and the Interactive Media Council.
Vlahos began his career in Arnold Worldwide’s Volkswagen Design Group and later served as Creative Director for Shepley Bulfinch architects. His past clients include Harvard University, Duke University, Educators for Social Responsibility, and the Industrial History Center. Vlahos received an MFA and BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where he first began teaching in 2009. His research explores empowerment, complexity, dynamic media, sustainability, and creative learning. In 2020, Merrimack College’s Interdisciplinary Institute named Vlahos a Presidential Fellow, and in 2021, Vlahos entered into the Design Incubation program as a Writing Fellow. In 2023, he became a USGBC LEED Green Associate and an AIGA Design Leader (DL). In 2024, Vlahos was named an AACSRE Emerging Fellow.

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Vanessa is a multidisciplinary designer and leader of creative strategy, and the current Director of Creative at Berklee College of Music. She has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and attended Massachusetts College of Art + Design for Communication Design. She has lectured on digital design at Parsons School of Design and Lesley University, and has held creative leadership positions in academic, nonprofit, and cultural institutions such as Harvard University Press, The Bard Graduate Center, and Facing History and Ourselves. As a musician, she has released her own albums, as well as toured with Scary Mansion, a band featuring her twin sister.

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Rory is a Boston-based graphic designer and senior in Massachusetts College of Art & Designs’ Communication Design program (BFA ’26) specializing in branding, marketing, UX/UI, and video production. His work includes freelance rebrands, building e-commerce systems, product design, editorial projects, as well as design intern experience with marketing agency Wasserman Next-Gen, working on marketing assets for high-profile clients. Rory is passionate about working in areas that connect design with personal interests, such as emerging technology, health and wellness, and athletics. He has collaborated with startups, nonprofits, and creative teams, bringing a research-driven, usability-focused approach to every project. As an AIGA Boston board member, Rory looks forward to engaging with the city’s creative community, fostering collaboration, and supporting designers at all stages of their careers.

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Lingyi Kong is a creative technologist and design educator dedicated to using emerging technologies to bridge people, disciplines, and communities. Her work explores how AI, computational tools, and systems thinking can be harnessed to make design more inclusive, responsive, and equitable—especially for those historically left out of technical innovation. Through a series of award-winning projects and curriculum frameworks, Lingyi has translated algorithmic complexity into accessible learning systems and interactive tools. Whether prototyping AI-integrated storytelling systems or guiding students to transform ecological rhythms into artist books, her practice centers on empowering others to understand, shape, and question the tools that shape them. In 2024, her design work was exhibited in New York’s Times Square, reaching thousands of viewers with a visual statement on the future of creative technology. At the heart of her work is a simple but radical question: How can technology be reimagined not just for efficiency, but for empathy, solidarity, and collective futures? As a board member of AIGA Boston, Lingyi contributes her expertise in strategy, systems, and visual communication to support initiatives that foreground equity in design. She believes that when technology is designed with care, it becomes more than a tool—it becomes a medium through which people can see one another, build together, and imagine new possibilities. Her goal is to cultivate that possibility across every platform she touches.

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Alifa Watkins is a UX-Informed Graphic and Brand Designer based in Revere. With a background in public health and psychology, she approaches design with accessibility, inclusivity, and storytelling at the center. Her work spans branding, UX, and marketing, from redesigning city seals to creating campaigns for nonprofits and reimagining food museum exhibits. She is currently pursuing her Communication Design Certificate at MassArt and building a portfolio that blends strategy, creativity, and community impact.

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Chris Rader is an AI design professional with 20 years of combined experience in healthcare and design leadership. As co-founder of Jane Beatbox Design, she focuses on designing future sustainability by integrating technology and social responsibility to drive equity and meaningful change.

Maria Galante is an Adjunct professor, designer, and calligrapher. She has been teaching for over ten years preceded by a career as an art director in the Internet and financial services industries. Students are educated in the use of graphic design as a form of visual communication through the use of type, image, form, and color using analog methods and Adobe Creative Cloud. Maria’s curriculum provides students with opportunities for self-discovery of their own experiences, inspirations and cultures for application to their projects. She is a freelance designer and often volunteers to design for non-profits and social change organizations. Her education includes a Graduate Certificate in UX/UI, Master in Education, BFA in graphic design, and a professional teaching license. Maria is currently researching typography in Gloucester, Massachusetts and its influence on the local fishing industry and its culture.

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Luke Thresher is a Graphic Artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. He specializes in creating Culturally Aligned Visuals for Stronger Community Bonds™ and has eight years of experience as a professional designer. Luke earned his degree in Graphic Communications from Franklin Pierce University in 2017. He began his career designing for his hometown and a family-owned restaurant, while working in-house at a manufacturing company as a prepress artist. In 2020, he and his future wife moved to New Mexico, where he continued his career at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) in the Marketing & Communications Office. At CNM, Luke led the design on several award-winning projects and credits the environment there with helping him grow and find his creative voice. While at CNM, he built strong relationships within both higher education and the broader design industry. Luke developed a trusted reputation grounded in an “always be human, always be helpful” approach to design and collaboration. He and his wife have since returned to New England to be closer to family and are excited to lay down roots in Providence. Outside of design, Luke enjoys running, golfing, trying new restaurants, attending community events, and taking road trips to nearby towns. Luke is honored to join the AIGA Boston Board and looks forward to helping foster an inclusive, creative, and accessible environment through inspiring events, meaningful content, and professional development across New England.

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Tara is a seasoned creative leader and “multipotentialite” with a particular interest in branding, integrated marketing and web design as it relates to UX/UI and accessibility. Her extensive experience spans the education space, in-house teams, agencies, in the US and across global markets. With a Master's degree in Graphic Design and a rabid interest in both coding and research data, she approaches client challenges with a unique blend of creative vision and technical expertise. This combination forms her creative problem-solving methodology, as she is known for leveraging her coding knowledge to "bend spreadsheets to her will" and tell a story for her clients. Her interest in designing for the greater good is a direct reflection of her secondary degree in Political Science, which informs her commitment to purposeful and accessible design.
Tara's creative spirit extends beyond her professional work to a passion for home decoration, renovations, and sewing. She's also a devoted pet lover, with a family that includes a Newfoundland, a regular old mutt, and two rescued cats. In her free time, she enjoys teaching and maintaining long-standing connections with many of her students. When she's not at her screen, Tara trades her creative hat for a captain's hat, enjoying frequent travel and exploring the peaceful landscapes of Vermont or time out on the water with her partner. She is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and the American Marketing Association (AMA).

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Anthony is a thoughtful designer and passionate advocate for collaboration, believing that great design comes from diverse perspectives and strong ideas. With experience spanning brand development, art direction, and digital design, he brings a versatile and creative approach to every project. At Moth, he applies this adaptability and keen design sensibility to help organizations tell their stories with clarity and impact.
Outside of work, Anthony finds inspiration in cooking, thrifting, film, and exploring Boston’s creative and cultural spaces.

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Sarah Sweeney is a graphic designer and communicator energized by collaborating on community-centered projects. She finds inspiration from gardening, food, magazines, architecture, and yoga. She's excited to explore the various ways that events can bring people together to grow and learn.

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