Creative Entrepreneurialism Lecture Series
The DAAP Creative Entrepreneurialism Lecture Series is supported by the Evelynn Burgoyne Foundation. The series is designed to occur every semester and will focus on various aspects of the topic. We aim to expose students to alternative pathways to post-graduation opportunities in entrepreneurialism.
February 2024 Lecture
This panel discussion featured three artists talking about their own experience with creative entrepreneurship while also working at ArtWorks.
Evan Hildebrant, Mural Studio Manager at Artworks
Evan is a multidisciplinary artist, specializing in mixed media applications, large scale murals, and unique art installations. He has completed dozens of large-scale art projects including murals and 3D art constructions. Evan has been a full tie artist since 2008. He has a studio in downtown Cincinnati where he is prolific in creating his artwork. He has worked with many clients and interior designers to create site specific work over his career. He completed 5 large scale murals for ArtWorks, before joining as their Mural Studio Manager.
Cameron Lee, Photography & Videography Studio Manager at Artworks
Cameron is a passionate and versatile force in cinematography, creative direction, media strategy and photography. As a Chief Designer & Solutionist at his co-founded design agency, he is responsible for high-level creative decisions and overseeing the design and development of creative assets, including advertisements, products, events, or logos. With a degree in film/cinema from the Los Angeles Film School, Cameron gained fundamental skills in film direction, camera operation, photo shoots, and art direction. He has hands-on experience leading teams on film sets and has directed music videos, photoshoots, and modeling and styling. Cameron is now ArtWork’s first ever Photography and Videography Studio Manager.
Nile Otte, Social Enterprise Manager at Artworks
Nile has gravitated to the business of the arts her entire life. After initially pursuing a career in fashion marketing, she started her own styling business at 21, styling photo shoots, fashion shows, and personal wardrobes. Her photoshoot styling led her to the world of small business retail management, where she won Best of Denver awards in 2019 and 2022 for her work with Velvet Wolf Boutique and Wish Gifts. Her creative interests are heavily rooted in the music world as well. After managing and promoting local bands in Denver, Nile co-founded Rock-n-Doze, a homestay and rental brokerage serving touring musicians. She now serves as ArtWork’s Social Enterprise Manager, helping the worlds of art and enterprise intersect in new and beautiful ways.
November 2023 Lecture
This panel discussion assembled four designers from the Bay Area on November 8, 2023. They shared their experiences, the road to entrepreneurialism, and what everyone in DAAP needs to know about leveraging your creativity to pursue your dreams.
Sam Lucente, Designer + Principal Lucente Design
Working at the intersection of design, innovation, and customer experience, Sam Lucente brings proven world-class design approaches to bear on complex problems for society, organizations, and the design profession. As former VP of design, Lucente now consults with various companies and is involved in several entrepreneurial ventures. His work has been recognized with major design awards and is in the permanent collection at the New York MoMA, SFMOMA, the Smithsonian National Design Museum, and other collections.
Aaron Zorndorf, Principal Dimensional Dynamics
Aaron Zorndorf is Principal at Dimensional Dynamics in San Francisco, CA. His company creates branded environments that help businesses tell their story by leveraging the power of face-to-face marketing through experiential environments, focused group events, trade shows, and showroom and visitor center design. They design and fabricate custom fixtures and signage that enhance the communication experience between a company and the public.
LEED Accreditation- Commercial Interior Design & Construction- 2008
2020-Present: Developing bamboo and wood objects using CNC machines- for gallery sales.
Dan Harden, Founder + CEO Whipsaw Inc.
Dan Harden is founder and CEO of Whipsaw Inc. where he directs the strategic and conceptual direction of most client accounts. During his prolific career Dan has designed over 1,000 products many of which became big market hits, he's won over 300 design awards including 52 IDEA, and has been granted over 600 patents. His work has been featured in several museums including the Smithsonian. Fast Company selected Dan as “100 Most Creative People”, calling him “design’s secret weapon” and also featured Dan as a Master of Design. His views and work have been featured in many magazines, and he is a host on the TV show “America by Design”. Dan was awarded the IDSA Personal Recognition Award in 2019 for his “outstanding contributions to the field of design”. Before founding Whipsaw in ‘99, Dan was VP and President of Frogdesign, a lead designer at Henry Dreyfuss Associates, and worked with design master George Nelson.
Tracy Wymer, VP of Insights & Inspiration Tecknion
Tracy Wymer innovates at the nexus of people, places, and behaviors. Connecting disparate patterns across these leads him to define content and opportunities that enrich customer experiences. These experiences build a narrative that drives co-created experiences across multiple industries, geographies, and scales. Tracy’s career stretches from Knoll to Miller Knoll and is currently VP of Insights and Inspiration at Teknion.
July 2023 Lecture
Our first Panel discussion brought together four women who started education and careers in creative fields and moved into entrepreneurial journeys. This panel includes an in-depth discussion focusing on the participant' journey and their insights on key points throughout their experiences.
Amy Tuttle, Executive Director WordPlay Cincy
Amy Tuttle serves as a non-profit leader, program administrator, and consultant. Her experiences range from developing protocols for disaster-relief scenarios to training professional practitioners around the globe. Tuttle is a dynamic communicator, motivational manager, and visionary leader with a special gift for implementing practical and effective change.
Sheryl Woodhouse, COO Woodhouse & Co
Sheryl is an entrepreneur, COO, and business growth consultant. Her specialties are operations, leadership coaching, and cultivating business strategies for long-term stability. What she loves most about entrepreneurship is the creativity of bringing forth a vision into reality and making cool jobs for people.
Jessica Hemmer, Global Design Manager P&G (Procter & Gamble) Baby Care
Experienced researcher, designer, collaborator, and innovator who has built a career creating innovative and inspiring products within the sportswear, fashion, and consumer packaged goods industries. Areas of expertise include market research, trend sensing, customer profile creation, apparel design, advanced manufacturing techniques, product development, and product management. Passionate about helping companies bring their best ideas to life through inspiration, collaboration, and strategy.
Stevi Carr, Founder + CEO WISe Wellness Guild
WISe is a strategic consulting and media agency to advance humans through whole-self wellness. Before founding WISe she built healthcare, CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods), entertainment, fashion business + marketing strategies at P&G (Procter & Gamble), Clorox, Newell Rubbermaid, Abercrombie & Fitch, and UC (University of Cincinnati) Health. Proven leadership skills, branded environments/retail, creative direction, behavioral economics, market research, business development, and public speaking.