Revision Path

When I first heard Ben's amazing story of becoming an industrial designer, I knew that I had to have him on the show. Chairs, tables, utensils, plates...industrial design touches our world in even the smallest things. We started off with a dive into the world of industrial design as Ben described how he got interested in the field. From there, we go deep into Ben's time at Philadelphia University, his discovery of famed industrial designer Noel Mayo, and his love of volunteering and mentorship. Ben is all about paying it forward to the next generation of designers, and I couldn't think of a better interview to end Black History Month with. Thanks to Terri Burch for the introduction! Ben Lindo on Facebook Ben Lindo on LinkedIn Charter High School for Architecture + Design Jubilee School The Luther and Mary Ida Vandross Fund

Dian Holton is a design superhero! By day, she's an editorial art director at AARP. But by night, she's installing window displays, dressing mannequins, and creating magic for the GAP through the nation's capital. Did I mention that she's also on the board of Washington DC's AIGA chapter and she's on AIGA's national Diversity and Inclusion Task Force? She does it all! Our conversation started off with a look into her day job, and from there we talked about DC's design scene, her love for volunteering, and how she managed to get so much done in the name of design. Dian was recently named by Graphic Design USA as one of 2016's "People to Watch", and it's easy to see why! Dian Holton's Website Dian Holton on Instagram Dian Holton on Twitter Atlas + Shadow

Vince Baskerville is a real mover and shaker in the design and tech community here in Atlanta. Whether he's teaching the next generation of UX designers at General Assembly or helping CallRail improve their call tracking software as their director of user experience, Vince's work ethic is rooted in leading by example. We started off talking about his work at CallRail as he walked me through a typical day on the job. From there, we discussed his work co-founding the popular travel app TripLingo, talked about the Atlanta tech scene, and about how he's changed over the years with the shift in the industry. According to Vince, there's no substitute for hard work -- and he's right! Vince Baskerville's Website Vince Baskerville on Twitter

This week, I'm talking with Anna Wilder, lead designer and brand manager for De Novo Nutrition. While she is based out of Tampa, Florida, she's a Chicagoland native with education from Savannah College of Arts and Columbia College Chicago. We started off talking about what it's like working as the first design hire for a startup, and from there went into her transition from the midwest to the South. She also walked us through a typical day at De Novo, and she spoke about what motivates her as a young designer. I'm excited to see where Anna's work will take her next! Anna Wilder's Website De Novo Nutrition

It's our 125th episode, and I'm delighted to bring you this conversation with Kojo Boateng. Kojo's a multidisciplinary designer with a background in graphic design and motion graphics probably most well-known for his tenure as design director for the award-winning ITV News in the United Kingdom. We started off recapping his work for ITV News, and Kojo shared what makes great graphics for television and how color influences the news. From there, he shared what he's focusing on now along with some of the people who have inspired him. It's a really great opportunity to speak to someone who is a great designer and a great person as well. Enjoy! Kojo Boateng's Website Kojo Boateng on Twitter

We're closing out January with a great interview with another multitalented creator -- San Francisco's own Ayana Baltrip-Balagás. She's a designer, a photographer, a business owner, an educator, and so much more! Our conversation started off talking about the Organization of Black Designers, and from there we went into Ayana's history as an actress and dancer (and how that led into photography and design). We also touched on design education, and Ayana shared some great information on design thinking, the importance of Black designers having a strong online presence, and ways that the design industry can really start taking diversity seriously. Thank you Ayana for being a beacon of hope and a force for creative change! design : speak Ayana Baltrip-Balagás' Blog Ayana Baltrip-Balagás on LinkedIn Ayana Baltrip-Balagás on Twitter

"I am a firm believer in doing what you love no matter what it takes." Vaughn Dabney's philosophy of happiness has led him to personal and professional success, and I couldn't think of a better person to have on the show during a time of the year when we're all making goals and resolutions to improve. We talked about what drew him to mobile development, his dev platform of choice, his company Empty Box Media, and where he sees his company going in the future. For Vaughn, being happy is his #1 concern, and it's clear that his work gives him the freedom to do pursue his dreams. Enjoy the interview! Vaughn Dabney's Website Vaughn Dabney on Instagram Vaughn Dabney on Twitter Empty Box Media Empty Box Media on Facebook Empty Box Media on Instagram

When I asked Napoleon Wright II to describe what he does, he gave me a list of titles -- animator, videographer, filmmaker, musician, designer, etc. Needless to say, he's brimming with creative ability, and that always makes for a great interview. We started off talking about the Raleigh creative scene, and from there went into how Napoleon first got into design, the creation of his design company Pan II Creative, as well as his forays into music. This industry moves fast, and a creative like Napoleon has just what it takes to adapt and thrive. Enjoy the interview! Napoleon Wright II on Twitter Napoleon Wright II on Instagram Pan II Creative Napoleon Wright II on SoundCloud ART NAP on SoundCloud Join our new Slack room and chat with the Revision Path community!

Happy new year! We're kicking off our 2016 interviews by chatting with Mario Moorhead. While Mario is a full-stack developer and architect, a lot of our conversation didn't even focus on technology! We talked about how Mario got into programming, his life as a musician, some projects he's working on right now (including a political mashup site), and the people who inspire him. You can tell Mario's a real deep thinker with a unique outlook on life. Hope you enjoy! Mario Moorhead on Twitter Black Sky Media

Oen Michael Hammonds, a designer, mentor and lead facilitator at IBM Design, has designed across the gamut — advertising, graphic, interactive and environmental. At IBM Design, Oen works with internal teams to develop design thinking among executives, software development teams, and sales. First, we talked about design thinking -- what it is, how it's used, and why it's important. From there, our conversation focused on Oen's journey as a designer, the importance of AIGA to his career, and what excites him about design. What a great way to end out the year! Oen Michael Hammonds' Website Oen Michael Hammonds on Instagram Oen Michael Hammonds on LinkedIn Oen Michael Hammonds on Twitter

Erica Joy is a build and release engineer for Slack. When she's not busy working on the latest features for the popular team collaboration tool, she's speaking out on the problems in the tech community and how they can be solved. We spoke about a typical day at Slack, talked about her popular piece on Medium titled "The Other Side of Diversity", touched on the topic of diversity advocacy, and even talked about genealogy. (Talk about a range of topics!) Erica's voice is so needed in this current state of the industry, and I'm really glad for the opportunity to share her story! Erica Joy's Website Erica Joy on Twitter Erica Joy on Medium

If you're involved in the Sass community, there's a good chance you've heard of front-end architect Mina Markham. She's definitely known in the Dallas area for her work with Girl Develop it, Black Girls Code, and other non-profit organizations, and she's currently working on the campaign staff for presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton! We talked about Mina's journey as a designer, her love for giving back to the community, why she loves Sass, and the people that motivate and inspire her. Mina is a true testament to the power of hard work, and I'm really glad to have the chance to share her story. Enjoy! Mina Markham's Website Mina Markham on Twitter Mina Markham on Github

We have a lot of students who listen to the show, so it was a nice bit of serendipity when Rachel Harsley reached out to me to tell me about her story! Rachel is a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois at Chicago as well as the developer of a revolutionary new app called Clean Slate Messenger. We spoke about Rachel's current studies, what she's learned at her internships at AT&T, Intel, GE, and Google, and how mentorship and the community have helped her succeed. Rachel will be working at Google as soon as she graduates, so make sure you keep an eye out for this shooting star! Rachel Harsley's Website Rachel Harsley on Twitter Clean Slate Messenger

Marco Rogers is the engineering manager at Clover Health, a unique health insurance plan focused on driving down costs and producing improved health outcomes. Marco also writes small novels on Twitter (his words, not mine!) on everything from the current state of the tech industry to issues dealing with inequality and social justice. That's quite an intersection! We talked about the work he's doing at Clover Health, touched on the always hot topic of diversity in the tech industry, and learned how he's changed in the past year as an engineer and as a manager. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to speak with Marco, and you can tell that he takes an immense amount of pride not just in his work, but in ensuring that his work affects change. Dive in and enjoy the interview! Marco Rogers on Twitter "Engineering Management and Diversity" "Conforming to Succeed and What it means For People of Color"

You may have heard of Diógenes Brito from his blog post "Just A Brown Hand". In it, he talks about his process behind a simple design change that has now made ripples throughout the tech community. Small changes definitely can have big consequences! In our conversation, we talked about confusing job titles in the tech industry, his philosophy as a designer, who he admires, and his current obsessions. Diógenes is definitely someone who thinks deeply about design and its impact (even in the smallest ways). It's a really fun and informative interview, so I hope you learn a lot from it! Diógenes Brito's Website <li><a href="http://twitter.com/uxdiogenes">Diógenes Brito on Twitter</a></li> Vote for Revision Path in the Creative Market Awards! » https://creativemarket.com/blog/2015/12/11/vote-now-whats-the-most-inspiring-design-podcast-of-2015

Darhil Crooks is the creative director for The Atlantic. He oversees the art direction of the magazine across print, online, and on mobile and tablet devices. His work has literally graced the covers of some the world's most popular magazines, including Esquire, Ebony, and The Source. Our conversation...wow...where to begin? Darhil walked me through a typical day for him at the magazine and we discussed what makes a good magazine cover as well as some of his older work. From there, he spoke on his time at SVA, the fundamentals to his success, the people who inspire him, and what he's got in store for the future. I'm so glad to be able to share this conversation with you, so sit back and enjoy! Darhil Crooks' Website Darhil Crooks on Twitter

You may know about Justin Edmund from one of two places -- his turn as a child actor in the 1996 holiday classic "The Preacher's Wife" or as Pinterest's first design hire (who USA Today profiled last year about being Black in Silicon Valley). What more is there that you could know? A lot! We talked about his shift from acting to technology, his time at Carnegie Mellon, the early days of Pinterest, and his focus on using design to solve big problems and help the less privileged among us. Justin's also on the crossroads of a pretty big life change, so I'm really glad for the opportunity to talk with him about what he's got in store in the future. Enjoy! Justin Edmund's Website Justin Edmund on Twitter Justin Edmund on Pinterest Justin Edmund on Facebook

There's so much conversation around diversity in tech these days, especially as it relates to hiring. I had a chance to interview Ryan Williams, one of the co-founders of Jopwell, a company that helps companies connect with and recruit minority candidates for internships, entry-level positions, and experienced hiring opportunities. We talked about how Jopwell began and went through YCombinator, hiring trends, Jopwell's next steps, and what success looks like for him and for the company. Jopwell is definitely a valuable tool for companies and job seekers, so if you're looking for a job, sign up today! Jopwell Jopwell on Twitter Ryan Williams on Twitter

I've known about Gabrielle Smith's work since 2010 through her popular, award-winning website The:nublk, a platform that showcases the work of contemporary creatives and content with a focus on Africa, the Caribbean, and the diaspora. (Sound familiar?) We talked about what Gabrielle has learned since starting The:nublk, Black people we should look out for in the British creative scene, some of the coolest projects she's worked with, and her advice for creatives who need a push. I'm really interested in seeing what Gabrielle's next move will be! Gabrielle Smith's Website The:nublk The:nublk on Twitter The:nublk on Instagram The:nublk on Facebook

Saron Yitbarek is the patron saint of beginning coders. Her platform CodeNewbie -- which is also a Twitter chat, Slack community, and a popular podcast -- serves as a helpful and supportive community for anyone looking to start their journey to becoming a programmer. We talked about her inspiration for starting CodeNewbie, how she first got into code, how cultivating CodeNewbie has helped balance the negativity in the tech industry, and what fuels her to succeed. I love how Saron is such a positive and inspirational force for all coders! Saron Yitbarek on Twitter CodeNewbie CodeNewbie on Twitter CodeNewbie Podcast CodeNewbie Chat