Mike Joosse

Bio

Mike Joosse is the Director of VML’s Brand ID & Design Studio, providing operational and cultural leadership for a team of designers within the world’s largest creative agency. In a career spanning over 20 years, he’s developed a singular skill set to champion and empower designers of all kinds, and strengthen teams and processes through leadership, community, education, and communications.

An award-winning 2001 graduate of NC State’s College of Design, Mike has held a one-of-a-kind collection of roles. As Senior Program Manager at Adobe, he ran Creative Jam enablement events with a blue-chip client list including Amazon, Visa, Capital One, Publicis Sapient, Airbnb, and dozens more. As President at Designation, he taught hundreds of digital design students; helped evolve a software bootcamp into an internationally-recognized, career-defining educational experience; and shepherded Designation’s acquisition by WeWork. And he held numerous leadership roles within AIGA, including serving as the organization’s first Director of Chapter Development; the processes and practices he implemented are still in use over a decade later. He has spoken at numerous conferences and events, judged creative competitions, and guested on podcasts across the country. He lives in Chicago.