As the primary communicators of an organization's mission and values, brand strategy and visual identity are essential components for ensuring the success of any nonprofit organization. Join creative leaders Sloan Leo of Flox Studio, Andre Banks of A–B Partners, and Ramy Nagy of Madeo, as they share strategies for strengthening your brand image and discuss the importance of representation within the design field.

This event will be moderated by David Perrin of The Ford Foundation.

Event Series: Fresh Dialogue

Justice by Design is part of the Fresh Dialogue event series. These events are critical discussions that focus on current events, issues of cultural relevance and emerging topics in the world of design.

About the speakers

David Perrin (he/him) David holds the role of Design Lead at the Ford Foundation. He leads creative across all platforms and drives the visual identity and output of the Foundation. Previously, he worked at Demos, where he taught organizers and movement builders the fundamentals of designing for social justice advocacy as an instructor for social movement technologies. He also serves as art director of his own design studio, Dpicting Studiom where he produces art and illustration in the support of social good. He is currently pursuing a masters in arts administration, and hopes to help create a more equitable working path for designers in the nonprofit field.

Andre Banks (he/him) is founder and CEO of A—B Studio. Prior to starting A––B in 2018, Banks was executive vice president for social impact & philanthropy at Berlin Rosen, a leading national public relations and strategic communications firm. Banks’s portfolio included philanthropy, criminal justice reform, international human rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting and civil rights, and climate equity. He was also a founding partner at Purpose, a strategy consultancy, creative agency, and social movement incubator, and currently serves as the chair of the board at Color of Change, the largest racial justice organization in the U.S. He also co-founded and led AllOut, a global not-for-profit organization that is focused on political advocacy for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. AllOut has grown into one of the largest organizations in the world focused on the global push towards LGBTQ+ equality.

Sloan Leo (they/he) is a design theorist, facilitator, and practitioner. They are the founder and Chief Executive Officer of FLOX Studio. a nonprofit management consulting firm that uses facilitation and community design to help mission-driven leaders and their organizations prepare for the future together. Rooted in Black feminist theory, Afrofuturism, and social justice, FLOX Studio engages innovative social impact leaders in collaboratively designing their culture, strategy, and organizational development efforts. Leo is a well-known facilitator who leads retreats, gatherings, and trainings for institutions all around the country.

They spent 15 years working in the social sector as a major gifts fundraiser, a non-profit governance leader, and an organizational strategist. Leo has worked across issue areas from climate and sustainability to global LGBTQ+ rights. Most recently, FLOX Studio has opened QRWRK, a community retreat, co-working, and event space in Philadelphia, PA. They are also working on a forthcoming anthology called, Queering Design, slated for publication in 2026.

Ramy Nagy (he/him) is the founder of Madeo, a strategic creative agency with a focus on social impact. Madeo partners with changemakers to create brands, websites, strategies, campaigns, and interactive experiences that inspire people to engage and take meaningful action.

Ramy is a board member of AIGA/NY, an Anthem Awards judge, a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts, Sandbox, IxDA, and previously a member of the Communications Committee of the Seeds of Peace Board of Directors. Ramy is a graduate of Bard College, where he has been recognized with the Bard Activism Award. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son, and is originally from Cairo, Egypt.