SUPPORT, CHALLENGES & LUCK: THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IN A CAREER IN DESIGN

The School of Design is excited to announce an evening with three respected leaders from the design community. This event is planned in partnership with Be Original Americas. 

The evening will explore the ups, downs, and the mentors who may guide you along the path to success in the world of design.

The three speakers will discuss the path their careers have taken and offer advice for young designers and aspiring creatives. This event should be of particular interest to anyone who might have an interest in starting their own studio or leading a creative team. 

The event will consist of presentations by each of the design leaders followed by a period for questions and answers from the audience.

Join us on Wednesday, February 4th, at 6 pm for an evening of insightful presentations. 

Mark your calendars and register to attend while tickets are still available. The event is free but space is limited.

The Speakers:

JOHN CHRISTAKOS
Founder and CEO, Blu Dot

John Christakos cofounded Blu Dot in 1996, a design studio and manufacturer of modern furnishings, serving as CEO since its inception. Blu Dot is sold through stand-alone stores in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Washington DC, Mexico City and Sydney, online at bludot.com and in more than 50 independent retailers worldwide.

Blu Dot’s work has received numerous national and international design awards. In 2018, Blu Dot was the recipient of the prestigious National Design Award for Product Design given annually by the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Blu Dot’s work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper Hewitt, Walker Art Center and Centre Pompidou. In 2011, Slate magazine included John Christakos in “Top Right,” its list of “the top 25 most innovative and practical thinkers of our time.”

Prior to Blu Dot, John was Consulting Director of Core Group in Minneapolis, where he advised consumer product companies in marketing strategy and branding. He began his career as a consultant with Bain & Company in their Boston office. John graduated with a double major in studio art and economics from Williams College in 1987. He received his MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University in 1993. John currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, where he has been a trustee for 13 years and most recently served as its President from 2018-2021. John previously served on the Boards of Midway Contemporary Art; the College of Visual Arts, St. Paul; and the Courage Center Foundation.

HLYNUR ATLASON
Industrial Designer & Founder, Atlason Studio

For Hlynur, the work starts with questioning the status quo and how it evolved, learning voraciously: new brand languages, materials, consumer habits, technology, processes. Atlason–an eternal student–embraces these opportunities.

Born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1974, Atlason graduated in industrial design from Parsons School of Design in New York in 2001. A year later, IKEA included his oversize Tuno Clock in its PS Collection. Two years later, he opened his Manhattan office to create a broad spectrum of design–for the likes of Heller, DWR and L’Oreal.

Hlynur Atlason and his studio, , won the prestigious 2023 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Product Design, a top national honor recognizing their innovative work in furniture, consumer products, and packaging for clients like IKEA, Microsoft, and DWR.

CARLY CONELLI
Managing Director, North America, Louis Poulsen

Fashion and design often intersect. Carli Conelli’s career is a perfect example of that. 

Carli began her career interning in fashion houses such as Oscar de La Renta and Carolina Herrera - eventually moving on to work with the American designer, Ralph Lauren.  She remained in that position for nearly seven years, working in an array of positions in sales. This led to her earning the position of Director of Wholesale. 

She moved from fashion to design when she gained her position as Director of Wholesale for Roll & Hill. From there, she was drawn to and began to work with the consumer brand AERIN, and later Caro Home, becoming Senior Vice President of Sales and Merchandising.

Most recently, she joined Louis Poulsen, an organization that straddles the consumer space and the architecture/design buyer/specifier luxury world as the Managing Director, N.A. in January 2023.  

Carly received her MBA from Baruch College, and she earned her bachelor’s from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

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