Going Behind the Gold

Diti Katona is a founding partner of Concrete. As Chief Creative Officer, she is best known for producing elegant and evocative work for the firm’s clients in fashion, retail and luxury goods. Diti’s creative direction and marketing experience guide the strategy and development of brand campaigns, product packaging, custom publications and visual identities. She also leads the firm’s involvement in startup ventures and business partnerships focused on the development of innovative lifestyle and luxury brands. Over the years, Diti’s creative work has received numerous awards from juries throughout North America and Europe, including the American Center for Design (Chicago), the American Institute for Graphic Arts (New York), Graphis Design (New York), and British Design and Art Direction (London). Diti has been awarded two lifetime achievement awards. In 2012, Diti received the prestigious Les Usherwood Award from the Advertising & Design Club of Canada (ADCC) for her contribution to the Canadian creative community. In 2016, Applied Arts magazine honoured Diti with its 30th anniversary Golden AACE Award, for consistently: receiving international accolades; achieving significant business success; being considered a change agent; and having been a mentor or cultivator of emerging talent. Diti frequently lectures on design topics, serves as a faculty advisor at design schools, and judges international competitions in her field.

Mike is Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Rethink Toronto. Named Strategy Magazine’s Creative Director of the Year in 2022, and Ad Age’s Creative Director of the Year in 2021, Mike is best known for creating transformative work for iconic brands that the world talks about. Under his leadership, Rethink has been named Strategy Magazine’s Canadian Agency of the Year for four years in a row, Clio’s 2022 top independent agency, the Effie’s 2022 Agency of the Year, AdAge’s 2021 Creative Agency of the Year, and ranked eighth overall in the world by the 2021 Cannes Lions. Rethink was also awarded two Scarlet Letters from ADCC in 2022– Agency of the Year, and Design Agency of the Year. In the past two years, Mike has led work that has garnered over 20 Cannes Lions for the likes of Molson Coors, IKEA, and Heinz - including Heinz’s tilted label campaign, the Heinz Puzzle, Hot Dog Pact, and Draw Ketchup. Outside of Rethink, Mike serves as Creative Chair at Miami Ad School Toronto, and is passionate about supporting the next generation of industry creatives.

As the visionary force behind blok design, Vanessa's life has been dedicated to the belief that design is at its best when it serves society. Her work spans iconic projects transcending cultures, causes, and disciplines—from collaborating with Iggy Pop to shaping the artistic landscape of MOCA—blending cultural awareness, humanity and a love of art to advance society and business alike. Her experiences living and working in Buenos Aires, LA, New York, and Mexico City have given the studio a unique international perspective, partnering with some of the world’s top talents, from leading contemporary artists and photographers to architects and thinkers around the world. Vanessa has led some of the most distinguished design juries and showcased her expertise on international platforms, from Tokyo to Mexico City. She is a global member of the League of Innovators & Scholars at The Brookfield Sustainability Institute (BSI) and has recently been inducted into The Canadian Academy of Arts. Her latest art project RÅW is on view at Trapholt (Denmark) as part of the exhibition, FEEL ME.

Craig is currently a Chief Creative Officer at Broken Heart Love Affair, with over 20 years of experience as an award-winning copywriter. He has built iconic brands for renowned clients such as Nike, Budweiser, SickKids, Walmart, and many others. In his downtime, Craig enjoys indoctrinating his two kids with a love for the Philadelphia Flyers, Kurosawa films, Wu-Tang Clan, and Hawaiian pizza.

Ugo is a passionate designer with an unwavering commitment to crafting at scale. He stands out for his strong design expertise and unwavering commitment to excellence. He co-founded Caserne in 2012 and now leads the studio alongside Léo Breton-Allaire and Sébastien Paradis. He has served on numerous design competition juries and has won over a hundred awards for his work. He is also the co-founder of FORUM, a design event. Held annually in Montreal, it brings together designers and artists on a mission to network, educate, and create.

Lyranda is an award-winning creative director, speaker, podcast host, and bestselling author. She's also the host of the best podcast ever, ADCC Created, which unpacks how the best campaigns in Canada get made. 'It's a must listen!' says definitely everyone. Also check out the Google podcast Lead By Womenwill which inspires young women to rise to the C Suite as she hosts that too. Lyranda is the author of the bestselling humour book “Reasons Mommy Drinks” which has been published in multiple languages and makes a great baby shower gift, just sayin'. She’s also a contributing author to various publications, the host and jury member for several international industry shows including One Show and Cannes, and was a guest on The Today Show. She’s a working mom with two young boys and a dog at home, and her hobbies include coffee.