Student Awards

Brian Allen

McCann West Executive Creative Director

Brian has worked across the country at some of Canada's best design shops, advertising agencies, experiential agencies and digital agencies. With all this varied experience he picked up an absolute devotion to design, craft and the pursuit of unorthodox and talk-worthy ideas. He has led iconic global and national brands, and throughout his career, he's garnered recognition at Cannes, D&AD, One Show, Clios, Epica & Communication Arts as well as every national show in Canada. Beyond industry recognition, his work has been featured on the Tonight Show, launched a small Alberta town to world fame, and been immortalized in Wikipedia.

Zachary Bautista

Rethink Partner, Creative Director

Zachary Bautista is a Partner, Creative Director at Rethink, ranked #2 Global Independent Agency of The Year at Cannes 2023. From art school dropout to one of the most consistently recognized creatives in Canada, his work has been awarded at every major international award show from Cannes to Clios with acclaim from figures like Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, and headlines on publications like CNN and FastCompany. Zach was ranked the #1 Art Director back-to-back in Strategy Magazine’s Creative Report Card for 2022 and 2023. He was among AdAge’s 40 Under 40 last year and the only Canadian on the list. You can find his work on a billboard near you or in the 6th Edition of Hey Whipple Squeeze This along with Pearson’s Fundamentals of Marketing Textbook. In addition to his impassioned dedication as an industry mentor, Zach is a recurring instructor at Miami Ad School in Toronto. In his role as teacher he has elevated the talents of up-and-coming art directors and copywriters. His approach to his students is teaching peers to become future co-workers. Zach spends most of his money on sports memorabilia. He spends most of his time making money to afford sports memorabilia.

Bernice Lo

Angry Butterfly ECD

Better known as “Bee”, Bernice is an ECD at Angry Butterfly, who has worked on globally recognized campaigns, while helping build and lead creative departments over the last several years. She’s a strong female BIPOC leader, mentor, and advocate for DEI within agencies and the industry. Outside of her day job, Bernice co-founded a network called Open Chair Toronto for women+ in creative and production roles, looking to support, promote, celebrate, and collaborate with one another. With a commitment to creating a safe space for women to share and be heard, the goal is to ensure the industry is a more inclusive and inspiring place to be.

Craig McIntosh

Broken Heart Love Affair Chief Creative Officer

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.

Mark Neil Balson

SUPERFANTASTIC Co-Founder & Creative Director

Mark Neil Balson is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of SUPERFANTASTIC, a Toronto-based independent graphic design and experiential marketing studio. He has over 15 years of experience working across identity, branding, print and digital design. Known for his thoughtfully daring approach, keen eye for detail and love of typography. He has worked with some of the best studios internationally while honing his craft which is artistic, collaborative, and above all, human. He has been awarded numerous D&AD Pencils, among other major awards and has helped lead teams to win ADCC’s Design Studio / Agency of the Year awards.

Élise Cropsal

LG2 Creative Director, Design

Élise is a Montreal-based designer with over 20 years of experience. She is a Creative Director on the Branding & Design team at LG2 where she has led visual identity projects for notable clients like ITHQ, Hydro-Québec, Francos, Granby Zoo, and Théâtre Espace GO. Her love of art and her keen design sense are undisputable. She embraces a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach in her creative process, leading her work to win numerous awards, including Cannes Lions, Idéas, Grands Prix du Design, Clios, Communication Arts, ADCC, D&AD, ADC, and the One Show. Élise is passionate about arts and culture and dedicated to helping both community continue to evolve. She is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Science, and sits on the board of directors of Montreal’s Espace GO, a well-known contemporary theatre, and on the board of the Society of Graphic Designers of Quebec (SDGQ).

Morgan Curley

Public Eye Co-Founder

Morgan is a co-founder of Public Eye, a Calgary-based identity and packaging studio focused on inventive and personality-driven design solutions. Over the last 13 years of her design career, Morgan has proven herself as a strategically minded designer, striving to understand her client’s needs by fostering clarity, insight and transformation. On a more shallow side, she also likes to explore identities with big type, bright, weird colours and a hit of humour.

Tim Hoffpauir

123w Creative Director, Design

After growing up in Edmonton and then studying visual communication design in the UK, Tim started his career in Vancouver, which has been his home for over 20 years. Since then, he’s built a diverse portfolio of award-winning projects spanning brand identity systems, publications, typography, illustration, digital, and packaging—collaborating with brands both big and small, local and international. Tim’s passionate about creating design that’s human-centered, inclusive, and purposeful, which is not only reflected in the work he does but in working with him. As Creative Director of Design at 123w, Tim continues to drive impactful and inspiring design solutions. Tim also teaches part-time at Capilano University, nurturing the next generation of designers.

Man Wai Wong

Leo Burnett Toronto Group Creative Director, Design

Man Wai Wong is an internationally recognized designer who specializes in design that is rooted in conceptual thinking and meticulous craftsmanship. These two factors can be seen in every facet of design she has delved into, including the art of branding, design of physical and digital experiences, motion graphics, environments, and products. Her design background hails from York-Sheridan Design in Toronto and notably the Bauhaus in Germany. Having studied many areas of design, in different countries with varied design philosophies, she has a discerning eye and particular sensibility for work that resonates globally. Her work has been recognized in several publications and awarded in virtually all national and international shows including The One Show, the D&AD, the Art Directors Club, the Clios, London International Awards, among others.