Hello from the Pluriverse Podcast

Dr. Lesley Ann Noel has explored design opportunities all around the world, taking risks to find spaces and opportunities that she is passionate about, and making opportunities work for her. While she was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr.…

Dr. Laura Murphy is the Associate Director of Research and Scholarship at the Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking at Tulane University. She is also a professor in the Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences department teaching…

Kareem Collie was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from the Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design in 2001, and he spent the next decade as an art director for clients including Nickelodeon, USA Network,…

Professor Tsai Lu Liu is head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design at North Carolina State University, where he and his students have been working on user research and product design projects for companies such as Coca-Cola, IBM, Johnson…

Gisele Raulik Murphy is the Co-Founder and Partner at DUCO Design Intelligence based in Brazil. In March of this year, Gisele founded WIM Angels, which stands for Women Investment Movement, a network of angel investors that invests in high-impact startups founded by women…

"All the information in the world won't tell us what the future will look like."  Dr. Maille Faughnan is an instructor for the Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Minor Program at Tulane University and is a research fellow at the…

"How can we create an environment where EVERYONE is able to thrive?" Marielle Ednalino is a San Francisco-based entrepreneur, and alumna from the University of California, Davis. She is also a self-taught computer scientist and started her own Girls Who…

"Develop empathy for others and make things tangible as fast as possible.”  Glenn Fajardo is a design educator at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (also known as the Stanford d.school). He also curates TEDxPeacePlaza, has contributed to the Stanford Social Innovation Review,…

“If we're going to do equity work, we can't be doing this TO people; we need to do this WITH people.”  Tania Anaissie is the founder and CEO of Beytna Design, an Equity Design organization that supports socially minded leaders to design in…

Julia Lang is the Assistant Director for Career Education at the Phyllis M. Taylor Center at Tulane University. She leads two major programs here: "Taylor your life" and the Changemaker Institute. Julia is all about teaching students to embrace a design…

"I think that just taking a little bit of time to understand just a bit more will change the outcomes that we have"  Lorenzo Hodges has built a career using design methodologies and his own design aesthetic. While he may not…

"With the Pluriverse state of mind, you belong everywhere and nowhere" Michael Lee Poy is an Afro-Caribbean artist-activist and architect in Trinidad and Tobago. His practice and interests center on post-colonial Caribbean design and fabrication in the festival arts –…

While she may be an engineer by trade, Dr. Christina Harrington identifies herself as a designer. She has a background in electrical engineering and industrial design and focuses her design skills and research on the areas of universal, accessible design. Specifically, she has looked at how…

“What if? How come? Why?”   Michele Washington is a user-centered designer based in New York City. She has a MS in Communication and Design from the Pratt Institute and an MFA in Design Criticism from The School of Visual. Currently, Ms.…

Michael Bonnick is the founder and Chief Design Consultant at MELB DESIGN Ideation studio and he is also a lecturer at the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica. Formally trained in Industrial Design in London, Michael's design influences and career have…

Dr. María de Mater O’Neill is a designer, artist, and educator born, raised, and based in Puerto Rico. María has spent 25 years of her life as a painter, switching to design when the painting industry became too restrictive. Currently she is the Creative…

Born in raised in Barbados, Debbie Estwick has held many roles throughout her career in design. She has held the role of director of marketing and communications, professor of integrative design, to design advisor. Debbie has a master’s in design and brand strategy and…

"Whatever the thing is, it doesn't have to be perfect."  Rebecca Otten is a Professor of Practice and the Director of Strategy & Engagement at the Taylor Center. She facilitates the Taylor Center’s field leadership, campus and community partnerships, and program…

Alfredo Gutiérrez Borrero  is an industrial designer based in Colombia. Currently, he is an associate professor of Industrial Design at the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano. Central to Alfredo Gutiérrez Borrero’s design work is examining Western design equivalents across cultures, ultimately working…

“Terrence Moline’s passion is infusing people’s stories with images to create art.”   Terrence Moline is a director, designer, illustrator currently based out of Austin, Texas. He also builds communities and transforms stories with illustrations to generate art that conveys meaning. He is the founder of…

“A designer is programming society when they create public images.”  Dr. Renata Marques Leitão is an adjunct professor teaching graphic design at OCAD University in Toronto. Born and raised in Brazil, but formally trained in design in Montreal, Renata’s work is shaped by her…

Rafe Steinhauer is a design educator and a designer. Currently he is a visiting assistant professor at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, but he has also been a visiting assistant professor with the Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking at Tulane…

Dr. Woodrow Winchester III is a professor of Systems and Industrial Engineering at Kennesaw State University and a design educator. His work within engineering focuses on interactive technologies and using connections between technology and design. Specifically, Dr. Winchester examines the connection between technology,…

Marlon Darbeau is a designer, the Founder and Creative Director of By-Making, and a collaborator at the Alice Yard art-space initiative.   Based in Trinidad and Tobago, Marlon’s identity is rooted in his culture and his upbringing. He consistently integrates techniques his…

Randall Wilson II is the Design Lead in Digital Messaging at Capital One in Chicago and is the co-creator and creative director of Hue Design Summit, a four-day immersive conference and community for designers of color. Randall is a self-taught designer, and…

Jose Cotto is the Collaborative Design Project Manager at the Tulane School of Architecture Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design. Among his many responsibilities in the Small Center, he works on various design projects, fosters partnerships with Tulane University…

Maria Rogal is currently a professor of design at the University of Florida and her work spans disciplines, applications, and place. Her upbringing, education, and experiences have all been diverse, enriching, and make her the conscientious designer she is today.…

Omari Souza is a professor of design and design research at Texas State University. Professor Souza was born in the Bronx, New York as a first-generation American and Jamaican descent. Professor Souza graduated from Kent State University as a first-generation college…

Ann Yoachim joins us for a cheerful, enthusiastic, and passionate conversation. The energy Ann brings to this interview is surely indicative of the energy she brings to her role as director of Tulane's Small Center of Collaborative Design. Reflecting on…

To Tanya Marie, design is so much more than designing for the project and the need, it is about communicating and listening. Tanya Marie Williams-Rhule is an independent designer and brand consultant and the executive Designer of Designer Island, an online publication…