Every day, emerging technologies create new opportunities and we want to explore these rising trends with our community. Let’s get together and get inspired by the possibilities of the Metaverse and NFT worlds.

The rise of NFTs (non-fungible token) allows creators to have the authority to rent or sell their digital properties, creating a new avenue for many artists and designers to monetize their work inside the Metaverse, a digital reality combining human-computer interaction of social media, online gaming, augmented and virtual realities, and cryptocurrencies.

The night will feature a panel of incredibly talented entrepreneurs, artists and creatives working within the Metaverse and NFT space. Each panelist will present their latest projects and share the creative process that led to their launch. Finally, the panelists will share details of how they run their business and market in this new digital landscape.

For those looking for inspiration or thinking of starting a new adventure in learning about the new opportunities that await, this is the event for you!

ABOUT OUR HOST

Paul Mendoza
Paul Mendoza is the Community Manager for National Festivals and Conferences at AIGA, the professional association for design. A recent graduate of the MBA in Design Strategy program at California College of the Arts, Paul combines his experiences in higher education, nonprofit leadership, and television production to build high-performing creative teams that bridge the physical/digital divide. In his spare time, Paul enjoys karaoke bars, ballet class, and Disneyland churros, but tries not to do them all at once.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Kinda Hibrawi
Based in Los Angeles, Kinda Hibrawi is a renowned Syrian-American artist and activist for over 20 years. Exhibiting her art at group and solo shows both internationally and in local galleries across the U.S. The United Nations named her a 2012 Global Thinker and Influencer at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development. In 2016 she was invited by the White House to the annual Eid dinner with President Obama for her artistic accomplishments. Two months ago, she moved into NFTs with great success and a sold out collection on both OpenSea and Foundation. She is currently featured in Yahoo! Finance for her artwork at NFTLA 2022.
Twitter: @kindahibrawi

Victor Tapia
Victor Tapia has been a touring music producer, DJ and event producer for more than a decade. After being bit by the web3 bug in early 2021, he has since helped advise and launch multiple NFT projects with friends and colleagues from the music industry and beyond. He’s excited to speak at AIGA LA about the current state and future of web3 technology when it comes to musicians, artists and creatives of all kinds.

Ivan Todorov
Creative entrepreneur building AI music visualization systems for real life and the Metaverse at ✨ Vibes + Logic 🤖. 20+ years digital product and marketing agency operator (CEO/CTO) @ BLITZ. Bootstrapped to 120 FTEs and delivered 1000s of mission-critical digital projects to Adobe, Live Nation/Insomniac, Google, Microsoft, FX Networks/FXNOW, Atari, Activision, Xbox, Vizio, Fisker, and Faraday Future. 170+ design and tech awards. UCLA Anderson EMBA. 3D/CGI Undergrad.
Twitter: @VibesAndLogic

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REGISTRATION

Early Bird Ticket Pricing (Until August 13)

Members & Students: $22
Non-members: $28

Regular Ticket Pricing

Members & Students: $28
Non-members: $35

Day-of Tickets

At the Door: $35

VENUE LOCATION

Helms Design Center
8745 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232

PARKING INFORMATION

Parking is available at their parking garage located at 8711 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232. Public transit and ride sharing are also encouraged. For public transportation visit metro.net for schedules.

RAFFLE PRIZES

• (1) The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything book by Matthew Hall

Raffle prizes courtesy of Adobe Creative Jam & The Perfect Match:
• (3) 3-month subscriptions of their choice of Adobe Creative Cloud or Adobe Stock
• (2) Adobe Creative Jam Backpacks

HEALTH & SAFETY

Health is our top priority. For the wellbeing of our participants and volunteers, we will provide masks for those who wish to wear one during the event duration.

ABOUT OUR IN-KIND VENUE SPONSOR

Helms Bakery District is a historical Culver City landmark built in 1931 featuring award-winning restaurants, a unique collection of design and home furnishings shops, and a perfect place to meet with friends. Part shopping complex, part design hub, part community center Helms Bakery utilizes its many indoor/outdoor spaces to host art, architecture and design events, talks, and exhibitions with partners such as cultural journalist Frances Anderton, Westside Urban Forum, Cal Poly LA Metro Program, Zocalo Public Square, ADFF, Ilan-Lael Foundation, SoCalNOMA, AIGA and many others. Sign up for the newsletter to be up on all the Bakery buzz at helmsbakerydistrict.com.

ABOUT OUR IN-KIND EVENT SPONSORS

Adobe Creative Jam Live & The Perfect Match
Join the latest Adobe Creative Jam live show! The Perfect Match is a monthly mood board challenge and game show created for the creative community to level up communication skills, recognize talented humans, and celebrate our shared love of brands. Are you The Perfect Match? Submit a mood board created with Adobe Stock and you could be a contestant on The Perfect Match game show supported by a panel of celebrity clients to win big money.


Ayara Thai
The Asapahu family of Ayara Thai has been cooking home-cooked Thai food for over three-generations. Since opening day, head chef Anna has used home-grown herbs in the restaurant's dishes. Reflecting both the dishes she ate in the past, as well as her family's values in sustainable dining, she ensures that all dishes are inspired by and prepared with only the freshest ingredients that the season has to offer. Ayara Thai has been certified by Thai Select, honoring our commitment to using authentic Thai ingredients.


Don’t Be Jealous Studio
Don’t Be Jealous Studio is a digital design studio that strives to create work that centers the distinct needs and voice of the clients they work with. We love to work with people who have a clear vision of who they want to be and the impact they want to make, but just aren’t sure how what that looks like. Through our collaborative process, we aim to uplift both clients and creatives in the community touched by design. Whether it’s discovering a stellar visual design system or mentorship through a portfolio review, Don’t Be Jealous wants to see you thrive.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: @AIGALosAngeles
Instagram: @AIGALosAngeles
LinkedIn: AIGA Los Angeles
Twitter: @AIGALosAngeles
TikTok: @AIGALosAngeles
#aigalosangeles #aigala #lacreativecommunity #ladesigncommunity #emergingtech #metaverse #nft #nonprofit

TERMS OF PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT

By registering and attending/participating at this event, you grant AIGA Los Angeles permission to capture photo/audio/video of the event and the right to use any image, photograph, voice, or likeness, without limitation, in its promotional materials and publicity efforts without compensation. All media from this event will become the property of AIGA Los Angeles. Media may be displayed, distributed, or used by AIGA Los Angeles for any purpose.

Please consider joining AIGA to support our programs and initiatives.

Artwork by Ethan Coy