AIGA Los Angeles is committed to serving the creative community by creating programs that seek to support designers with events, workshops, learning opportunities, and networking.
As an organization, we strive to reflect the community we serve. With various professional backgrounds, experience levels, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability statuses, and nationality, we introduce you to our team of volunteers.
Volunteer Chairs
Rachel Fujita-Esteffe
Programming Chair
Rachel Fujita-Esteffe is an experiential designer and art director who loves bringing stories to life through design. With over a decade of experience, she’s passionate about creating spaces that connect with people in a real and meaningful way. As the Programming Chair at AIGA LA, Rachel is passionate about helping people form genuine connections through creative experiences. She’s driven by the belief that design has the power to bring us closer and make every moment memorable.
Shannon Doronio Chavez
Volunteer Chair
Shannon Doronio Chavez (She, her, Ella) is a tenured Professor of Design and Co-Chair for the Graphic and Multimedia Design Program at College of the Canyons. As the founder and principal designer at Parallel-Play, a hybrid creative practice, her work thrives at the intersection of graphic design, education, and advocacy. Born and raised in Southern California, Shannon is a first-generation mixed-race Chicana and the first in her family to graduate college, earning her BFA in 2010 from Otis College of Art and Design. Currently an MFA candidate (’25) at VCFA, her thesis work focuses on the importance of expanding and rebalancing the values of design education to include and elevate empathy, instinct, and authorship in the design process.
Hoangthy Ngo
Interactive Web Chair
I’m a multimedia specialist based in Los Angeles with over 15 years of experience in project management and administrative support, focusing on language localization and client relations. I hold a B.A. in Fine Arts from UCLA and have skills in graphic and web design, closed captioning, and motion graphics, utilizing tools like Adobe Creative Suite and WordPress.
As a freelance Web and Graphic Designer and English Subtitle Editor, I've worked on projects for clients including Beats by Dre, Apple, Netflix, and Google. Currently, I serve as a Print Production Project Manager, overseeing custom design and print projects, while also volunteering as the Interactive Web Chair for AIGA's LA Professional Design Group. I’m passionate about fostering community connections, promoting design accessibility, and delivering high-quality results in every project.
Jennifer Jeon
Workshop Series Chair
I am a versatile and multi-faceted Graphic Designer with over 20 years of experience in both graphic and fashion design. I pivoted to graphic design 5 years ago after spending over a decade in the apparel industry. I am forever curious and love to explore new and old. When I am not designing, I spend time running around museums & galleries, indulging in arts & crafts, and discovering new brunch spots. Volunteering is meaningful to me as I believe in paying it forward and giving back.
Vela Wang
Studio Tour Chair
Graphic Designer & UI/UX Designer
Vela is a Los Angeles based graphic designer and UI/UX designer with a passion for creating visually compelling and user-friendly experiences. With deep expertise in typography, branding, and the design of websites and apps, Vela is dedicated to achieving a seamless balance between form and function. As the founder of the design studio Butter & Bagel, Vela has consistently demonstrated a commitment to crafting solutions that harmonize the aesthetic with the practical, and the human with the technological. This approach to design not only enhances user interaction but also ensures that every project resonates with its audience on a profound level.
Our Volunteers
Laura Tu Williams
General Volunteer
Laura Tu Williams is a dedicated creative leader and long-time volunteer with AIGA. As Content Director from 2022 to 2024, she developed content strategies and mentored emerging designers, helping them realize their potential. Prior to that, she served as Marketing Chair, where she supported event programming and strengthened community engagement. With a strong background in marketing communications, business branding, and digital design, Laura brings a multidisciplinary perspective to every project. Her passion for design, business and mentorship continues to shape her contributions to AIGA LA, as she actively supports and empowers the next generation of vibrant creative professionals.
Ashley Bautista
Development Volunteer
My name is Ashley Bautista, an artist and designer. Inspiration stems from my culture and identity as a first generation Guatemalan American. Design is an element of life that surrounds us and can create meaningful work to convey a vision into a reality that viewers can connect to.
Bautista is a recent graduate from South Dakota State University where she earned a BFA in Graphic design and minor in Studio Arts. Bautista focuses on the exploration of human connection within environmental, cultural and social issues. She began her journey in South Dakota and led her to California where she is trained as a Graphic Designer.
Mark Heayn
Event Photographer
Owner, Mark Heayn Studio
Mark Heayn Studio
Los Angeles,
Salvador Gutierrez
General Volunteer
Salvador Gutierrez is a Latino artist and designer. His interests are in fashion design, sign graphics, graphic design/visual communications, DEIB in design, and sustainability. He is currently pursuing his MFA in Design at USC Roski School of Art and Design.
Lynn Wang
Development Volunteer
I’ve been long-time advocate and member for AIGA, driven by a belief in the power of creativity to empower designers and make a real-world impact. As a multidisciplinary creative/ director, I specialize in building cohesive brand identities for global companies, tailoring and integrating identity systems across print, digital, and experiential platforms. With extensive industry experience, I’ve led and collaborated with in-house creative teams, agency partners, and global teams, learning valuable insights into cross-cultural design. Passionate about fostering creativity, I enjoy supporting designers in expanding their skills and exploring new design possibilities. I look forward to contributing my expertise and enthusiasm to help shape an inclusive and dynamic future for our creative community.
Sarah Wong
In-Person Event Volunteer
Graphic designer specializing in collaborating with other creatives to promote their artistic work. I’m passionate about crafting design that is accessible, equitable, and fun.
Jazzlynn Beltran
Social Media Content Creator Volunteer
Jazzlynn Beltran is a Cal State Long Beach alumna with a BA in Journalism. Throughout her undergrad experience she has connected with artists and galleries in her community. Furthermore, Beltran interned for an art non-profit organization as a social media marketing intern based in Pittsburgh, PA. She is currently working as a marketing assistant for a steel supply company. She is still finding her way in her career path everyday where she hopes she can do graphic design full-time. In her free time she likes to spend time traveling with her loved ones and playing with her dog pretzel.
Khai Nguyen
Marketing Volunteer
I'm Khai Nguyen, a Visual Designer at Yaamava' Resort & Casino at San Manuel. I hold a BFA in Visual Communication Design with a Marketing Management minor from Cal Poly Pomona and completed an exchange program at UH Manoa focusing on Oral History.
I specialize in brand identity, environmental, 2D, 3D, and packaging design. I also actively participate in art and photography exhibitions across Southern California, with my work featured in the AAPI Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide of the City of Los Angeles.
Raniah Al-Obaidy
Event Attendee Volunteer
My name is Raniah, I'm 24 living in Los Angeles working as a full-time graphic designer at an advertising and branding agency.
