Ashleigh is the Design Exponent at Automattic and the former Creative Director at The White House. This isn't a portfolio presentation, humble-brag session, or a pure inspiration talk in the vein of "you can achieve this too." In this event, Ashleigh Axios will dish some of her awkward leadership moments and lessons, some of the challenges she's faced working in-house, her adjustment to remote working, and other adventures from her design career so far. You should attend this session if you like stories, animated GIFs, have a sense of humor, miss President Obama, use technology, and/or care about design. So you should probably just attend.

Ashleigh is the Design Exponent at Automattic, a company with the mission to democratize publishing and a passion for making the web a better place through products including WordPress.com. She is also an executive board member for AIGA, the professional association of design, and an editorial board member for Design Observer. Ashleigh served as the creative director and a digital strategist at the White House, where she led design from within the first-ever Office of Digital Strategy. She is also the president emeritus of AIGA Washington D.C., where she formed and leads DotGovDesign, an initiative and annual conference connecting and empowering government designers.

Following Ashleigh’s talk, join us for an amazing after-party. The #CDW17 after-party not only caps off an incredible keynote, but an inspiring week. This is the celebration of design in Cincinnati, with all of the people who make our creative community thrive. The after party is a time to relax, let loose, and connect with everyone you met and learned from that week. Enjoy a few cocktails, snack on some yummy bites, and dance to AIGA Cincinnati's favorite DJ. Meet the AIGA Cincinnati board, learn more about what we're planning for 2018, and have (so much) fun! There's no better way to start your weekend.