Our Staff
Ennis
Carter (ennis@dfsi.org)
What does any NYU Philosophy Major do after college? Work for a bank or
insurance company? Help sell "corporate ethics" to the public?
Those didn’t seem like good options for me, so I headed to NJ to
start my 10 year tenure with Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs).
I began as a campus organizer and canvass director, moving on to administrative
director, and eventually co-founder and director of Public Interest GRFX.
I consider myself one in the long lineage of those combining the skill
and love of graphic design with service to the community. My favorite
examples of this come from the WPA projects. Other trivia? The answer
is chocolate. Always.
Ali
Brody (ali@dfsi.org)
At first glimpse of DfSI's website, fireworks went off inside. I had come
across the Project Coordinator job description and yelled "It's me."
And now it proudly is.
To pre date that, I went to school for Art and Psychology at Eckerd College in sunny Florida. I then crept north for an Americorps program in North Carolina, and still further north to Philly where I have been working in foster care and early intervention. My creative side was crying out for imagery and my heart for social change. So HERE I AM.
Music, nature, food, friends, and randomness also make me smile.
Regina Cantave (nyo@dfsi.org)
My name is Regina Cantave, most folks call me Nyo. Before coming to Design for Social Impact, and becoming Ennis's assistant and office manager, I was a full time student working on a degree in Social Work/Behavior Health. Singing, Dance and African as well as Brazilian drumming are a few of my passions. I'm a mother of 3 and grandma to 4 of the most amazing children in the world.
I am a graduate of The Corcoran School of Art and Design, finishing with a BFA in graphic design. I initially tried to hide from politics, joining the mass of designers jumping on the money bandwagon, I worked for a big name company with big name corporate clients. Although I learned valuable lessons concerning the business side of my profession, my experience there--and a simple manifesto in Adbusters magazine--quickly confirmed my desire to utilize my skill in a positive and conscious way.
I came to Design for Social Impact as a young person with an old soul. I find inspiration in design styles lead by futurism, dada, and constructivism. Coolin' to Miles in the morning and Marley on a sunny afternoon, I enjoy the natural side of things. No longer selling my soul for designer coffee, you can find me somewhere in the middle of form and function.
Artwork from Spilling Open:
The Art of Becoming Yourself
by Sabrina Ward Harrison
Melinda Essig (melinda@dfsi.org)
I graduated from Syracuse University in Communication Design with a concentration in painting studio arts. I came out of school wanting to have a real inspired purpose to the work I was putting out there, and happily I found it at DFSI. After interning, I am now a full time graphic designer and part of the wonderful family here.
Besides all that, I enjoy random adventuring, yoga, rainbow chard, and trying as hard as I can to be a rock climber.
James Koivunen (james@dfsi.org)
I moved to Philadelphia from the Great Lakes State in 2005. After Ann Arbor I needed a change from the Midwest's mindset and average wave height. My sister Ann opened the door for me at Design for Social Impact, and I began working on the Buy Local Philly campaign shortly after landing in the city. This neighborhood project allowed me to explore my new surroundings and get settled in to the East Coast way of life. Over time my freelance writing became more focused and I now spend the week with the lively crew here at DfSI. I work primarily with the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters as Communication Organizer.
Alex Peltz (alex@dfsi.org)
The woods of northern Vermont provided excellent stomping grounds for
a young kid growing up. So with eyes wide and ears open I left the
good state for Hamilton College in central NY where I studied anthropology
and studio art, two disciplines full of questions with room for exploration. So
once again I moved onward and found myself in Philadelphia looking for
a community of people who shared a like-minded view of the world.
My work at Design for Social Impact has included research for the WPA Living Archive, website production, project management and I am now Creative Director.
Our Interns and Extended Family
Design for Social Impact · 215-922-7303 · info@dfsi.org
