Maria Natasha
Line Artist & Illustrator
Natasha is an artist, illustrator, muralist, and painter who specializes in floral and botanical line work, bold graphic murals, and food paintings.
Natasha is a creative and conceptual artist and illustrator who helped bring the Food City themes to life. She created over two dozen original pieces to capture possible futures for, and challenges within, our food system. Concepts included everything from use of robotics in farming to lab-grown meat to regenerative agriculture to deceptive marketing.
Whether creating large murals of people eating noodles or ice cream cones with a scoop of Saturn on top, Natasha has a knack for infusing her work with whimsy, creativity, and unexpected touches. She shares much of her process on Instagram, where she accepts commissions and often posts opportunities to purchase her original works.
INSTAGRAM → Projects worked on:
● Food City
2020
View her work:
card design for Food City
line art for Food City
line art for Food City
line art for Food City
card design for Food City
Ana Latese
Portrait Illustrator
Ana Latese is a digital artist who illustrated several of the spotlights featured in the I Am a Scientist program.
Ana Latese, is an African American freelance illustrator & writer. Her passion is to produce beautiful imagery inspired by vibrant colors, magical elements, and joy. She enjoys using different lighting situations to help enhance her storytelling and give a warm feeling to her illustrations. When Ana’s not illustrating, she loves to play video games, hang out at the library, or binge watch Criminal Minds!
“As a black artist, every single piece that I draw is my attempt to promote a world where black and brown children are seen, heard, valued, and validated. Quoted from one of my favorite artists, Faith Ringgold, ‘You cant sit around and wait for somebody to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it.’”
WEBSITE → INSTAGRAM → Projects worked on:
● I Am A Scientist Portrait Illustrations
2021
View her work:
alexander bennett for I am a Scientist
bayan mashat for I am a Scientist
leah guthrie for I am a Scientist
melqui gamba-rios for I am a Scientist
Jessica Creane
Game Designer
Jessica is the co-creator of our upcoming Food City board game, which challenges players to build a more equitable and sustainable food system in an imagined city.
Jessica’s expertise in game design provided essential direction in the conceptualization, development, and testing of the experience. Jessica is an extremely focused generalist who runs her life as a creative lab. Her great love in life is uncovering surprising connections between imagination and reality and turning those discoveries into play. Play is how we get excited about change, even when it’s hard, and Jessica’s work as an artist, coach, and facilitator reflects this philosophy. She runs the game and immersive experience design company, I Kant Koan, where she leads a team of thoughtful creativity scientists who thrive on creative and strategic challenges unique to boundary-bending work. — via ikantkoan.com
WEBSITE → INSTAGRAM → TWITTER → Projects worked on:
● Food City
2016
Erica Derrickson
Photographer
Erica worked with the I Am a Scientist team from the beginning to capture the original scientists’ portraits, and inspire the visual aesthetic that would serve as the foundation for all of the program’s materials.
Her incredible talent for beautifully capturing each individual’s unique spirit and persona became the artistic keystone for the initiative, and continues to set the stylistic tone for the program’s expansion.
Erica’s gift is to connect with people deeply and authentically in a way that helps them feel safe to reveal their true self. She loves what she does because she gives people confidence and helps them believe in themselves by giving them photos that show their most radiant and truthful self. Sometimes people can’t see their own beauty - but she does - and she loves to show them what she sees. In addition to photography, Erica is a model, actor, traveller, and vlogger who has built a strong online following around her adventures. She loves to learn, grow and push herself creatively and spiritually. Every time she approaches her edge it, moves a little further out. — via ericaseye.com
WEBSITE → INSTAGRAM → Projects worked on:
● I Am A Scientist Portrait Photography
2016
View her work:
Kathleen Sheffer
Photographer
Kathleen Sheffer is a San Francisco-based event photographer with an eye for storytelling.
We partnered with Kathleen to capture our 2019 SF Design Week event at Manny’s and our 2023 Illuminations showcase. Her rich style and talent for capturing candid and emotive moments makes her a work stand out. It’s become a core part of our memory bank (and this website!).
WEBSITE → INSTAGRAM → Projects worked on:
● SF Design Week
● “Illuminations” Event Photography
2019-2023
View her work:
ILLUMINATIONS, 2023
ILLUMINATIONS, 2023
ILLUMINATIONS, 2023
Annie Jean-Baptiste speaking at the event
event panelists
ILLUMINATIONS, 2023
ILLUMINATIONS, 2023
ILLUMINATIONS, 2023
candid audience moment
Durell Coleman speaking at the event
Edina Clagett
Photographer
The photographer behind "Beyoutiful Portraits", Edina Clagett specializes in women's portraiture, with a drive to capture images that boost self-esteem and self-worth.
WEBSITE → INSTAGRAM → Projects worked on:
● I Am A SCientist Portrait Photography
2020
View her work:
KRISTEN LEAR FOR I AM A SCIENTIST
Esther Knox-Dekoning
Web & Digital Designer
Esther Knox-Dekoning is a multitalented designer and strategist who led her team at Sereth Design to create the visual foundation for The Plenary and various projects.
Through deep collaboration, skill, and vision, she stewarded The Plenary’s message into a vibrant visual experience.
Esther is the lead designer and creative director behind Sereth Design. She started Sereth Design with the intention to take her talents and experience to support small-to-medium sized businesses that were changing the world. Through Sereth Design, she works with entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and mission-driven brands all over the world to tell their stories and spearhead social impact. — via serethdesign.com
WEBSITE → INSTAGRAM → Projects worked on:
● The Plenary, Co. Website
● The Plenary, Co. Visual Identity
● I Am A Scientist Website
● The Plenary Clubhouse Member Hub
● Creative Strategy
2023-
Malena Vasquez
Photographer
Malena Vasquez's approach focuses on getting the best picture her clients have ever gotten of themselves, "a powerful image that will create a strong connection with their audiences".
WEBSITE → INSTAGRAM → Projects worked on:
● I Am A Scientist Portrait Photography
2020
View her work:
Melquisedec Gamba-Rios for I am a scientist
