Meet the Panel
Next week! Join us at Beyond Design for the Making It Real Panel event. Experts in marketing, sales, and design will offer their advice and expertise as we walk through taking a product from conception to reality and making it a market success. Drinks and light apps provided, please RSVP to the event here and meet the panel below:
Erryn Cobb. Marketing (Moderator of Panel)
CEO, Fetch Integrated Marketing Communications
Erryn Cobb is the CEO of Fetch Integrated Marketing Communications, a full-service marketing communications agency that works with small- and mid-sized businesses. From client communications to brand strategy and overall business leadership, Erryn leads the charge in all aspects of Fetch IMC.
Erryn is an alumni of the Chicago Urban League’s IMPACT leadership development program. He is also a board member of 3Arts, a Chicago-based nonprofit that supports artists of color, women artists and artists with disabilities.
A four-year letter winner at Northwestern University, Erryn was a Superback on the Northwestern Wildcats football team. He was also a contestant on the second season of FOX TV’s MasterChef. Erryn and his wife Mariah currently reside in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood where they own and operate homiey, a community-focused coworking and event space.
Brooke Foley, Digital Marketing
Founder Jayne Agency
Brooke Foley (WBENC) is known nationally for having cultivated multiple successful creative digital agencies – Tribal DDB (1996-1999), Ogilvy Interactive (1999 – 2001) and A|Razorfish (2001 – 2007). She started the Jayne Agency in June 2009 to create an environment where highly talented people could deliver customer-centric solutions for clients who really wanted to make a marketing change – and a difference for their customers. Clients enjoy the agency’s proven methodology and commitment to “Smartly Strategic, Wickedly Creative” delivered with insight, powerful ideas and great execution. She has proven over time that solid relationships and good communication with open minded planning can inspire teams across companies to deliver disruptive ideas in nimble ways resulting in award winning innovative solutions.
Jelani Rucker, Sales
VP of Marketing and Business Development, Zekelman Industries
Jelani Rucker serves as VP of Marketing and Business Development for Zekelman Industries. He is responsible for developing and managing marketing initiatives across the entire Zekelman corporate and product division portfolio, as well as developing new business opportunities and strategic relationships with companies in current and emerging industries. As a results-oriented senior executive, Mr. Rucker has more than 23 years of experience in all facets of business operations, management, sales and marketing. Prior to joining Zekelman Industries, Mr. Rucker held national sales and management posts at BCI Communications and TESSCO Inc. He also worked at Lucent Technologies, as a systems engineer and held several positions there before being named senior sales manager of new business development.
While having served on numerous non-profit boards in the past, Jelani currently serves on the board of the BBF Family Services in Chicago, IL, and the Economic Development Board of Western Springs, IL.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Technical Management from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. He also played football at Johns Hopkins, where he was a Division III All American and team captain. Jelani was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
Most recently, Jelani just completed his term as the IMPACT Alumni Association’s inaugural Vice President. He also was a member of the Chicago Urban League IMPACT Leadership Development Program (class of 2016).
Jelani currently resides in Western Springs, IL with his wife Monique, and their two children Sade (11) and Sanchez (8).
AnnaZulma McFadden, UX
VP UX Design Lead//Branding Strategist, JP Morgan Chase
Anna is a lifetime designer, her digital and UX career solidified almost 10 years ago as an experiential marketing designer for a company with clients like Heineken and Ultra Fest Seoul. Apps, websites, branding strategy and service design are a few examples of what she has worked on over the years. In her spare time Anna is an artist and avid traveler. Anna and Beyond first connected at a Chicago designer Panel hosted by General Assembly last fall (below):
Anna Zulma (second from left) and Michael participate on GA’s Chicago’s Design Community panel in October.
Michael Prince, Product Development
Founder + President, Beyond Design
A graduate of Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Industrial Design (BID), Michael’s career concentrated on integrating design with business, manufacturing and marketing. His professional experience includes working in product development at Sony Corporation and RCA/Thomson Media where he was responsible for developing a broad range of consumer electronic products. As an entrepreneur, Michael founded Beyond Design in 1994, a strategic product development consultancy, that provides: Research/Strategy, Industrial Design, Engineering and UX/GUI to a broad range of clients including Johnson Controls, Medline, Amazon and many others. Michael’s strength lies in uncovering product opportunities and providing creativity with innovation to introduce successful design solutions that are highly competitive in the marketplace.
Michael has served on the board of the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) as well as being on the Lane Tech Second Century Foundation, where devotes much of his time and passion to mentoring students from around the world as well as supporting the local Chicago community.
Don’t forget to RSVP and we look forward to seeing you next week!