I entered the world of graphic design in 1999 and have since held most major roles including creative director, senior freelancer and agency founder. During this time I regularly felt held back by how to operate in the workplace because the insight I needed simply wasn’t freely available.

As a junior all I wanted to do was go inside the agencies I admired the most but unless you were hired that was impossible. I consistently thought about the way they managed projects and clients. I imagined it was a secret recipe to success and I was adamant it would unlock my potential. Sadly, for various reasons, I never had the opportunity to fulfill this ambition but I continued to push forward including immense highs and destructive lows.

In that time I moved from client-side roles to studio life and on to a freelance career before going solo as a founder. I was forced to experiment because knowledge was guarded by those in higher places and that made me learn fast. I stepped in to areas I had no-prior understand of such as finance, pricing and commercial planning before being forced to shut the business due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Lockdown provided me with the opportunity to look back at my career and instead of planning for a future servicing clients again I decided to pivot away from all I knew. I began by creating a space that supported emerging talent and experienced professionals by breaking down the barriers I had previously experienced.

Since then I have collaborated with thousands of freelancers, founders and teams creating resources that go beyond case studies and portfolios. I believe it has never been more important to act with transparency to explore the processes used by people at all stages of their journey because this approach truly has the potential to change how people enter industry, find their feet and thrive in future.

In 2024 I complimented our digital-first platform with a series of in-person events made to lift-up regional talent by focusing on what matters most to the communities we represented. Since then we have created regular experiences in cities including Manchester, Melbourne, London, Leeds and Berlin.

On reflection, my career has been a turbulent ride, one that’s shaped who I am and the change I want to see. None of it is possible without the incredible team behind me including volunteers, speakers and sponsors. There’s so much more to come and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Chris Sanders
Founder