OZY Fest 2019
OZY Fest 2019 wasn’t handed to me—I pitched it. I saw the chance to transform the festival into something irreverent, eclectic, and unexpected, a space where A-list music, comedy, politics, food, and ideas could live side-by-side. To get there, I built a 30-page deck for the CEO that challenged the status quo and laid out a new vision: smart, but surprising; polished, but unafraid to break the mold. That ambition earned me the role of Creative Director for the festival.
From there, I led the entire creative direction—branding, website, marketing campaigns, stage and experiential design—shaping a world that matched the lineup’s energy and range. The identity was designed to flex: bold enough for a headlining concert poster, refined enough for a panel on global politics. I worked across teams (product, events, logistics, marketing, talent) to make sure every touchpoint, from social promos to wayfinding signage, carried that same irreverent but elevated spirit.
The difficulty of marketing an ambitious event like this is that new audiences don’t understand it. In order to help users understand the eclecticism of our lineup, I combined eccentric and seemingly-antonymous elements to create one beautiful collage. The careful selection of imagery was inspired by summertime in New York, OZY Media’s mission to help people live curiously, and the broad-based lineup.
Even though the festival was ultimately canceled due to extreme heat, the creative stood as proof that a cultural event can be both high-energy and high-minded. For me, it was a career-defining moment—an example of how taking initiative, crafting a strong vision, and pushing leadership to take risks can reshape a brand and earn you the trust to lead.
Creative Direction → Eva Rodriguez
