Get to know the board a little better! We asked each of them a few questions and compiled the list below…
Littisha A. Bates, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Community Partnership, College of Arts and Sciences
Where do you come from?
This is such a great question and I can think of many ways to answer it but I will stick to that part that helps me see myself as a member of the DI team. I come from the projects on the Southside of Chicago. I come from neighborhoods that were systemically shut off from the resources necessary to manifest the “American Dream.”
Why did you say “yes” to being on this board? What about DI’s work taps into your passion?
What about DI’s work taps into your passion? The mission and vison of DI resonates so much with what I value in life and the type of work I intentionally engage with. The focus on equity and community collaboration are things that matter to me. I want to be in fellowship with folks who are also doing the good work! My passion is collaborative liberation and equity work and that is what DI is all about.
What do you hope to bring to this board?
As a sociologist and diversity, equity and inclusion professional I hope to add to the voices at the table to ensure we continue to operate with an equity lens. I hope to also bring a curiosity that is useful to the team as it relates to the work we do and how we engage in that work.
Indi Ekanayake
Partner, School Design at Transcend Education
Where do you come from?
I come from Cincinnati and Sri Lanka, from immigrant parents who always embraced change if it meant they could help more people. I come from a deep belief that everyone deserves dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to thrive in spite of broken institutions.
Why did you say “yes” to being on this board? What about DI’s work taps into your passion?
My current work is 100% mission aligned to that of Design Impact and I see a lot of similarities in how we leverage creative design as a means for liberation. DI exemplifies my core beliefs of social change: that the assets for dealing with our challenges already exist within our communities, and that it is our responsibility as professionals in this work to elevate the voices and ideas of those who haven’t had the opportunity, pathway, or capacity for leading the change themselves. I am excited to get to know DI’s work even better!
What do you hope to bring to this board?
I hope to contribute perspective on adult learning and culture building, clear and direct communication and feedback, and an orientation that making the lives of children better is the highest calling.
Ramsey Ford
Co-founder / Consultant / Emeritus Board Member
As it turns out, his design background gave him a unique perspective for helping people solve complex problems. His passion for social justice inspired his Master’s thesis on what designers could learn from community organizing. Ramsey is a collaborative change facilitator who brings creative and inclusive approaches to mission-driven organizations seeking change and innovation. In 2009 he co-founded Design Impact to co-create solutions to complex social problems with communities and grassroots organizations.
Ramsey continues to advance the conversation on inclusive design through workshops and speaking engagements such as the Public Interest Design Institute, IDSA International, and Unite for Sight Global Health and Innovation Conference. An avid writer, Ramsey regularly shares his perspective on social design through outlets like Design Observer, FastCompany, Innovations and Product Design Hub. His work has also been published in the Public Interest Design Practice Guidebook and Leap Dialogues.
Ben Ko
General Manager, Kaleidoscope
Where do you come from?
I grew up in Fairfield and tried to get out of southwest Ohio my whole life until I moved to Clifton to attend the University of Cincinnati and fell in love with the urban core. I now live in Walnut Hills and work downtown as a biomedical engineer at Kaleidoscope, a product development firm, where I lead design teams that create surgical procedures and medical devices for life-improving or -saving therapies. I consider myself incredibly lucky in that I truly love the medical device design work I get to do every day.
Why did you say “yes” to being on this board? What about DI’s work taps into your passion?
Kaleidoscope and Design Impact share office space, coffee addictions, and creative inspiration. I joined Kaleidoscope five years ago, and a strong factor in the decision was that its owners so fully share and invest in Design Impact’s mission of driving social change. I learned more and more about the passionate DI group, and I jumped at the opportunity to invest my own time to promote them, problem solve with them, and contribute to the community we all strive to improve.
What do you hope to bring to this board?
I share DI’s background in design process and my experience working through clients’ challenges translates into a different perspective on how to attack problems. I understand a consultancy’s lifeblood: balancing billable work with internal initiatives, all while maintaining the pipeline, and I hopes to have some hard-learned lessons to share. I strive to face any challenge with optimism, seeking to elevate rather than isolate team members.
Dawna Leggett
Owner, True Rest Float Spa
Where do you come from?
I come from the American midwest. I was born in South Bend, Indiana and raised in a small suburb of Chicago, IL.
Why did you say “yes” to being on this board? What about DI’s work taps into your passion?
I said yes because I’m passionate about the social mobility of those more vulnerable in American society. I support efforts to make the American Dream accessible to everyone. My commitment shows in the fact that I’ve done research to this end in the social sector for over a decade and have used participatory research methodologies that elevate the voices and will of marginalized groups in my practice. I was also an employee at DI for three years and believe that DI shares and has shaped my philosophy.
What do you hope to bring to this board?
I hope to bring an emphasis on participatory design practices and a concern for balance, health, and wellness within the DI organization. I am starting a business in the health and wellness industry this year and so I imagine my leadership in that industry will carry over to my board membership.
Nickol Mora
Chief Strategy Officer, Women Helping Women
Where do you come from?
I come from the love and labor of Latina women and the friendship and education of servant leaders. I come from a belief that assets exist within all of us and are present right now in our own communities, and our work is to give way to them so we can create truly equitable systems.
Why did you say “yes” to being on this board? What about DI’s work taps into your passion?
I have followed Design Impact’s work throughout the years and have admired the holistic approach of creatively designing solutions with community at the core. As we continuously see and feel the impact of systemic oppression, it’s critical to center the leadership of those most closely impacted by inequities. My work for over a decade has been to create space for those voices to tap into their power and access decision-making spaces so that we can reimagine possibilities. I feel Design Impact is aligned to those experiences and is doing that work with great empathy and intention.
What do you hope to bring to this board?
I hope to bring support to the Design Impact team as they navigate complex challenges and hope my resources and networks can be beneficial toward creative solutions. I’ll bring a critical eye to ensure we’re considering representation at all levels, and an optimism through adaptive learning. Most of all I hope to be an active champion and partner that helps to further leverage this important work.
Victor Scotti
Founder/CEO, Moving Mountains, LLC & Hiring Equity Lead, Google
Where do you come from?
I am a third-generation Chicagoan(Southside, of course), a proud alum of Chicago Public Schools, and am a son and grandson of educators. Equity, access, and agency are the bedrock of who I am personally and all that I do professionally. I come from a space of hope and possibility to my work, and it’s a reflection of the people and institutions that poured into me throughout my life.
Why did you say “yes” to being on this board? What about DI’s work taps into your passion?
I said yes to this fantastic opportunity because Design Impact aligns with how I approach my work: through power, purpose, and joy. I appreciate that DI is uncompromising in its partnership and commitment to community and equity-centered design. Lastly, but certainly not least, Dr. Curtis is my best friend in the world; I’ll support anything he’s a part of 🙂
What do you hope to bring to this board?
DI’s work combating social inequity and inspiring social change is culture-shifting and industry-leading; I believe it’s precisely what’s needed to enable all of us to thrive. I hope to bring my experience at the intersection of equity, cultural wealth development, and technology to scale DI’s theory of change across the world.
Tara Townsend
Vice President – Knowledge, Strategy and Impact, IFF
Where do you come from?
I’m a proud 4th generation DC native who now lives in Chicago (after stints in Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Cincinnati)
Why did you say “yes” to being on this board? What about DI’s work taps into your passion?
I’m a big DI fan and believe in the power of the work. DI’s work taps into my passion for supporting organizations become more intentional in their approach to creating social impact.
What do you hope to bring to this board?
I hope to bring my varied experience working with a multitude of organizations and passionate people who aspire to create meaningful social change.
Karl Vanderbeek
Vice President of Design and Human Factors, Kaleidoscope
Where do you come from?
Geographically, I was born and raised in a small town near Dayton, Ohio. I spent 15 years in Connecticut after school before returning to Cincinnati almost 10 years ago. I grew up around an awesome family of creative people. I come from the design and creativity field. I love to explore experiences and help improve them for others.
Why did you say “yes” to being on this board? What about DI’s work taps into your passion?
I love to learn about other creative processes. I met Kate and Ramsey about 10 years ago when they were embedded in the Kaleidoscope studio. The problems they were helping to solve seemed impossible to me. Trusting the design process, collaborating with the right people, and bringing in super cool people, I could see how they were successful. I’ve enjoyed meeting people from DI over the years, but recently I’ve not been able to be close. I am looking forward to meeting the team and contributing my experiences wherever helpful.
What do you hope to bring to this board?
I hope my perspective from design leadership and my history as a product designer can be of use. I’ve seen a lot of successful and unsuccessful processes, products, and experiences. Leaning on that experience, I would also love to be a sounding board for new ideas as well.
Tessa Xuan
Statewide Co-Director, OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership
Tessa Xuan (she/they/tā) is a connector, facilitator, organizer and Co-Director of OPAWL, a grassroots AAPI feminist organization of over 200 members across Ohio and beyond. She is the oldest daughter of Chinese immigrants and is motivated to reduce, prevent, and heal from trauma caused by systemic violence. Some experiences that moved Tessa into organizing work included the death of Emilie Olsen in 2014 and the resurgence of white nationalism and anti-Muslim bigotry in 2016. Tessa lives in Cleveland with their partner Zeyd and enjoys experimenting with new recipes.