Next Creative Leaders

Next Creative Leaders is a portfolio competition that identifies, celebrates, and gives a global platform to talented, gender expansive creatives who are making their mark on the world with both their work and a unique point of view on creative leadership.

Award

Agency

Client

Title

Category

Annual ID

Next Creative Leaders 2023

When we created Next Creative Leaders nine years ago, it was with the hope that an intentionally inclusive award could help expand the kind of creative leadership we celebrated. In order to better represent the world we’re a part of—and encourage the industry to do the same—we’ve embarked on a journey of learning and evolution as a program. So as we celebrate our ninth class of winners: 35 brilliant, intersectional creative leaders from around the world, it’s important to acknowledge who is represented here, because it’s a triumph. And also to acknowledge who isn’t—because it’s where we have room to grow.

This year’s Next Creative Leaders class has dedicated themselves to having impact in and out of their workplaces, through mentorship efforts, inclusive side projects, founding affinity groups, DEI councils, and telling representative stories that help change minds, hearts and behaviors. They include:

  • Our first trans man and non-binary winners.
  • More Asian, LGBTQ+ and freelance representation than any other class.
  • Our largest global class of winners, with 24 residing outside of North America.
  • Our first-ever winners from Mexico, Taiwan, and Hungary. And our second-ever winner from Colombia.

Along with 2023’s wins and the firsts, we wanted to share the lessons we learned, and our plans for evolution as we look to year ten: Historically, the celebration of Black talent has been a source of pride for Next Creative Leaders. Unfortunately we saw an unexpected decline in Black applicants this year, which impacted representation among our winners. Correcting this will be a top priority for us in 2024.

An intentional move to a more global footprint this year helped boost entries from Latin America and Asia, which put them on par with European entries for the first time ever. Next year we will focus on growing applicants in the Middle East and Africa.

We saw the clear impact of companies and affinity groups helping identify and encourage diverse talent to apply. Huge thanks to Wieden+Kennedy, who led the way in this department, and to Asians in Advertising for helping us get the word out to their community. We cannot do this on our own, and welcome more of this partnership in the future.

We’re so proud of our 2023 class, what and who they represent, and the many ways they’ve helped us grow and evolve our inclusive mission. Congratulations to all our Next Creative Leaders, their agencies, clients, and supporters. You’ve all played a role in shaping this future.

Below, you can explore the archives of of this year's Next Creative Leader class. A few of our winners also participated in profiles on leadership and their creative process.

Hear more from Sitta Chandarawong, Connie Chweh, Emese Gillote & Dorottya Tóth, Farishte Irani, Julia Machado, Ted Malenfant, Sands Mathura, Alejandra Rozo, Rana Sadek, or Cassandra Shuber & Daniela Marino by reading the interviews on their profiles.

Next Creative Leaders is a collaborative effort between the 3% Movement and The One Club for Creativity to support gender equity in creativity. Thank you to Laurel Stark Akman, Kat Gordon, and The One Club for Creativity team – Jenna Brandvold, Lucy Lopez Travez, Aubreyne Brizette Tolentino



Sitta Chandarawong Agency: Sitta Chandarawong Category: Asia Pacific
Farishte Irani Agency: Farishte Irani Category: Asia Pacific
Stacey Karayannis Agency: Stacey Karayannis Category: Asia Pacific
Kiah Nicholas Agency: Kiah Nicholas Category: Asia Pacific
Rujrada Rienvatana Agency: Rujrada Rienvatana Category: Asia Pacific
Tung Wang Agency: Tung Wang Category: Asia Pacific
Emese Gillotte &
Dorottya Toth
Agency: Emese Gillotte & Dorottya Tóth Category: Europe
Claudia Illan Agency: Claudia Illan Category: Europe
Julia Machado Agency: Julia Machado Category: Europe
Josefina Mateo Burton Agency: Josefina Mateo Burton Category: Europe
Christina Rankel Agency: Christina Rankel Category: Europe
Chaeyeong Seo Agency: Chaeyeong Seo Category: Europe
Maram Ashour Agency: Maram Ashour Category: Middle East and Africa
Michelle Co Agency: Michelle Co Category: Middle East and Africa
Sands Mathura Agency: Sands Mathura Category: Middle East and Africa
Lauren Mitchell Agency: Lauren Mitchell Category: Middle East and Africa
Rana Sadek Agency: Rana Sadek Category: Middle East and Africa
Abigail Chieppa Agency: Abigail Chieppa Category: North America
Connie Chweh Agency: Connie Chweh Category: North America
Vanessa de Beaumont Agency: Vanessa de Beaumont Category: North America
Rachel Ellam Goss Agency: Rachel Ellam Goss Category: North America
Sally Fung Agency: Sally Fung Category: North America
Ted Malenfant Agency: Ted Malenfant Category: North America
Sara Muchnick Agency: Sara Muchnick Category: North America
Jacquelyn Parent Agency: Jacquelyn Parent Category: North America
Sollin Saele Agency: Sollin Sæle Category: North America
Cassandra Shuber &
Daniela Marino
Agency: Cassandra Shuber & Daniela Marino Category: North America
Ligia Fava Agency: Ligia Fava Category: Latin America
Arah Kim Agency: Arah Kim Category: Latin America
Catharina Mendonca Agency: Catharina Mendonça Category: Latin America
Carolina Pinheiro Agency: Carolina Pinheiro Category: Latin America
Alejandra Rozo Agency: Alejandra Rozo Category: Latin America
Jacky Salome Agency: Jacky Salome Category: Latin America

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Sitta Chandarawong

NCL 2023

Sitta Chandarawong

Asia Pacific

NCL23_Chandarawong_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Farishte Irani

NCL 2023

Farishte Irani

Asia Pacific

NCL23_Irani_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Stacey Karayannis

NCL 2023

Stacey Karayannis

Asia Pacific

NCL23_Karayannis_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Kiah Nicholas

NCL 2023

Kiah Nicholas

Asia Pacific

NCL23_Nicholas_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Rujrada Rienvatana

NCL 2023

Rujrada Rienvatana

Asia Pacific

NCL23_Rienvatana_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Tung Wang

NCL 2023

Tung Wang

Asia Pacific

NCL23_Wang_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Emese Gillotte & Dorottya Tóth

NCL 2023

Emese Gillotte &
Dorottya Toth

Europe

NCL23_Gillotte_Toth_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Claudia Illan

NCL 2023

Claudia Illan

Europe

NCL23_Illan_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Julia Machado

NCL 2023

Julia Machado

Europe

NCL23_Machado_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Josefina Mateo Burton

NCL 2023

Josefina Mateo Burton

Europe

NCL23_MateoBurton_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Christina Rankel

NCL 2023

Christina Rankel

Europe

NCL23_Rankel_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Chaeyeong Seo

NCL 2023

Chaeyeong Seo

Europe

NCL23_Seo_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Maram Ashour

NCL 2023

Maram Ashour

Middle East and Africa

NCL23_Ashour_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Michelle Co

NCL 2023

Michelle Co

Middle East and Africa

NCL23_Co_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Sands Mathura

NCL 2023

Sands Mathura

Middle East and Africa

NCL23_Mathura_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Lauren Mitchell

NCL 2023

Lauren Mitchell

Middle East and Africa

NCL23_Mitchell_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Rana Sadek

NCL 2023

Rana Sadek

Middle East and Africa

NCL23_Sadek_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Abigail Chieppa

NCL 2023

Abigail Chieppa

North America

NCL23_Chieppa_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Connie Chweh

NCL 2023

Connie Chweh

North America

NCL23_Chweh_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Vanessa de Beaumont

NCL 2023

Vanessa de Beaumont

North America

NCL23_deBeaumont_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Rachel Ellam Goss

NCL 2023

Rachel Ellam Goss

North America

NCL23_EllamGoss_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Sally Fung

NCL 2023

Sally Fung

North America

NCL23_Fung_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Ted Malenfant

NCL 2023

Ted Malenfant

North America

NCL23_Malenfant_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Sara Muchnick

NCL 2023

Sara Muchnick

North America

NCL23_Muchnick_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Jacquelyn Parent

NCL 2023

Jacquelyn Parent

North America

NCL23_Parent_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Sollin Sæle

NCL 2023

Sollin Saele

North America

NCL23_Saele_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Cassandra Shuber & Daniela Marino

NCL 2023

Cassandra Shuber &
Daniela Marino

North America

NCL23_Shuber_Marino_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Ligia Fava

NCL 2023

Ligia Fava

Latin America

NCL23_Fava_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Arah Kim

NCL 2023

Arah Kim

Latin America

NCL23_Kim_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Catharina Mendonça

NCL 2023

Catharina Mendonca

Latin America

NCL23_Mendonca_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Carolina Pinheiro

NCL 2023

Carolina Pinheiro

Latin America

NCL23_Pinheiro_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Alejandra Rozo

NCL 2023

Alejandra Rozo

Latin America

NCL23_Rozo_0

2023 NCL Profile NCL Winner

Jacky Salome

NCL 2023

Jacky Salome

Latin America

NCL23_Salome_0



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