Two longtime friends turned co-leaders share how they built AIGA Seattle like a business—and kept the fun alive with hot dogs, karaoke, and pyramids. Kevin Berger and Aaron Shurts recount their journey from board interviews and budget struggles to building sustainable programming and epic conferences. Along the way, they reveal the bonds that leadership retreats created (and the legendary late-night antics that made them unforgettable).
Key Takeaways
- Run chapters like businesses: Sustainable structure beats constant one-off burnout.
- Financial stewardship matters: Turning deficits into reserves made big programs possible.
- Retreats are culture accelerators: They forged instant friendships and solved common challenges across chapters.
- Traditions build bonds: Pyramids, karaoke, and late-night hot dog runs made retreats unforgettable.
- Mentorship pays forward: Early AIGA leaders inspired Kevin and Aaron to support the next generation.
- Leadership translates: Board lessons built confidence, shaped careers, and even extended into new adventures beyond design.
Key Moments in This Episode
- 00:21 – From students to presidents: Kevin and Aaron trace their paths into AIGA Seattle leadership, from board interviews to co-leading the chapter.
- 05:46 – Building structure like a business: How they shifted Seattle’s chapter from burnout one-offs to sustainable programs like Schmooze.
- 10:33 – Turning red into black: Facing down a negative budget, they created financial sustainability and rebuilt the chapter’s reserves.
- 14:20 – Into the Woods: The origin of Seattle’s beloved design camp, and the struggle to make big conferences both meaningful and solvent.
- 20:52 – Connections that matter: Kevin recalls how early mentors like Terry Marks and Jesse Duquillo inspired him to pay it forward to young designers.
- 29:14 – Retreat revelations: Why leadership retreats felt like “college on steroids,” with instant connections and problem-solving across chapters.
- 36:40 – Hot dog diplomacy: The unforgettable 3 a.m. Denver street-corner memory—bonding quietly over hot dogs amid city chaos.
- 42:12 – Pyramid time: How spontaneous human pyramids became the unofficial leadership-retreat tradition (yes, even in elevators).
- 48:29 – Swim-off showdown: Aaron’s hilarious “race” against Raleigh president Matt Enios—complete with sabotage.
- 55:18 – Karaoke choreography: Aaron’s Proud Mary performance—with full backup dancers—cemented his legend at retreat karaoke.
- 1:05:42 – Beyond AIGA: Life after board service—Kevin focused on agency leadership, while Aaron became a certified charter captain leading fishing trips.
About Our Guests
Kevin Berger is Executive Creative Director and Partner at Graphiti, where he’s led creative strategy for Amazon, Starbucks, Tableau, and more. He served as Programming Director, VP, and President of AIGA Seattle, helping stabilize its programs and finances.
Aaron Shurts is Founder and Principal of Mentor Creative Group, a Seattle-based design and technology agency. With over two decades of experience, he’s held leadership roles at Deloitte Digital, taught at the Art Institutes, and served as AIGA Seattle Vice President and President. Outside design, Aaron is a certified charter captain leading marine adventures in the Pacific Northwest.
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Sponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop now
Sponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!
Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research
