CreativeMornings x L’Alliance New York Present Ren Rigby

Ren Rigby (formerly known as Mike Rigby) is an internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary designer, educator, and activist based in NYC. They see design as a positive, transformational force that can drive business, shape culture, and improve lives. As the co-founder and Chief Design Officer of NYC based design and innovation company, Proto, Ren is dedicated to advancing people. Much of their work and activism center around the climate crisis and promoting equal rights for the transgender community.

Formerly the Global Head of Design at R/GA, Ren led major design projects for clients such as Nike, Google, The Cooper Hewitt, Covenant House Homeless Youth, and various startups.

Gary Grundei is an NYC-based composer, performer, producer, instructor, and coach whose music has been heard on NPR, the Discovery Channel, MTV, and at Kennedy Center. He has been commissioned by GALA Choruses for their National Convention Opening Ceremonies, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Magic Theatre, and New York Stage and Film. He has composed off-Broadway at the Ensemble Studio Theatre and has worked with Meredith Monk, Bill Pullman, Matt Berninger, Leigh Fondakowski, Caitlyn FitzGerald, and the Denver Broncos. Gary has taught at Naropa University, Occidental College, University of Denver, Whitman College, and The Ohio State University. He is one half of the band High Fiction, and is the founder of the golden lotus studio, an online home for songwriters.

It all started in 2008 when Tina Roth Eisenberg invited the creative community of NYC to join her in her co-working space for coffee and breakfast, once a month. She wanted an easy way for her creative community in NYC to come together, on a regular basis. Over the past 16 years, CreativeMornings has organically grown into the world’s largest face-to-face creative community, gathering creatives in over 200+ cities and 67 countries every month. Many describe CreativeMornings events as a wave of heart-forward optimism that is so moving, you can’t help but participate.

But most of all, CreativeMornings is a celebration of an unwavering belief in each other’s potential. Every month, 1,000 volunteers bring 20k+ creative types together for free breakfast and a talk. More over on the CreativeMornings about page.

CreativeMornings/New York is the founding chapter of CreativeMornings.