Trying to marry his passion for cars and cameras, AJ began shooting automotive videos with his high school friends. His work caught the attention of local car dealerships, and at age 22 he left his job at Apple to pursue filmmaking full-time. He founded Advent Films, and quickly became a trusted shooter for many of the world’s most prestigious brands including Ferrari, McLaren F1, Aston Martin, Red Bull, Riot Games, Amazon, and more.

Despite rejection from every film school he applied to, AJ was accepted into the DGA as one of the Guild’s youngest directors at age 27. Known for dynamic angles and an unforgiving attention to detail, AJ specializes in action-packed commercials featuring vehicle stunts, pyrotechnics, skydiving, and low-flying helicopters. Pretty much anything that freaks his parents out.

When he’s not working on movies or driving cars, AJ has also established himself as a veteran industry keynote speaker at TEDx, NAB, and AdobeMAX.

Dacia Sáenz is a multidisciplinary creative and storyteller whose career began in Austin, TX, where she worked in film and television with CNBC, PBS, and the Sundance Foundation. A skilled writer as well as a producer, she was published (under a pen name) in The Kicked Out Anthology, named one of the top books of 2011 by the LGBTQ Roundtable of the American Library Association.

In Seattle, she earned a Master’s in Digital Media from the University of Washington, premiered two short films at the Seattle International Film Festival (2012 & 2013), and won the Audience Choice Award at the Next Fifty Film Festival. Her storytelling practice expanded globally through multimedia projects in Thailand and El Salvador with the Seattle Globalist and the UW Center for Human Rights.

Now based in Texas, Dacia continues to create work rooted in community. She recently directed and edited an award-winning short documentary on the Uvalde Love Project, a NEA-supported initiative using art therapy and murals to catalyze healing after tragedy.

Dacia currently works at Adobe, where she brings her passion for user experience, motion design, and creative video tools into product development. Outside of work, she explores experimental animation and synthesizers with playful obsession.

Ernie Gilbert is an LA-based director/editor known for bold, emotionally resonant storytelling. He rose to prominence editing Childish Gambino’s “This Is America,” which earned a Grammy Award and became a defining moment in contemporary music. His editing credits include acclaimed features On the Count of Three (Sundance), War Pony (Cannes, Caméra d’Or winner), Somebody I Used to Know (Amazon), and Opus (A24, Sundance). His work has helped shape genre-blending television like Atlanta (FX), Barry (HBO) and Baskets (FX) and in commercials he's led national campaigns for Gap, Lowes, Banana Republic, Fox Sports, and Air Jordan.

As a director, Ernie has made a name with short films like Nine Minutes, starring Constance Wu and Reggie Watts and Easy 8 starring David Rysdahl and Byron Bowers, which was shortlisted for the Young Director’s Award. His commercial work includes national campaigns for Canon, American Eagle, Dunkin’ Donuts and Dr. Pepper. He continues to direct music projects for artists, such as Childish Gambino’s 2019 Coachella Intro. With a style rooted in grounded characters, surreal flourishes, and precise rhythm, Ernie’s work carries a signature blend of intimacy and cinematic scale. In his downtime, Ernie frequents Proof Bakery for the best croissants and spends too much time with his modular synths.

Karl Soulé works for Adobe in Los Angeles, focused on Film and Television workflows, and has supported editorial teams on films and television shows since moving to LA in 2016. As an Adobe employee for over 20 years, Karl has presented and evangelized for the video and audio tools worldwide. Karl is a co-author of the Adobe Best Practices for Long Form and Episodic.

Kelsey Slay is a multi-passionate designer, illustrator, and content creator based in Tennessee. From glittery cat collages to bold Halloween inspired illustrations, Kelsey’s work lives at the intersection of spooky and sweet, DIY arts and crafts nostalgia, and internet humor. Her creative journey took an unexpected turn when Adobe discovered her on TikTok and invited her to join the team as a Design Evangelist.

Now, Kelsey shares her love for design both online and on stage with a goal to empower the next generation of creatives with tutorials, storytelling, and an open-door approach to creative community. When she’s not designing, you can usually find her collecting new hobbies, traveling, or posting about her cats.

Magdiel Lopez is an Art Director and digital artist originally from Havana, Cuba, now living in the United States. He specializes in helping clients create compelling visual identities and striking images for campaigns in the fields of technology, fashion, and entertainment. Magdiel’s “A Poster A Day” project earned global recognition, leading to collaborations with renowned brands like Apple, Nike, and Warner Brothers. In addition to his client work, he is a design mentor with Adobe, sharing his expertise and passion for innovative design.

Paul Trani is Principal Director Evangelist at Adobe, where he is committed to empowering designers to expand creative boundaries and embrace emerging technologies. With more than 30 years of experience as an award-winning visual designer, instructor, and public speaker, Paul has established a global reputation for inspiring and educating creative communities. Beyond his professional endeavors, he is an avid enthusiast of racquet sports—including, of course, pickleball.

Kylee Peña is Product Marketing Manager for Pro Editorial at Adobe where she is part of the team driving the future of Premiere Pro. As a former editor herself, she’s a seasoned problem-solver who wants to bridge the gap between creative and technology to help all kinds of people tell their stories.

Kylee has over 15 years of experience in post-production including hundreds of television and film credits as both a creative and technical professional on shows like Jane the Virgin, Colony, and Scorpion. Most recently she spent five years at Netflix where she built and led a program management team for creative technologies and production innovation.

Kylee is a Hollywood Region Governor for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and an Active Member of the Television Academy's Science and Technology Peer Group. She's been published across industry journals and named a TVN Woman to Watch in Technology, a Top Technologist and Woman in Post and Production, and nominated for RISE Influencer Award.

Kylee holds a bachelor’s degree in media arts from Indiana University and a master’s degree in Integrated Design, Business, and Technology from University of Southern California. She is also a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM). She is an outspoken advocate for underrepresented people in media, entertainment, and technology.

As a creative leader at PepsiCo Design and Innovation Center, Daniela spearheads the visual identity of iconic beverage brands, currently leading Pepsi, North America. With over a decade of experience, she seamlessly blends strategic insight with innovation, driving high-impact campaigns, partnerships, and brand activations for key cultural moments like the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend. 

Her passion for merging creativity with technology is transforming collaboration within the design team, especially through the integration of generative AI. Thriving on crafting strategies that shape pop culture and connect with the masses, her work has earned international recognition. 

Outside of work, she’s an avid traveler and live music enthusiast, constantly drawing inspiration from the world around her. Dedicated to staying ahead of industry trends, she’s also pursuing an MBA at the University of Illinois. 

Morgan Prygrocki is a Senior Manager of Strategic Development at Adobe, focused on shaping the future of video and post-production workflows. With over 15 years of experience across production technology, virtual production, and enterprise media strategy, Morgan works closely with studios and their creative teams to drive innovation in AI-powered storytelling and scalable content pipelines.

Hi, I’m Alex  — a strategic B2C marketing leader with a track record of delivering integrated, insight-led campaigns that drive measurable impact. I bring deep experience across the full marketing funnel and a passion for connecting with next-gen audiences through culturally relevant, creative strategies.

 
As Global Student Engagement Lead at Adobe, I lead marketing efforts to grow awareness and use of Adobe Express among students and institutions.

When I'm not creating decks or pinging people on Teams, I’m an explorer at heart — always on the hunt for the best brunch spots or planning my next adventure somewhere sunny.

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