013: Gage Mitchell of AIGA Seattle and more

When your idea of fun is starting or reviving entire AIGA chapters, you know community is in your DNA. From launching a student group in Colorado to helping restart Seattle, Gage Mitchell has been at the center of design communities wherever he lands. Along the way, he’s pioneered programs like Design for Good and Changemakers, built frameworks like the Path to Impact Workbook, and—of course—helped fuel retreat traditions involving pyramids, cowboy hats, and 6 a.m. send-offs. Key TakeawaysLeadership is built by doing: Gage founded or revived multiple AIGA chapters—from his college years onward.Rituals spark connection: Human pyramids, 6 a.m. club farewells, and cowboy-themed retreat skits formed strong creative bonds.Theory falls flat without practice: He turned abstract sustainability frameworks into tangible tools people can use.Design with impact works best when it’s co-created: Changemakers proved design + community = real solutions.Start small, scale smart: To restart Seattle, he began simply—with social meetups, delegating, and building momentum.Community-making is the finest leadership: Gage’s strength lies in planting ideas and letting the group water them.Episode Chapters03:30 – Founding AIGA Fort Collins: Gage jumps into leadership by starting the student chapter mid-college—and becomes president by default.  09:24 – Saving AIGA Charlotte: Moves post-grad, finds a chapter on the brink of closing, and helps revive it with a new board and events like “Morning Buzz.”  12:22 – Building in Madison: After a travel hiatus, lands in Madison and steps up as the city rep, building community from scratch.  14:31 – Seattle board in weeks: Moves northwest, attends an AIGA event within weeks, and joins the Seattle board almost immediately.  14:42 – First leadership retreat: Recounts his intimidating first retreat—walking in to find hundreds of creatives who instantly felt like friends.  21:55 – Building the 6 a.m. club: How an early-morning farewell ritual for an ED became an AIGA folklore favorite.  28:25 – Design for Good gets real: Turning academic frameworks into accessible, practical discussions and workshops attendees can actually use.  30:29 – Birth of Path to Impact: How merging design, sustainability, inclusion, and good practice led to a chapter-ready workbook supported by a grant.  38:21 – Launching Changemakers: AIGA Seattle’s program pairing creatives with nonprofits to co-design solutions—real consulting, real change.  36:51 – Riding stage hobby horses: Leading retreat fun in Dallas: cowboy hats, hobby horses, and stage performances that embed memory and camaraderie.  45:19 – Restarting AIGA Seattle: Working through legal hurdles to bring the chapter back to life—one coffee meetup at a time.  47:49 – Pyramid mania: From hotel lobbies to ping-pong bars—structural, impromptu human pyramids served as creative bonding rituals.  About Our GuestGage Mitchell – Founder of Modern Species, advocate for B Corp design ethics, and creative strategist based in Seattle. Gage has a storied history of chapter-building—from Colorado to Charlotte to Madison—and most recently, spearheading the rebirth of AIGA Seattle. He’s fused community energy into frameworks like Design for Good, Changemakers, and the Path to Impact Workbook, grounding activism in accessible design practices. FeaturingGuest Gage Mitchell, connect on LinkedInHost Erik Cargill, connect on LinkedInHost Rachel Elnar, connect on LinkedInSupport the ShowTheme music: Loose Ends by Silver Ships Plastic OceansProduced by Chapter 2 MediaSubscribe to the Together by Design newsletter for more community-building and podcast episode updatesSponsored by: Able Made, The Original Off Pitch Soccer Style: shop nowSponsored by: Draplin Design Company, check us out!Sponsored by: The People's Graphic Design Archive: browse, contribute, and research