Gerardo Ortiz is one of the most forward-thinking minds in Latin America’s creative economy today. He is co-founder, co-CEO, and creative director of Brands&People, a design-first, people-first creative firm where advertising, cultural disruption, and business intersect. With 25+ years of experience and over 1,000 brands including Netflix, McDonald’s, Gatorade, Bud Light, CAT, and Hey Banco, he continues to shape what business creativity looks like in the 21st century.

He has been awarded a Design Lion at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, honored with Best Latin American Design by Fast Company, and recognized as Best Studio in Mexico by the Latin American Design Awards. Brands&People is affiliated to TBWA, and has been profiled by Monocle as a catalyst in the context of the city of Monterrey’s emergence as Mexico’s new design capital.

He is a TEDx and SXSW speaker, a GD USA People to Watch, and an MBA graduate from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. An investor in assistive technology and housing startups, Gerardo is a believer in simplicity, empathy, and beauty. He sees design as a human act of love.