Lissy Calienes is a seasoned creative strategist, designer, visual storyteller and educator whose three-decade career has taken her through advertising, film and academia. Currently, she shapes the minds of future advertising professionals as an Associate Instructional Professor in the University of Florida’s Advertising Department.

Born to Cuban immigrants in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, and raised in Puerto Rico, Lissy learnt to be culturally adaptable from an early age. She has worked globally, with a focus on Latin America, US Hispanic and multicultural markets.

Lissy has held senior leadership roles in both creative and strategic planning, working on global, regional and national client business for top brands including Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Toyota. Her advertising work has earned recognition by Ad Age, ADWEEK and POPAI, and her films have been featured at Sundance and other international festivals.

Lissy is dedicated to advancing Latine representation through her work in advertising and film. She’s helped create groundbreaking multicultural campaigns, including Toyota’s first bilingual Super Bowl commercial.

Fascinated by people, Lissy focuses her research on human-centred design, and her PhD uncovers how to communicate authenticity through design in retail spaces.