#PeopleYouShouldKnow: Lindsay Stuart

ICYMI

?? I started the #PeopleYouShouldKnow series to highlight a few incredible people I've had the chance to meet or catch up with recently. They're all brilliant and shine in unique ways, and I think everyone should know about them—hence the name of this series!

You can learn more about why I started this interview series and read my first several interviews here:

• Ashley Rudolph - executive coach and therapy dog volunteer
• Alexis Puchek - design leader and birder
• Andre Plaut - learning designer and magic aficionado
• Susie Hall - design community leader and builder
• Jully Kim - technology excellence leader and succulent cultivator
• Stephen Levin - ops leader and full-throttler
• Jacqueline Hughes - expert gatherer and investor in personal growth
• Andrew Phillips - partnerships and sales leader and life chronicler
• Pat Bertini - multicultural designops leader and lifelong learner

Ready for the next one?

Meet Lindsay

One of my favorite things about this series is the opportunity to spotlight the spotlighter.

Lindsay Stuart is one of those spotlighters.

She does this in her role as VP of Brand and Communications at Noun Project, but also outside of work.

Lindsay spent 6 years hosting CreativeMornings/Los Angeles, bringing together community and helping dozens of creatives tell their stories.

We met at a magical place called CreativeMornings Summit Camp in 2018. Lindsay then greeted me on a visit to LA, where I had the opportunity to see her in action, bringing the?CreativeMornings/Los Angeles community together and?introducing them to Sam Sanders at the NPR West studio. Such a neat experience!?

Whenever we connect, I’m greeted by Lindsay's creativity, enthusiasm, and kindness.

Lindsay shared a teaser that she’s working on a personal project that will highlight inspiring people, organizations, and initiatives. I can’t wait to follow along and hope you do too.

In Lindsay's words...

?? What are you a product of? ??

Hard work and love. I grew up in the Midwest and I’m the oldest of three kids. My parents encouraged me to try new things without fear of failure, to always be kind, and to help others when I can. Both of my parents have passed on, but the lessons they left with me continue to positively influence how I live my life and approach my work.?

That “try new things” mentality means that I’ve had an interesting career path - I’ve worked across a range of industries including heavy equipment and construction, beauty and wellness, and for the last 12 years I’ve been focused on design and tech (which I love!). Overall, I’m happiest when I’m building, collaborating, and helping people tell their stories.

?? What’s something about you that’s not on your resume? ??

I love spending time outside hiking, gardening, and checking out new places. One of my favorite things to do when I’m in a new city is to take a long walk and explore!

?? What accomplishment are you most proud of? ??

My family! Being a mom is the best role I’ve ever had.?

I also spent 6 years leading the Los Angeles Chapter of CreativeMornings and it was one of the most wonderful and fulfilling experiences. When I moved to LA, I had a hard time finding where I fit in the creative community.? Then, one day I ended up at a CreativeMornings event and immediately knew I had found my place! Everyone was kind and welcoming, and it was exciting to be surrounded by the buzzing creative energy of people from all over the city gathering for breakfast and a talk on a Friday morning each month. I took on the host role in 2017 and we featured a wide range of incredible speakers including artists, filmmakers, designers, journalists, and more from organizations like Headspace, Netflix, and NPR. Jon Setzen founded the LA chapter in 2010 and led it for many years, establishing and growing a vibrant community full of wonderful people, so it was an honor to continue that work. CreativeMornings has chapters in cities all over the world, I highly recommend checking it out and getting involved!

?? What are you working on now that you’re most excited about? ??

One of the most exciting parts of my job at Noun Project is connecting with people from a variety of industries and communities around the world. It’s amazing to see how people are using Noun Project icons and photos in their work and all of the creative ways they bring their ideas to life visually. We’re currently working on an initiative with Disability:IN, SVA’s MFA Interaction Design Program, and Canva focused on accessibility and inclusive design. We’re actually going to be in New York October 19th for an Accessibility Iconathon - a free community design workshop where we’ll be working together to explore new ways to represent key accessibility terms in iconography, so I’m really looking forward to that!

I’m also working on a personal project that will highlight inspiring people, organizations, and initiatives (more on that soon).?

?? Stay in touch with Lindsay!

Want to get in touch with Lindsay and/or follow her work? You can follow what she's up to on LinkedIn. She'd love to connect with you!