Join Carolina Becerra, Sandra O’Connell, Iryna Kalantai, Hubert Kang, and Vania Barber at this Show + Tell event for creatives in Vancouver.
Wednesday, February 25 at The Tech Collider, BCIT Downtown Campus (555 Seymour St)
Vancouver’s Creative Project Showcase: Lessons learned from local creatives
5 great ideas that you’ll wish you thought of
Join us for this special community-driven Creative Pulse event.
Five local creatives share stories of screw-ups and breakthroughs from recent projects.
Get tips from local artists, creative directors, educators, writers, designers, and photographers
If you are a freelancer, studio principal, or staff creative — attend this event to pick up practical wisdom that you can use to make your projects less stressful and more effective.
Spend the evening with talented local creatives, grab some pizza, and leave with practical advice and fresh ideas.
February 25, 2026
6:15 pm: Doors open, pizza
6:30 pm: Intros
6:45 pm: Show + Tell
8:15 pm: Social
Don’t miss out. Register now.
Special thanks to BCIT for sponsoring the venue for this event.
British Columbia Institute of Technology
For over 60 years, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has been delivering flexible, relevant, and future-proof education that prepares learners to provide applied solutions to industry challenges.
As one of BC’s largest post-secondary institutes with five campuses and over 45,000 students enrolled each year, BCIT connects education, industry, and government in building an agile workforce. The BCIT curriculum is developed through close consultation with industry, and delivered by instructors who have hands-on experience in their fields.
BCIT offers over 300 programs – from certificates and diplomas to bachelor’s and master’s degrees – in areas such as Applied and Natural Sciences, Business and Media, Computing, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Trades and Apprenticeship.
Meet the presenters
Carolina Becerra
Educator, Freelance Creative Director and Strategy Consultant
Carolina Becerra is a creative leader with over two decades of experience shaping brands, design strategy, and marketing communications for clients in NorthAmerica. From co-founding two boutique design studios to creative director for a major science museum, freelancing, and teaching, she has helped organizations—from startups to national institutions—clarify their voice and create work that truly resonates.
Carolina specializes in brand strategy, identity, campaigns, experiential environments, and building high-performing creative teams that thrive under pressure. As a seasoned post-secondary educator, She has taught and mentored hundreds of emerging designers, helping them find their voice, sharpen their judgment, and prepare for meaningful careers.
A Certified Design Professional (CDP), Carolina currently serves as President of the Vancouver Chapter of Design Professionals of Canada (DesCan), championing the growth, recognition, and future of Canadian design.
Sandra O’Connell
Story Strategist & Brand Writer | Consultant
Before she turned ten years old, Sandra had already lived in three countries, five cities, seven homes, and a handful of hotels. This unconventional upbringing influenced her curiosity for people, places, culture, and stories.
Her professional life began with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC, which led to in-house marketing roles in the corporate world. While in that world, she co-created a “secret” blog, Tales from a Bar Stool, and as its popularity grew, she realized that storytelling and writing were what she really wanted to do.
Sandra went on to be a freelance journalist, write screenplays and novellas, and help brands find and tell their stories through creative strategy and writing. This evolved into Studio Telltale, a story shop. She’s on a mission to bring more creativity, wonder, and delight into brand storytelling.
Iryna Kalantai
Graphic & Brand Designer
Iryna Kalantai is a Graphic & Brand Designer from Ukraine with 12 years of experience helping brands build authentic visual identities. She has always been drawn to creating minimalistic design systems across hospitality and cultural projects.
But one day, everything changed. When the war began in Ukraine, Iryna—like many other creatives—started using her skills to respond by creating anti-war posters. After relocating to Canada, a persistent idea stayed with her: to organize an exhibition of graphic works by Ukrainian artists. In her talk, Iryna will share the journey of bringing this project to life with the Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group—from the initial idea and collecting works to team building and fundraising.
Hubert Kang
Photographer & Director
Made in Taiwan, assembled in Canada, and reprogrammed in the UK, I’ve spent twenty years as an international director and photographer. My path hasn’t been a straight line, but it’s taught me to always lean into kindness as my go-to. Whether I’m leading a global campaign through my company Kindred & Scout to produce work that has landed me on Lürzer’s Archive’s 200 Best list, or shooting a personal project by myself in the desert, I start there.
I care about work with soul. I want to create images that help people tell their stories or simply feel a little better in a moment. I’m a trail ultramarathoner because I value the honesty of the grind, but I’ve learned that the real cure for burnout isn’t rest. It’s passion. If you are passionate about anything, the universe conspires to help you. Finally, above all, remember to always pat the dog.
Vania Barber
Director, Marketing and Brand Communications
Vania Barber is a global, award-winning marketing and brand communications leader, creative strategist, and experiential storyteller with over 15 years of international experience across North America, Europe, and Latin America. Born in Mexico with Spanish roots and now proudly Canadian, she brings a multicultural lens to building brands that connect meaningfully with diverse audiences.
She specializes in creative storytelling, brand experience design, and integrated
marketing strategies, having led global events and experiential activations across more than 45 countries for organizations including MetLife, New York Life Insurance Company, Volkswagen Group, Porsche, Audi, KPMG, Oracle, and PepsiCo, in collaboration with leading agencies such as Ogilvy, BBDO, Wunderman, and McCann.
Known for blending strategic vision with creativity, Vania focuses on crafting purpose- driven brand experiences that foster authentic engagement and lasting stakeholder impact.
She believes the most powerful brands are built at the intersection of vision, creativity, and authentic human connection.
This event for creatives in Vancouver is organized by Creative Pulse.
Creative Pulse is a volunteer-driven organization that provides unpretentious events for Vancouver’s commercial creatives.
Grab a drink with talented designers, photographers, video professionals, and copywriters from every corner of the industry. Get inspired — and find new collaborators!
Refund Policy
Requests for ticket refunds will be honored up to one day before the event. Please note that refunds will not be processed for requests made within 24 hours of the event start time.