Dawn is a troublemaker, a bleeding heart, a designer by trade and a do-gooder by choice. Two things she likes: ideas and people. She’s been known to put them together in a room, just to see what happens.

She started Firebelly in 1999 with a simple mission: Good Design for Good Reason™. Since then, she’s been diligent about hiring passionate people, seeking out fearless allies and taking on projects with the potential to change the world (or at least the local community).

While she’s kept the design studio intentionally small, Dawn has kept on hustling to expand Firebelly’s reach and impact. Over the years, she’s founded a community-based nonprofit, a socially conscious start-up incubator and a 10-day design bootcamp, all operating out of Firebelly’s Humboldt Park studio.

Named one of Fast Company’s 11 Most Generous Designers, Dawn has never stopped focusing on people and their potential to create a better world together, one good idea at a time.