Nishat Akhtar & Tahirah Edwards-Byfield

Nishat Akhtar is a freelance illustrator and Creative Director at Instrument in Portland Oregon. Her client work covers a range from Nike, Google, The New York Times and more. Nishat has shared her artwork globally through exhibitions, lectures and workshops from New York to Japan, and actively is involved in equity and inclusion work, both in her workplace and day to day community.

Tahirah Edwards-Byfield is a multi-award winning creative, and Senior Writer at 72andSunny LA. She has written things for brands including Google, Allstate, Nike and Amazon. She's committed to holding the door open for as many underrepresented voices as she can in advertising, and she loves reminding everyone to prioritize self-care. Tahirah also produces a yearly printed publication, Plantain Papers, highlighting stories from people of the wider African, Caribbean, Latinx and Asian diasporas.