Core Team

Joey Arana Fennell

^{design researcher | he/him}

_{“Joey is a researcher, talented at that hardest part of learning, the making sense of many data streams and stories. He is able to wring meaning from convoluted sources of information, whether law journals or teenagers -- and translate this into clear and navigable articulations of what the world looks like through other’s eyes.

Joey’s interest is in the intersection of design, community and public policy. He previously worked for Sparc! The Art Mobile, an initiative of MassArt that brings art-making to neighborhoods throughout Boston as a tool for community cohesion.

Joey’s the son you want to be and to have, the kind of person who may call into work because his mom needs a ride to the doctor.”

— Augusta}

Candace Brooks

^{director of research strategy and learning practice | she/her}

_{“It’s one thing to listen to someone tell their story, and it’s another to care deeply about really understanding it. Candace is an expert at weaving portraits of people’s lives into larger tapestries and finding patterns that emerge.

With BAs in psychology (BU) and industrial design (MassArt) and an MDes (IIT), Candace transitioned her experience in traditional design consultancies and internal groups to the global education nonprofit Education Development Center.

A skilled collaborator, a wonderful mentor, and a lover of peanut m&ms, Candace also teaches industrial design at MassArt and is a member of the Marsh Chapel Choir at BU.”

— Lou}

Jeralmi Canela

^{design researcher | he/him}
_{“Jeralmi is passionate about the intersections of computer science and art; exploring both mediums through making his own video game with friends in high school about a deep sea diver exploring for their lost family member. Back at Agncy for a second internship, Jeralmi’s projects have focused on learning and understanding the perspectives of Boston teens and young adults to optimize their experiences with technology, from researching ways to identify and avoid fake news to strategizing pathways into the BioTech industry. ”

— Joey}

Radhika Dhanak

^{designer and researcher | she/her}
_{“Radhika’s overlapping interests have naturally led her into design (and right to us!). She’s bounced from psychology and neuroscience to sociology to philosophy and now to her grad program in “Transdisciplinary Design” at the Parsons New School. She’s always been deeply interested in how people work and why they do the things they do, and now with design she does this exploring in a way that impacts lives positively.

At Agncy this summer, she brings a curiosity, clarity, and thoughtfulness to the work. Her Agncy independent project is focused on alternative methods of engagement that touches people at an intellectual, emotional, and physiological level. In her free time, you can find her reading or photographing clouds.”

— Savanna}

Sabrina Dorsainvil

^{director of design strategy and creative practice | she/they}_{“Sabrina has been part of the Boston art and design scene for some time. She is plugged into all the cool things happening and is known in all corners of the city. From her work as a civic designer in local government, non-profits, and the public art scene in Boston and beyond. Sabrina brings all this goodness to her work at Agncy–blending her art-making and illustration practices with her drive to use design strategy to make real change possible for communities. Her good humor and sense of play and fun are integral to how she approaches life and her work. She’s quick to remind us to take time to care for ourselves when we forget.

Sabrina holds a BFA in Industrial Design from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a MS in Design and Urban Ecologies from Parsons School of Design.”

— Candace}

Dan Marie Grieco

^{designer and researcher | any/all}

_{“Dan is a designer and educator who is great at developing frameworks to make information accessible and usable and supporting young people through creative processes.

A short list of why we love working with Dan: he can jump into data and diligently make sense of it
he has easy energy that resists freak outs
he can engage with Joey's lizard and insect talk
he's the kind of person that mothers tell their children to be like (true)
he uses design to make complex ideas simple without losing the nuance

Dan is a double MassArt graduate: a BA in Communications Design and an MA in Arts Education.“

— Augusta}

^{Savanna Li
^{designer | she/her}}
_{“A RISD-trained designer (which we don't hold against her. Go MassArt!), Savanna is dedicated to creating beauty and clarity out of complicated and dense information. Her toolbox contains whimsy, tenacity, joy and inventiveness. Her limitless curiosity about the world is her most stunning quality.

Her previous experience is an expression of her dedication to shaping meaningful and playful experiences for people, from toy design with Cas Holman to serving as a play guide for the Providence Children’s Museum.”

— Candace}

Augusta Meill

^{executive director | she/her}

_{“Underneath layers of earth toned-clothing and a gentle smile, Augusta is a powerful sharp designer and strategist. She is a natural storyteller that can communicate beauty in the mundane, find patterns in the chaos, and lead the direction towards progress. As an avid reader, she loves words and people’s stories— she’s absolutely down to be nerdy about the thing you’re nerdy about too.

After a long history in the corporate design and innovation world, she founded Agncy Design to apply and adapt human-centered design practices to the social sector. She sometimes teaches at MassArt.”

— Savanna}

Zach Narva

^{designer and facilitator | he/him}

_{“Zach is a human-centered designer focused on collaborative research, participatory design and storytelling. He uses these methods to build innovative learning environments, sustainable operations and equity-centered strategies for resilient systemic change. Recently, Zach created a participatory experience for parents to challenge bias and change behavior, enabling more resilient relationships with their trans and gender non-conforming kids—in the inviting and judgment-free setting of summer camp!

Zach has an MFA in Human-Centered Design from the School of Visual Arts and a BA in Graphic Design from American University. When he steps away from work, you might find Zach meditating over a stovetop with a hearty meal underway.”

— Joey}

Ava Nordling

_{^{designer | she/her}

“Ava brings into every relationship deep care and consideration for our connections with our body and our environments. Born in California and blooming in Boston, Ava has for years been working to create thoughtful, inclusive, and creative civic opportunities for youth in Boston Public Schools.

She is a dot-connector and brings experience in human-centered design practices, including user research, UX/UI design, prototyping and testing, together with an embodied practice that seeks to embrace individuals’ humanity.

Ava graduated from Northeastern with a BFA in Experience Design. When you see her be sure to ask about the leaf of the day, the power of sharing kudos, zines, or how to move with intentional slowness.

— Sabrina}

Nice to Meet You

We’re a Boston-based team with projects and partnerships around the country. We seek to have deep relationships across our city so that we can do the super localized, contextual work from a place of reciprocity and knowledge. History matters, connections matter, politics matter.