Who We Are
MarketWise Academy
MarketWise Academy was founded out of the desire to help creative teams navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving marketing and design landscape. Realizing the rollercoaster nature of budgets due to a fluctuating economy and understanding the pivotal role of design and marketing to help companies survive and thrive, we built a platform to provide accessible, timely, best-in-class education.
Learn from a trio of thought leaders—each with their own areas of expertise—bringing decades of knowledge, experience, and perspective. Trish Witkowski, Daniel Dejan, and Vicki Strull are long-time friends and colleagues. The chemistry between them is electric, inspiring, and entertaining. If you’re not familiar with them these are not your average “professors”—they are veteran, award-winning, practicing designers, marketers, creative directors, speakers, and business owners.
INSTRUCTORS
Class is in session.
Learn from a trio of thought leaders—each with their own areas of expertise—bringing decades of knowledge, experience, and perspective.
Long-time friends and colleagues, the chemistry between Trish, Vicki, and Daniel is electric, inspiring, and entertaining. These are not your average “professors”—these are veteran, award-winning, practicing designers, marketers, creative directors, speakers, and business owners. And they are on a mission to help communities thrive by mentoring creatives, brand marketers, and entrepreneurs as they navigate challenges in an ever-evolving marketing and design landscape.
tactics
Trish Witkowski
Direct Mail
Engagement Strategy
Opti-Channel Marketing
“Trish is a force—she commands the
full attention of her audiences,
energizing them with powerful ideas
that are both effective and attainable.”
—Tom Weid, Director of Production, McCANN
Health New Jersey
Trish Witkowski is the tactical ninja of the group. Trish specializes in creative solutions and engagement strategies for direct mail and marketing, and she uses her expertise to help companies find solutions that can meet, or exceed, their marketing goals. Her innate ability to solve problems, share information, and inspire audiences led to groundbreaking research and “rockstar” status in the printing industry. Trish is the President of Foldfactory.com, an international speaker, and an instructor for LinkedIn Learning. She hosts a popular YouTube vlog with over 500 episodes, tens of thousands of subscribers, and millions of views. She has been a brand ambassador for Sappi and HP, and has inspired marketing teams at American Express, ADT, Lowe’s and USPS. She has produced many books, blog posts, articles, and videos to help direct marketers get results.
An educator, designer, humanist, and lover of all things graphic arts, Daniel Dejan has been an evangelist for the power of paper and print for the span of his 50+ year career. Daniel is the wise elder of the group, bringing valuable context, history, and insight to the curriculum. He has witnessed firsthand the evolution of print, embracing new technology and exploring the layered and complex relationships between the print and digital worlds. For 22 years, he was the Print and Creative Manager for Sappi North America, delivering thousands of in-person presentations throughout the U.S. and Canada. He has written for numerous trade magazines, contributed to graphic arts publications, and he wrote his “Sidebar” blog under the Sappi brand for years. Daniel is a certified G7 Expert and has received many awards for his contributions to the industry.
CONTEXT
Daniel Dejan
Special Effects and Embellishments
Print + Mobile Technologies
Print Production and Color
“Daniel is the “Real Deal.” Passionate, endlessly knowledgeable, and eternally curious, he makes you think (hard) about the persuasive power of print + digital media.”
—Michael Intrator, President, Black Box Collotype
STRATEGY
Vicki Strull
Packaging Design
Design & Marketing Strategy
Brand Identity Design
What makes Vicki unique is that she
gets it: she understand the big picture
of storytelling; she thinks like a
consumer; and she strategizes like a general.
—William Hodges,
Vice President Sales & Marketing, Oliver, Inc.
Vicki Strull has been described as a blend of left-brain Ivy League intellectualism and right-brain dynamic creativity. As lead strategist on the team, Vicki is known for the energy she brings to graphic design, strategic thinking, and brand positioning. Vicki leverages her more than 25 years of experience as a brand strategist, creative director, and packaging designer to advise top-tier and emerging brands on how to utilize the power of packaging to increase sales, create new revenue streams, and build brand loyalty. She has become an indispensable marketing and creative partner to top global brands such as HP, Bayer, Coppertone, and Pizza Hut. She has presented to CMOs, marketers, and designers at international conferences and virtual events, and is a columnist and blogger for print and packaging industry publications.
Nice to meet you!
event planning and strategy
Laura DesEnfants
event planning and strategy
Deb Aldrich
Writer
Brandi Hand
