AJ Hassan
Founder & CCO
As Founder and Chief Creative, AJ is a leader who believes that making work that is Affecting, moves people to Action. This is how she leads Capital A, and builds brands into Agents of culture. With more than two decades of experience and a track record of breakthrough creative and business transformation, AJ believes that Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the X factor that will define the best brand communications work in a landscape now being shaped by AI. Partnering with global brands, innovators and social impact organizations, AJ and Capital A create work that moves business and people, acheiving recognition by the London International Awards, Epica Awards, Addys and AICP for their work with global brands including Kimberly-Clark.
Previously a VP at R/GA and Leo Burnett, AJ became an Emmy Award winning creative leader, whose work on the widely recognized Always #LikeAGirl campaign challenged gender bias and captured +150 million views worldwide on YouTube and the Super Bowl stage. The campaign helped redefine #LikeAGirl into positive, and collected hundreds of top industry awards, among them a D&AD Black Pencil, 12 Cannes Lions, including a Grand Prix, Glass Lion and Titanium.
While at R/GA, AJ and her team created the “Equality Can’t Wait” gender equity work in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, the investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates to advance social progress in the U.S. This led to the "Equality Can't Wait Challenge" in partnership with Lever For Change that awarded $40 million for big, bold ideas to expand women's power and influence. On the innovation side, AJ and her R/GA team partnered with PepsiCo to design and bring Bubly sparkling water to market, from naming to packaging to communications, now an over 350MM category leader.
Driving conversation, cultural relevancy and social impact is a hallmark of AJ’s work. AJ's Effie winning work on LIFEWTR used their bottles to showcase "Art by A Woman" to elevate under represented works by women artists. Previous to that, in advance of the landmark Supreme Court ruling, her #EqualDreams campaign for Esurance championed support for marriage equality.
AJ has served on prestigious juries like The One Show, ANDY Awards, Next AICP, D&AD, and Cannes Lions. In 2018, she was named “Creative of the Year” by ADCOLOR for her work in diversity and inclusion. AJ currently serves on the board for non-profit initiatives, The Tween Esteem Project, and Razia's Ray of Hope. Other honors include being an Expert Reviewer for Lever For Change, one of “Campaign US’ 2017 Digital 40 over 40”, featured in the AdAge "Creatives You Should Know" 2015 Cannes Issue, and named most awarded copywriter by AdAge 2015.
Aces
Joy Li
De Meulemeester
VP Creative Director
Always curious and reinventing herself, Joy has amassed more than a decade of diverse creative experiences from all over the world, notably on Starbucks at Dare London, AB InBev at R/GA Shanghai, and T&G at Clemenger Auckland.
But it's her recent mission-driven work that she is most proud of: she led the art creative direction for Kotex’s global campaign #ProgressFeelsLike and "Build the Future of Childcare," where she transformed years-long research from four American non-profits into a single groundbreaking platform for educational and business reform.
Her intense passion for problem-solving and insatiable drive for creative excellence can be felt beyond her day jobs: she loves crafting packaging for sustainable brands or identities for indie start-ups, learning Figma or installation design at night.
She is known as a true creative misfit, teaching others how to zig while others zag in courses such as Becoming an Art Director or Women in Leadership.
Lindsey Brusnighan
Executive Producer
With nearly 25 years of production experience, Lindsey's love affair with film and commercial work continues to grow.
As the lead producer on campaigns such as Kotex’s “Progress Feels Like” and P&G’s “Lead with Love,” Lindsey believes in creative that promotes change, enlightens minds and helps give a voice to the voiceless.
As both a full-time and freelance Executive Producer, Lindsey has had the privilege to work for such agencies as McCann NY, The Martin Agency, Dentsu Creative, Digitas and more.
She has also worked in television production as well as short films, with work appearing on NBC and at the Cannes Film Festival.
As a mother of three, Lindsey is a member of Moms Demand Action and her local school board. She practices Hot Yoga and is an active participant in her community.