We're excited to have a talented, passionate group of people who have chosen to volunteer their time and smarts to contribute to our blog.

Here are the bios of the bloggers we have so far. As more come in, we will add them to this ever-growing list.

Anthony Di Biase | ECD | Wunderman West Coast | Irvine, CA

As the Executive Creative Director of Wunderman’s West Coast office, Anthony Di Biase heads up our work for Disney Stores, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, Invisalign, Southern California Edison and more.

The ability to build brands in all channels has been the driving force throughout his career. Today, technology makes it even easier to prove the value of great ideas. His past experience includes award-winning work in a variety of disciplines for a wide range of brands.  From global general advertising campaigns for Land Rover, Mattel and Sony to one-to-one and digital driven launches for Xbox, Jaguar and Callaway.

The more comfortable you are with mixed media, the easier it is to focus on what really matters – creating a story consumers want to follow. The goal is to get people to say, “Tell me more.”

Tamika Cosen | Aspiring Copywriter | Team One | El Segundo, CA

Tamika Cosen knew she wanted to be in advertising the minute she saw how commercials affected her mom and her grandmother.  Whatever it was that made her mom and Nana Boo Boo laugh and jump up every time their favorite commercials came on TV, Tamika wanted to be a part of it. That curiosity evolved into a Bachelor's degree in Advertising from CSU Fullerton and spending the last couple of years working in advertising, an industry that can gut check her and inspire her all at the same time. 

Tamika is currently working at an ad agency and taking portfolio development classes in the South Bay. She's also documenting her adventures as an aspiring copywriter in her first blog, The ADucated Observer. Tamika is also nurturing her second love of music by helping run AG One Entertainment, an OC based music company, with her talented and hilarious friends. In Tamika's downtime (whenever that is), you can find her hanging with friends, perfecting her buttermilk waffles and catching old episodes of  "Cheers." 

Follow Tamika on Twitter @AducatedObservr or visit TheADucatedObserver.com

Liz Bigham | SVP of Marketing | Jack Morton Worldwide | New York, NY

Liz Bigham loves her job. As SVP of Marketing for Jack Morton Worldwide, Liz has the distinct honor of helping a great agency leverage one of its most powerful assets: its brand.

Under her leadership, Jack Morton has developed the experience industry’s premier agency brand, supported by a spectrum of thought leadership and research, brand and marketing tools, PR and online engagement. Liz is a frequent blogger and speaker at industry events from Event Marketer’s Experiential Marketing Summit in Chicago to the first African Experiential Marketing Conference in Johannesburg.

A magna cum laude graduate of Barnard College, Liz received an MPhil in Art History from Columbia University and worked in curatorial positions at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum for African Art prior to joining Jack Morton.

Ricardo de la Blanca | CEO | DLB Group | New York, NY

Ricardo de la Blanca Brigati is a global entrepreneurial business leader with over 20 years of developmental and strategic client management experience, which spans across 15 countries in Europe and the Americas. In addition, Ricardo has an extensive track record in incorporating new business models, leading teams, supporting clients and developing integrated marketing campaigns for global and regional brands resulting in significant increases in not only revenue, but consumer traffic, and brand loyalty and recognition. 

Cathriona Smith | Student | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR

My name is Cathriona and I am a junior at University of Oregon, majoring in advertising. I was born and raised in Ireland and attended National College of Ireland where I received a certificate in business law.

I am married to Mathew who is also a full-time student at University of Oregon, in the Lundquist College of Business Honors program. I have a beautiful four-year-old daughter named Kaelyn who attends preschool while I attend classes and will begin kindergarten this coming autumn. I am learning American Sign Language and am a photographer for UO’s Ethos magazine.

In my spare time I enjoy cooking, dancing, crafting, traveling, reading, walking, bike riding, attending Ducks events and doing just about anything else with my wonderful family.

Stephanie Grayson | CorpComm Pro and Social Media Enthusiast | New York, NY

Stephanie Grayson is a Corporate Communications Professional and Social Media Enthusiast in New York with over a decade of Communications experience. She holds a B.A. in English Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a M.A. in Communication Sciences from Montclair State University.

Stephanie began her Corporate Communications career in 1998, primarily as a Corporate Speech Trainer with a special interest in media training, providing speech and media training services for both individuals and groups, not only for business leaders and managers but also nonprofit decision-makers and creative thought-leaders. She became particularly interested in Social Media after attending the inaugural #140conf  in New York and has since become an active presence in the New York social media community and beyond.

Stephanie is on Twitter (@Critiques4Geeks) and on LinkedIn.

Jen Stack | Director of Corporate Communications | Colle+McVoy | Minneapolis, MN

Jen Stack oversees external and internal communications for Colle+McVoy, a digitally driven, fully integrated ad agency in Minneapolis. She works with every discipline at the agency to make sure clients and agency work stand out.  

Robert Peterson | Research Analyst | Citadel Media | New York, NY

Robert enjoys all aspects of advertising and marketing and tries to study and learn about the industry as much as possible. He is also an aspiring copywriter and works to build his portfolio and blog whenever possible

In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar, watching cooking shows, listening to music, playing Angry Birds, reading guitar magazines, bowling, watching movies, cheering for the Yankees/Patriots/Bruins/Ohio State Buckeyes and trying to figure out ways to rule the world.

Robert is also an armchair entrepreneur and a Type 1 diabetic who wants to help people cope with this disease and spread awareness.

Follow him on twitter @robertfpeterson.

Sarah Carolan | Artist/Graphic Designer | Chicago, IL

Sarah is a 23-year-old artist, graphic designer, and social media enthusiast. She calls New Jersey home, disregarding the flak that generally follows suit, though she and Doug Zanger (the @advertisingweek guy) both graduated from Haddonfield Memorial High School -- albeit 18 years apart. 

After high school, Sarah decided to gratify her love of Chicago by returning to her midwestern roots, graduating from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2010.

Believing she was doomed to a life of ramen dinners, Sarah was thrilled when she landed her first job as a graphic designer for an up-and-coming technology company. Her mind was further blown when she was asked to be a part of the Advertising Week BlogSquad.

When not scouring design and advertising blogs, Sarah enjoys drawing, traveling, and worshiping Carl Kasell. 

Follow her on Twitter: @SarahAshleen.

Mike Caguin | ECD | Colle+McVoy | Minneapolis, MN

Mike Caguin has helped transform Colle+McVoy from a quiet, conservative ad shop in the burbs, into a vibrant, creatively driven and nationally recognized agency in downtown Minneapolis. His creative vision, unique leadership style and keen business sense have helped the agency experience remarkable year-over-year growth for five consecutive years (during an unprecedented economic downtown), receive prestigious awards and industry recognition, and win more nationally recognized new business. This new business growth and recognition is expected to expand in 2011, projecting record revenue for Colle+McVoy.

As executive creative director of Colle+McVoy, Caguin is responsible for overseeing the agency’s creative output, as well as for attracting and retaining the best, most passionate people in the industry, fostering a culture of creativity, creating a supportive environment where even young staffers feel they can create their best work, building upon the agency’s digital expertise and creating game-changing work that makes a difference for clients.

Besides advertising, running is another one of Caguin’s passions. He’s completed six marathons and six triathlons, as well as led the Colle+McVoy running team in local events. 

Caguin graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in visual communications. He resides in Minneapolis with his wife and two children.

Michael White | PR Consultant | Microsoft | London, UK

Michael White works for Microsoft in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Multinational Sales Department as a Multinational Account Manager for Digital Advertising. He acts as part of a team for the Microsoft Media Network, Microsoft’s premium display advertising network, a collection of owned and operated sites joined with up to 300 quality partner sites. He has worked with services such as MSN, Windows Live, Hotmail, Bing, Xbox and Windows Phone.

Beyond Digital Advertising Michael has been involved with numerous social media projects and is due to complete his study in Public Relations the summer of 2011 at the University of Gloucestershire. Over the last few years he has written articles for newspapers in the UK, taken part in radio programmes and regularly updates his own personal blog.

None of the material produced by him represents Microsoft or any other involvements he has found himself attached to."

Cass Zawadowski | Socialista | The Kaplan Thaler Group | New York, NY

I’m a Copywriter originally from Toronto, Canada, now living, working and following my dreams in NYC. I have true passion for the marketing, branding and advertising disciplines. As well as: good books, good movies, walks through Central Park, comedy/improv, traveling, animals, Seth Godin's blog, Fall weather and sports. My full name is Cassandra Elizabeth Zawadowski which has 28 letters, but I mostly just go by Cass. 

Arie Rich | Blogger + Our NYC Foursquare Tip-Creator | New York, NY

Born of Dominican descent, Arie Rich is a New York City resident for over 20 years. As means to keep up with the pulse of New York City, Arie Rich coined the phrase “Keep Me Posted.” Shortly after, the phrase developed into KMPBlog.com. Her creativity and interest in paying it forward lead her to planning and attending myriad events which promote and encourage unity across the blogosphere.

Wally Sabria | Senior VP/Creative Director | The Axis Agency | Los Angeles, CA

Recently named “Top Digital Media Professional of the Year” by Portada – the leading source of Latin marketing and media intelligence – Wally Sabria serves as Senior Vice President and Creative Director for The Axis Agency, (www.theaxisagency.com), a leading multicultural marketing firm focused on the U.S. Hispanic and African American markets. 

With over 12 years experience in visual communications and digital design, Wally leads the creative strategy, design concept and development of digital and social media campaigns for Fortune 500 clients across numerous industries. 

Since joining the agency, Wally has developed highly successful and award-winning digital campaigns for major client brands, including Unilever, HP, MTV Tr3s and Absolut Vodka. 

Before joining The Axis Agency, Wally Sabria founded Raw Media, a boutique creative consultancy assisting communications firms across the country with digital solutions for their client campaigns. He began his career in Miami, at the dawn of the Internet era, developing ground-breaking web destinations for music and media brands, including MTV Latin America. 

Through his blog, ID8 (www.viscomla.com/blog), Wally provides creative commentary on the ever-evolving advertising and new media space. Wally is fully bilingual in Spanish. He speaks regularly in conferences across the U.S. and Latin America and frequently lectures at UCLA and Cal State University on creative communications and social media topics. 

Wally Sabria is a graduate of Florida International University with a degree in Mass Communications.

Christopher A. Jones | Student, DJ, Bon Vivant | Chicago, IL

Christopher A. Jones moved from a small farming community in rural Indiana to the heart of Printers Row in Chicago after graduating high school in 2009. 

Now a Sophomore Advertising major at Columbia College Chicago.  Chris has had the privilege to already work with great groups such as The One Show and the American Advertising Federation.  On the weekends Chris works as a professional DJ in the City of Chicago as well as an event planner for local parties and school events. 

His hobbies include Cooking, Music, Skiing, DJing, and finding new restaurants.

Alex Gavin | Gregarious Accomplice | Sweet Tooth Digital | Chicago, IL

Alex Gavin is a graduate of the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. Following a lifelong dream of landing a job in advertising, the Texas native continued his northbound expansion to the bright city lights of Chicago, Illinois.

Upon arrival, Alex founded Sweet Tooth Digital, a creative co-op that links designers from across the country to craft creative campaigns for Chicago’s small-business community.

When he isn’t busy building the Sweet Tooth brand, Alex can be found scouring the Interwebs for meme goldmines, impossibly useless information and musical masterpieces.

Let’s collaborate, drop a line.

@alextgavin ::: alex.t.gavin@gmail.com 

Noelle Weaver | Biz Dev Superstar | Contagious Magazine | New York, NY

Noelle is currently helping to steer the Contagious mother ship in North America after a 15 year career in business development helping agencies and start-ups brand, market, and strategically grow their business and corporate reputations.

Having always had a passion for all things new business, Noelle has pitched everything from Beer to Beano at shops large (JWT, Publicis, Euro RSCG) and small (SS+K). Most recently Noelle filled in for the Director of Sales and Marketing at CAA’s youth research and trends analysis firm, The Intelligence Group. Prior to IG, she was at the start-up Indaba Music, a global community for semi- and professional musicians as SVP of Business Development and Sales.

In her spare time she can be found writing about things like basil and bread via @FoodieLore, searching for great food experiences, the path less traveled and the perfect glass of bourbon.

Christopher Renz | Agency Director | brpr Group | Miami, FL

Christopher Renz was born and raised in Danbury, CT.  After majoring in Advertising at Barry University in Miami and spending a year abroad at the American University of Rome, Renz began work at the #1 ad shop in the country, Crispin Porter + Bogusky working on the Virgin Atlantic & Burger King accounts. 

After CP+B, Renz was called to Omnicom where he spent 3 years working on the national McDonald’s media business as well as Absolut Vodka before returning once again to CP+B.  In 2009, Renz began the social media agency, The brpr Group with partner Gerard Bush.

Adam Rotmil | Brand Strategy & Design | Tokyo

Adam Rotmil is principal of Adam Rotmil Partners, Brand Strategy and Design. He has 15 years of brand and design experience with companies of all sizes. He held a senior creative position at Marsh and McClennan Companies, the premier global services firm. Adam later designed at Brown Brothers Harriman, the largest private bank in the United States.

He began by designing for smaller studios, and started setting type for newspapers as a teen. He used his first IBM in 1985, programming in BASIC, using a pre-web form of the internet. Adam studied design at The Art Institute of Boston, Typography with Wolfgang Weingart at HGK Basel, and Japanese language at Harvard University. He has spoken on design for The American Institute of Graphic Arts, and has given workshops at design schools in Boston. Adam regularly writes, solo or in collaboration, on brand and design issues.

Adam lives in Japan and partners with niche experts worldwide, sharing projects and talent. His singular vision is to improve brand value through strategy, exploration, and discovery.

Kateryna Topol | Aspiring Art Director | Toronto, ON

Having spent four years studying communication theory and practicing ethnographic fieldwork at York University Kateryna chose to go into advertising because it is the only industry where most books have pictures in them. Now in her last year at Seneca College she also enjoys playing with sharpies, talking about movies while listening to loud music and generally not having to become a fully mature person as to not damage the delicate flow of creativity. 

As an aspiring art director Kateryna fights the system by wearing colours and judging people by their shoes. She also religiously collects annuals, social media memberships, likes to take pictures with plastic cameras and not sharing them with the world. Not yet anyway. Inspired by music, culture and everything else that moves (even if just in the wind) Kateryna strives to bring big ideas to life.