VISUAL ARTS PANEL
April 22, 2026, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Monson Grand Tier
Designed to connect students with industry professionals across the creative sector, the program highlights career pathways, industry expectations, and practical advice for launching and sustaining careers in both visual and performing arts fields.
Stuart Brazil
Senior Motion Graphic Designer | Green Buzz Agency
Stuart Brazil is a multi-talented motion graphic designer with a flexible and adaptable style. With an experienced background in video production, as well as graphic design, he brings an ideal skill set to the animation world. Stuart pursued his love for video production through the School of Media Arts and Design at James Madison University. He then began his career through the Office of Technology and Design at JMU, on the video team, working with on campus organizations to make engaging video content. At Green Buzz Agency, he works with clients to translate their brand into engaging graphic treatments, from full-scale animated video projects, to integrated motion graphics and visual effects for live-action video. Collaborating with organizations like American Red Cross, AXIOS, African Wildlife Foundation, Hilton Worldwide, The SYFY Channel, Goldman Sachs and more, Stuart focuses on making complex topics accessible, creating unexpected visual surprises, and transforming ideas—literally—into motion.
Jasmine Hardy
Producer | Green Buzz Agency
Jasmine is a DMV-based producer and visual storyteller with more than a decade of experience spanning news, entertainment, nonprofit, and brand storytelling. A graduate of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, she began her career interning and then working full time at BET Networks, where she produced, shot, and edited digital news content. She later joined the Center for American Progress as a Senior Producer, creating impactful social video campaigns supporting advocacy and policy initiatives. Now at Green Buzz Agency, Jasmine produces and directs award-winning content for clients such as Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, AARP, Insulet Corporation, and more. At the core of her work is a commitment to human-centered storytelling that helps shift perspectives and inspire meaningful change.
DeShane Jones
President | Northern Virginia NPHC
George Mason University | Film & Video Alumnus
DeShane Jones is a change management professional, social entrepreneur, and George Mason University alumnus committed to advancing equity and community engagement. As co-founder of the Black Social & Culture Committee, he creates opportunities that celebrate culture, support Black-owned businesses, and strengthen connections between George Mason University and the City of Fairfax, including contributions to the 2024 Juneteenth celebration. DeShane also serves as President of the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Northern Virginia, Collegiate Advisor for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Chair of the NAACP Fairfax County Branch 2025 Freedom Fund Gala, mentoring leaders and championing inclusive community impact.
Johanna Ostrich
Independent Graphic & UX/UI Designer
Johanna is a freelance designer and educator in DC, specializing in UX/UI design. She creates tools that help people navigate complex processes. She works with mission-driven organizations and in civic tech, and has been lucky to collaborate with some great teams—as a freelancer, in-house, and at an agency managing other designers. Most recently, she was a founding team member of IRS Direct File, a groundbreaking new tool that allows taxpayers to file their taxes online, for free, directly with the IRS. Learn more about Johanna's work.
Maha Shami
Senior Director, Experience Design | Capital One
George Mason University Alumnus Maha Shami is a product design leader with over two decades of experience building digital products where the stakes are real. Across digital media, health, nonprofit, and financial services, the thread connecting her career has never been the industry — it has always been the customer. She is a mentor, a purpose-driven leader, and a tireless advocate for keeping the customer at the center of every decision. At HealthCentral, she helped people take control of their health. At AARP, she designed experiences for people navigating the complexities of aging. At every stop, she has sought out the social mission within the work — and brought rigorous business thinking along with it. Today at Capital One, she leads experience design across domains creating products that directly shape people’s financial lives. Her teams have launched award-winning products recognized for both design excellence and business impact. Throughout her career, Maha has led across product, design, and technology — working fluidly across disciplines at a time when that boundary is dissolving faster than ever. As emerging tech and AI reshape how products are conceived, built, and delivered, she guides cross-functional teams to hold the whole — strategy, craft, and execution — setting them up for success to define what comes next.