Appleseed’s annual Good Apple Awards allow Appleseed to recognize people who do outstanding work advancing justice and opportunity for all Nebraskans, and over the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to our 2013 honorees. This year’s event on October 10, 2013 at the Livestock Exchange Building in Omaha is just a month away, and we’re excited to announce this year’s honorees!
The Milo Mumgaard Emerging Leader Award, named after Nebraska Appleseed’s founding executive director, recognizes young, emerging leaders who have a vision for the best of what Nebraska can be and, through initiative, hard work, and dedication, are pushing to make their vision a reality. Past recipients of the award include Adam Morfeld of Nebraskans for Civic Reform (2011) and Rachel Jacobson of Film Streams (2012).
This year, Appleseed is proud to present the award to Justin Kemerling, an independent graphic designer and owner of the Justin Kemerling Design Company. He works in graphic design, branding and web design with non-profits, community organizations, startups, activists, artists and changemakers.
Justin uses his outstanding graphic design skills to promote positive social change in Nebraska. Through his designs, he builds connections between communications, activism, advocacy, community building and social change. His communications skills and expertise both educate and inspire people to take action to make their communities better and stronger.
Read Justin’s interview with AIGA Nebraska about his beginnings in social justice design advocacy.
Justin is recognized as a leader within Nebraska’s graphic design community and encourages other designers to get involved in social change. He has been a core partner of Appleseed’s on numerous projects including: Appleseed’s social justice poster exhibits, “Build a Stronger Nebraska” and “Stand Up For Justice,” the “Voices From Fremont” civil rights project, vigil posters calling for the restoration of prenatal care in 2012, infographics making the case for the new Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act, and has been the vision behind several other visual project that have inspired people to take action to build a more just society in Nebraska.
In the last couple years, at a national level, his clients have included Participant Media, Obama for America, the ACLU, MoveOn.org, Upworthy and 350.org. Locally he works with Bold Nebraska, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Architecture, the UNION for Contemporary Art and Nebraska Appleseed.
In addition, Justin is the chief design officer for an Omaha tech startup called MindMixer, who focuses on community building and citizen engagement. He is on the board of directors for daOMA (design alliance OMAha) and explains that he lives in Omaha “to help build something inspiring, hopeful and unique out here in the middle of America.”
For all of Justin’s work to advocate for positive social change, Appleseed is proud to recognize him with the 2013 Milo Mumgaard Emerging Leader Award.
Click here to purchase tickets for the 2013 Good Apple Awards.
When: Thursday, October 10, 2013
Social Hour: 6pm
Program: 7pm
Where: Livestock Exchange Building Ballroom, 4920 South 30th Street, Omaha, NE
Tickets: $50 Individuals, $35 Young Professionals and Nonprofits