Eric Karjaluoto is a founding partner at the digital agency smashLAB. He is a strong advocate of strategy and pragmatism in design, and has directed projects for groups including CN, Tourism Vancouver, and Canadian Heritage.

In 2007 he spearheaded Design Can Change: an effort to unite designers and address climate change. The team at smashLAB has also launched the online community MakeFive and a crowd-sourced design and marketing site called undrln. TIME, the Lotus Awards, and ICOGRADA have recognized his work; meanwhile, the agency has been featured in The Globe and Mail, BC Business, and Studio 4.

Eric writes about design, brands, and experience at ideasonideas and has spoken at events for the AIGA, SEGD, and GDC. Eric studied at the Emily Carr Institute and currently lives in Vancouver with his lovely wife and two delightful little boys. (He still talks to his mom and dad almost every day.)

This fall he'll release his first book, Speak Human: Out-Market the Big Guys by Getting Personal. For information about his speaking engagements, click here.