Trish Witkowski, Daniel Dejan, and Vicki Strull band together to create a platform with essential training for designers, marketers, and brand leaders. 

HUNT VALLEY, MD (February 3, 2022) – Trish Witkowski (Foldfactory), Daniel Dejan (formerly of Sappi), and Vicki Strull (Vicki Strull Design) announced today a partnership that will launch a new education platform called MarketWise Academy, with its flagship offering delivered as a traveling master class called ‘Fast. Forward.’—a day-long small-group event for design and marketing leaders.

MarketWise Academy was founded out of the desire to help creative communities navigate and thrive in a post-pandemic world where rules and behaviors have changed. The group also strives to help busy creative and brand professionals stay up-to-date on training and advance their careers. “There’s a learning gap in our industry,” states Daniel Dejan. “Digital-first designers need to understand and master print’s role in the marketing mix while more seasoned print marketers need to update and fine-tune their digital marketing strategies to reflect today’s market.”

The ‘Fast. Forward.’ master class is designed to bring highly relevant, current, and actionable strategies to attendees in a tuition-based model that includes a day of in-person instruction with all three instructors, lunch and snacks, a workbook, a certificate of completion, and more. “We’ve spent many months putting together all-new research, powerful case studies, and materials that will empower our master class attendees to make informed decisions and leverage the best of what’s available today,” says Vicki Strull.

The team has announced the first two cities on their tour, kicking off their first stop in Dallas at Clampitt Creative Center on March 17th. “We’re thrilled to be hosting the first MarketWise master class,” states Don Clampitt, owner of Clampitt Paper. “We created our space as a meeting place for designers, marketers, and print professionals to exchange ideas and learn—so a master class by Vicki, Daniel, and Trish is exactly the type of event Clampitt Creative Center was created to support.” After Dallas, the trio will stop in Minneapolis in April and Columbus in May, with plans to add many other cities across the US and Canada in 2022–2023. To save a seat for Dallas, Minneapolis, Columbus or future cities visit us here.

Video training, mentoring programs, and community, too.

The platform will also be a place for other forms of training, including video primers in foundational subjects that can be viewed on demand, and mentoring circles for career guidance and growth. “Our goal is to anticipate the needs of today’s marketing and design professionals, and to fill those voids with powerful, relevant and time-efficient resources that can be utilized exactly when they need it,” says Trish Witkowski. A private LinkedIn group for alumni, office hours, and an e-newsletter are also in the works. To learn more about MarketWise Academy, visit www.MarketWiseAcademy.com.

About MarketWise Academy

MarketWise Academy was founded out of the desire to help creative communities navigate and thrive in a post-pandemic paradigm. Understanding the pivotal role design and marketing plays in a company’s success, the MarketWise Academy team—Trish Witkowski, Daniel Dejan, and Vicki Strull—built a platform to provide accessible, timely, best-in-class print + digital training along with resources for leaders in the marketing and design industry. To learn more about MarketWise Academy and to save a seat at an upcoming master class, visit www.MarketWiseAcademy.com.