Upcoming Event
Tuesday, April 21 2026
6:30–9:00 pm
Business of Design
Finance
Tuesday, April 21 2026
6:30–9:00 pm
Business of Design
Finance
Part 1: Finance – The Invisible Architecture
Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash flow is reality. This session pulls back the curtain on the financial mechanics most creative leaders were never taught pricing psychology, margin health, forecasting, and why some of the most celebrated studios still run out of money. A candid conversation with people who’ve seen the numbers behind the work.
Join Kafele Boothe, Head of Finance, North America at Design Bridge and Partners and David Werzinger, CFO at Smart Design, and Jason Sophie, CFO at Beardwood&Co in conversation with Mike Perry of Tavern. More panelists to be announced.
Business of Design is a three part, intimate roundtable series spotlighting the people who make great creative work possible but rarely get the spotlight.
Design is often celebrated through craft and creative vision. But behind every successful studio, agency, or in-house team is a group of operators, strategists, and leaders quietly holding the system together. Client services managing trust and expectations. Strategists shaping clarity and direction. Operations, finance, and HR building the conditions for sustainable work.
This series reframes “business” not as the enemy of creativity, but as its infrastructure.
Each session brings together experienced practitioners in a specific discipline for an honest, peer level conversation about what actually happens behind the scenes. Shared lessons and an open Q&A exchange with the audience.
Capped at 50 attendees, the goal is intimacy, candor, and usefulness. This is not about inspiration quotes. It’s about how the work actually gets done.
Event Series: Fresh Dialogue
These events are critical discussions that focus on current events, issues of cultural relevance and emerging topics in the world of design.
Schedule
- 6:30 pm Doors open & check-in
- 7:00 pm Event begins
- 8:30 pm Event ends
Tickets
- Non-Members $55.00
- AIGA Members $45.00
- AIGA Member - 3-part series $110.00
- Non-Member - 3-part series $135.00
About WTC
Driving Manhattan’s Chinatown towards a future where tradition meets innovation, Welcome to Chinatown‘s mission is to bolster local businesses and entrepreneurs and forge connections within and across the community.
Panel
Kafele Boothe
Kafele Boothe is a seasoned finance executive who thrives on helping creative and media organizations reach their full financial potential. Currently the Head of Finance, North America at Design Bridge and Partners (WPP), he has overseen a 16% YoY increase in revenue and a 7-percentage point increase in margin within his first year. While Kafele maintains a humble approach to leadership, the one area where humility evades him is his Microsoft Excel proficiency and technical skill.
His career includes progressive leadership roles at industry staples such as MediaCom, Interbrand, iCrossing, Hearts & Science, and PHD. A defining chapter of his global experience was spent during his three years living abroad in Haifa, where at the Bahá’í World Centre he stewarded an international investment portfolio and negotiated contracts with global asset management partners. Now based in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Kafele is a dedicated mentor to agency staff across all levels and disciplines, and he regularly hosts discussions at his home focused on social issues, the advancement of humanity, and the betterment of the world.
David Werzinger
David Werzinger serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Smart Design, a leading global design and innovation consultancy. With over 25 years of experience in the industry and an MBA from the Zicklin School of Business at City University of New York, David manages the firm’s finance, accounting, tax, and planning practices. He balances the company’s long-term financial goals with market demands, ensuring projects remain on budget and on schedule. His efforts not only secure profitability but also foster close collaboration with design teams to align project constraints with organizational objectives. Additionally, David has innovated HR tools, notably enhancing a progressive health insurance program that benefits both employees and the company.
Before joining Smart Design, David was the Finance Director at Siegel + Gale and held various positions in management consulting and brokerage and banking. He has extensive experience in financial reporting, cash management, and the development of financial procedures. David is also skilled in managing complex financial transactions, including debt restructuring and company sales. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from The State University of New York at Geneseo.
Mike Perry
Mike Perry is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of TAVERN, a Brooklyn-based creative agency focusing on food, beverage and hospitality brands. With 15+ years of success in building industry-leading brands, Perry made a name for himself, both brand and agency side, with stints at NBC Sports Network, Quaker City Mercantile, Stranger & Stranger, Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR), Design Bridge and TikTok Creative Labs. He has been behind some of the biggest rebrands in the industry, with clients including Budweiser, Beam Suntory, Burger King, and Diageo.
Perry creates timeless brands by taking inspiration from the brand’s past while simultaneously reimagining their equities for contemporary tastes and standards. Through this signature “modern heritage” branding philosophy, Perry and Tavern pair strategic storytelling with archival stewardship. They build brands that resonate with today’s audiences, as is evident in recent work with brands such as Sizzler, Old Grand-Dad, Burt’s Bees, Overholt Whiskey, and Old Crow, to name a few.