Mariko Kawano is an experienced marketer, art director and professor in Toronto. She’s worked with diverse clients in the retail environment across Canada and the United States, developing national multi-lingual campaigns in English, French and Spanish.

Mariko has a track record of developing proven strategies that transform brands, differentiating them from their competition, opening them up to new markets, and aligning them to better meet the needs of global societal shifts such as climate change. Climate awareness and environmental stewardship are so crucial to Mariko that she founded a rooftop apiary, Heiwa Honey, in Downtown Toronto to aid pollinators and educate the community.

Mariko is very intuitive, especially regarding consumer behaviour, allowing her to observe customers and help predict future patterns. When you pair Mariko’s intuition with her strong research and analytical skills, it’s safe to say Mariko’s campaigns are ahead of the curve. This keen foresight is imperative for most of the brands she represents, especially those in the fast-paced fashion world.

Mariko is also a professor at the Pilon School of Business at Sheridan College, where she leads the Advertising, Art Direction and Design course and the Creative Branding course and mentors in the Capstone Project. As a professor, Mariko goes above and beyond the standard syllabus, sharing her passion, experience and talents with students while mentoring and inspiring the next generation of creative professionals.