The American Institute of Graphic Arts, NYC Chapter, hosted a two-day event for new Design Agency founders to learn from peers who recently had successful launches.
I’m not a graphic designer, so why would I go?
Well, I’m interested in growing my own business. How different could it be, growing a design agency rather than a technology consulting practice?
If I attend an event that’s branded for Technologists, I’ll be in a room full of competitors. But in an adjacent industry, maybe I can learn parallel lessons while networking with people who might not know a lot of people like me. Sometimes I need to hire designers, too, so it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet up-and-coming agencies who might be hungry for new business.
Biggest epiphany for me:
Building a business around a cause, rather than a business purpose or vertical market, can be a powerful differentiator.
Andre Banks
An unexpected surprise for me was that graphic designers seem to be a whole lot more entertaining than most engineers. The event was tremendously fun!
![](https://aaronsylvan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AIGA-Grow-an-Agency-conference-iPhonography-by-Aaron-Sylvan-taken-2022-10-27-image001-2-768x512.jpg)
![](https://aaronsylvan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AIGA-Grow-an-Agency-conference-iPhonography-by-Aaron-Sylvan-taken-2022-10-28-image002-768x576.jpg)
![](https://aaronsylvan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Brooklyn-Color-Palette-from-AIGA-Conference-iPhonography-by-Aaron-Sylvan-taken-2022-10-28-image001-768x576.jpg)