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Sheena Tu Sheena Tu is the co-founder of Meshki Design Center, where she oversees the firm’s work across the fields. Passionate about all aspects of design, she specializes in web design and development, as well as presentation creation and implementation, on behalf of a wide range of clients.

Prior to founding Meshki, Sheena spent nearly a decade helping clients with many forms of design initiatives, including branding, presentations, motion graphics, video editing, UI/UX design, web programming and development, 3D design, and much more. Through creative thinking, technical design prowess, and an outside the box approach, Sheena continues to push herself with each and every project.

While it may sound a bit cliché, design truly runs in Sheena’s blood. Her father has spent his professional life as an interior designer and businessman, and her grandfather was an accomplished artist, painter, illustrator, and Art Director for a prestigious newspaper in Southern China. In fact, her grandfather’s art was one of her first sources of design inspiration and she often reflects on his work as she thinks about her own projects.

Born and raised in Guangzhou, China, Sheena’s close-knit relationship with her parents and grandfather helped to mold her into the person she is today. As a child, she kept a regimented schedule that was teeming with competitive activities like swimming, track & field, roller-skating, board gaming, and playing musical instruments on both regional and international levels. Her mother and mentor, known for being endlessly patient and supportive, is responsible for helping to manage Sheena’s busy schedule and instilling in her the idea that competing was not about winning or losing; rather, it is about being part of the process and being the best that you can be.

These teachings from Sheena’s family have stuck with her and helped to propel her forward in her academic and professional career. She graduated from UC Davis with honors, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Bachelor of Science in Textile & Clothing and, as well as a Master of Fine Arts focused on Design, Technology & Music. Through this educational background in diverse disciplines, Sheena found herself well-equipped to apply her knowledge to creatively solve contemporary real-world problems for businesses.

Mahan Soltanzadeh is the co-founder and co-CEO of Meshki Design Center, where he heads up all marketing and business development operations. Forward-thinking in his approach to leveraging new technologies in the design process, he also acts as the product manager for Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (XR) software development for the firm.

No matter the medium, Mahan specializes in taking design projects of all sizes from the conceptual stage all the way through final production. His world-class technical expertise includes visual ideation and technical software, including 2D, 3D, CAD and BIM applications and visual programming for 3D animations, simulations, and VFX. His passion for design and making the world a better place has also inspired him to focus his future efforts to utilize AI and robotics to tackle the issues of homelessness and assisted living by applying principles of sustainable design.

A rising star in the industry, Mahan’s work has been featured in prominent international design competitions and trade shows across the globe. Always one to think creatively and solve problems, he approaches each project with excitement and vigor as he helps to bring Meshki’s vision to life and to the forefront of the design industry.

As a child in Tehran, Mahan harnessed his youthful energy into a passion for design through illustration and painting. His focus and attention to the smallest details were evident dating back to his earliest drawings of beloved animals as a young child. As he grew older, he became an avid handballer, soccer player, bodybuilder, meditator, and student of martial arts. To this day, Mahan practices several martial arts styles and applies the discipline learned over the years from this craft to his professional work as a world-class designer.

A lifelong learner, Mahan holds several undergraduate and graduate degrees from the prestigious Azad University of Art & Architecture in the fields of graphic design, interior architecture, and environmental design. Prior to and during his formal design education, he cut his teeth in the business world through sales and marketing roles, and as an entrepreneur specializing in branding, advertising, trade show, interior and architectural design and construction, and commercial exhibit organization.

With this robust educational and professional background, he moved to the U.S. and taught courses on Commercial Exhibition Design before transitioning back into his professional career where he has expanded his work in a variety of design-related fields, including lighting design, education, and software development with a keen focus on AR and VR.

Sahoko Yui is a consultant for Meshki Design Center, specializing in user experience research, design, and development. She combines academic experience with skill sets gained from the completion of real-world, practical projects to deliver immense value to Meshki’s clients.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sahoko uses qualitative methods to validate emerging technologies and create user research-driven designs. She employs this approach as she partners with Meshki’s design, development, and engineering teams to deliver product design features and roadmaps to develop products and services for clients. Her extensive research and development skills and hands-on projects have laid the foundation for our future endeavors in the mentioned fields. Sahoko also aids Meshki with its ambitions for developing cutting-edge solutions for assisted living design and tackling the important issue of houselessness using AI, robotic technology, and applying sustainable design principles.

Sahoko has extensive experience in landscape architectural design and research. While completing her Ph.D. in Geography at the University of California, Davis, she assisted the team at Meshki with several design, planning, and research projects in this space. One of these projects was the complete landscape design of Cruess Hall at UC Davis. With her input, the team came up with several innovative ideas, including the design of adaptive furniture for students to use on campus and the creation and presentation of ReFrame, which is UC Davis Design Department’s installation prototype for the prestigious Sofa Chicago event.

Continued collaboration between Sahoko and the team at Meshki has resulted in several successful projects over the years, and her expertise in this space presents a great opportunity for clients looking to bring their visions to life.

UC Davis Venture Catalyst

  • Brand
  • 2019
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Catalyst for Biotech Innovation

Design and Marketing Strategies for UC Davis Venture Catalyst

As a creative director, I was responsible for successfully implementing the UC Davis Venture Catalyst brand, ensuring that all branding materials effectively communicated the brand message and visual identity.

01
Brand Implementation

The Big Event

The UC Davis Venture Catalyst Biotech Innovation Gallery (BIG) startup showcase event was a platform for UC Davis-associated biotech startups to receive directed business training, mentorship, and support resources. Involved in the design and creation of materials for this event, including banners and pitch deck templates.

01

Banner Design

Designed pop-up marketing banners for the 20 participating startup companies in the UC Davis Biotech Innovation Gallery showcase event. These banners were an essential part of the branding and marketing efforts for the event.

02

Apparel

Collaborated with the Associate Vice Chancellor in Innovation and Technology Communication on various aspects of apparel design. This included designing the Venture Catalyst logo and implementing the logo embroidery on flatback rib zip pullovers. The agency helped create a cohesive brand image for the Venture Catalyst.

03

Marketing Materials

Worked with faculty, student and staff innovators, and university-associated entrepreneurs to develop and maintain a consistent visual identity and message for the Venture Catalyst. Was responsible for designing and creating marketing and communication materials that were effective in conveying the brand's message and visual identity.

04

Branding Handbook

Developed a branding handbook with content writing and graphic layout guidance on creating a logo for the Venture Catalyst brand. This handbook was targeted at university-associated entrepreneurs and graphic designers who wanted to create a logo for their brand.

05

Editable Templates

Created templates in Word and PowerPoint for both internal and external communication. Also provided structured coaching and guidance on visual communications and graphic design to faculty, student and staff innovators, and university-associated entrepreneurs. This ensured that all communication materials were consistent with the Venture Catalyst's visual identity and message.

06

Presentations

Responsible for developing pitch deck templates for Venture Catalyst presentations. Also created customized pitch deck designs for individual companies and designed the graphic layout for Venture Catalyst presentations. The design work ensured that the presentations were effective in conveying the brand message and visual identity.

07

Credits

Client
UC Davis Venture Catalyst

Agency
Meshki

Year
2019

Role
Creative Director