#AGirlsGottaWork
When she was 41, she launched her branding and design agency in Sydney. The New York office opened in 2000.
A visual storyteller, speaker, workshop leader and founder of an award-winning branding and design agency (1992-2005) with offices in New York and Sydney, Van has been working in the brand intelligence space with innovative leaders, startup CEOs and Fortune 500 organizations for 30 years. Clients included Viacom, Time Inc., Sony, Nestlé Nespresso, The Museum of Modern Art, N.Y., Comcast Cable Communications, American Airlines, Coty, Sydney Opera House, Federal Airports Commission, Zurich Insurance, Condé Nast Publications, News Corp., Working Mother Media, Macau International Airport (China) and many more.
As creative director of van de Wiel Inc., she
initiated a global startup program, launching
People Weekly magazine in the Australian marketplace (the first time Time Inc. launched the title offshore), the Macau International Airport in China, The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia (the first museum dedicated to the study of the U.S. Constitution) and 3-D product lines for The Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.
When J. Walter Thompson came knocking to buy her agency, she said no, thanks. Her father never got over it. (Fast forward to 2005. Agency sold.)
Dubbed brand psychologist by Time Inc. (they found her repeatedly tapping into the brand’s EQ), Van has since been consulting, speaking and running her signature NY Brand Lab workshops in the USA, Latin America, Europe and Australia. Her focus? Helping people recognize who they are — so others can.
A guest lecturer at The University of California (UCLA) and The University of Sydney Business School master's program, she recently collaborated on creating storytelling content for The University of New South Wales' Center of Social Impact (Sydney). She’s written for entrepreneur.com, been quoted and featured in Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Reuters, The Australian Financial Review, Investor's Business Daily and American Express OPEN Forum.
Fast forward: Currently based in Mexico, Van is designing her second Limited Edition Collections based on her original paintings.
Go take a look! blacklinecrazy.com
• CLIENTS: Viacom, The Museum of Modern Art, N.Y., Sony, American Airlines, Comcast Cable Communications, Nestle Nespresso (Lausanne), Conde Nast Publications, Macau International Airport (China), The Magazine Publishers of America, Sydney International Airport, Sydney Opera House, Federal Airports Commission, Coty, J. Walter Thompson, News Corporation, City of Sydney, Zurich Australia Group, Hearst and Working Mother Media and more.
• SPEAKING GIGS: Time Warner Cable’s Executive Women’s Association, Los Angeles; Panel Moderator, Nestle Nespresso Global Brand Community Workshop Panel, Lausanne, Switzerland; Australian Human Resources Institute Conference AHRI), Melbourne; Australian Association of Management (AIM) Sydney; Nous Group Management Consultants, Sydney; Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), New York City & New Jersey; International Business Women’s Association, Mexico City; American University’s MBA Program, Washington, DC; Pacific Magazines, Sydney, Australia; Fashion Group International Annual Regional Conference (FGI), New York; Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York; San Francisco State University, San Francisco; Cornell Club, New York and more.
• WEEKLY HOST OF THE NY BRAND LAB RADIO
For four years, Van interviewed over 200 CEOs, entrepreneurs, designers and change agents to find out why one brand nails it and others fail. Guests included Simon Sinek, Ayse Birsel, Dr. Bob Deutsch, Jeff Shesol, Sally Hogshead, Dr Nick Morgan, Alex Bogusky, Brian Collins and many more. Listen at zingyourbrand.com/radio