Thedrum

Sometimes, those blazing trails don’t necessarily seek the spotlight. The quest and passion of doing good work and the right things comes first. Ginny Golden, group creative director at AKQA in Portland, is in the midst of an undoubtedly stellar career — with scads of well-deserved recognition from the likes of Cannes, ANDY’s, The One Show and more — but the foundation laid at American University speaks volumes about treading paths first. At American, Golden created her own degree, Multimedia Design and Development,combining her love of all things artistic and digital. The framework built created the degree program at American that still exists to this day and produces outstanding talent. Golden places a great premium on humanity and community — in both her travels and work. Her leadership with New Avenues For Youth in Portland, in launching a fashion brand for homeless youth, underscores her commitment to the city, a place she has called home since 2011. She also empathizes with the vulnerability creativ