Cheresse Thornhill-Goldson

adidas / Director - Design Education & Growth, S.E.E.D - School for Experiential Education in Design

Cheresse is a design leader who has been in the footwear industry for 15 years. Her career began in 2007 at Nike Inc. in Beaverton, OR. During her nearly 10 yr career at Nike she designed footwear for the likes of Kobe Bryant, the Jordan Brand and many more athletes globally. In 2016 she relocated back to her hometown of Miami, FL to teach product design at both the college and high school level including her own high school alma mater, Design & Architecture Senior High.

Cheresse simultaneously launched No Shoes Creative, design consultancy, advancing brands like Champion and adidas. In January 2020, she moved to Brooklyn, NY to lead adidas S.E.E.D. (School for Experiential Education in Design) as the Design Director. S.E.E.D. is a groundbreaking, paid 2yr footwear design university alternative, for women from diverse backgrounds creating further access and pathways into the adidas brand and sportswear industry. In partnership with Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design, transforming not only the footwear design industry but also design education. S.E.E.D. couples open-source design education and mentorship, from world-class design professionals, with “real world” product creation for the marketplace all housed within the adidas brand. S.E.E.D.’s impact will not only be seen through the diverse faces and voices graduating from the program and transitioning into the industry but also through the resonance of its product in the marketplace.

Cheresse is part of the team transforming the footwear industry and cultivating the next generation of diverse design talent.

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Past Jury