Our Team

Nicole Haddad, Founder

Nicole is the Founder of Brand New Day and ArtWorks, a leadership training and team development consultancy rooted in human flourishing and deliberate creativity. She is also an award-winning professor of advertising, design, and leadership development at Southern Methodist University. She is driven by her commitment to guide students and young professionals to identify and pursue work that is meaningful and authentic to them in an ever-evolving world.

  • Dr. Kerri Cissna

    PROFESSOR OF CREATIVITY & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
    Miami University, Farmers School of Business

    Dr. Kerri Cissna is an expert in inclusive leadership, emotional intelligence, and creative problem-solving. She helps organizations harness diversity for innovation through keynotes, workshops, and retreats that focus on purpose-driven leadership and creative expression.

  • Dr. Greg Dern

    Dr. Greg Dern teaches courses in Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in the Department of Entrepreneurship and the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship in Miami University’s Farmer School of Business. He is also certified self-actualization coach through the center for human potential.

  • Abbie Ellermeier

    MARKETING & PROGRAM COORDINATOR

    Abbie, an SMU senior studying marketing with an advertising minor, balances her academic pursuits with her role as a freelance makeup artist at Estée Lauder. Her passion for empowering women through beauty, combined with her own transformative travel experiences, fuels her advocacy for personal growth. She approaches life's challenges with authenticity, creativity, and a dash of dark humor, while her curiosity drives her pursuit of marketing innovation.

  • David Eyman

    DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION
    Miami University, Farmers School of Business

    David Eyman is an innovation and creativity expert who uses the power of creativity to build communities of action. With over 20 years in Industrial Design and product invention, he works across public, private, and non-profit sectors to drive culture change, facilitate design thinking, and lead creativity workshops.

  • Steve Rice

    PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS & SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
    Northwestern Michigan College

    Steve Rice is a faculty member and Co-Founder of the Office of Possibilities - Traverse City, MI. (OOP’s-TC). He is a thought leader and futurist in the space of higher edu and human flourishing. 

  • Justus Woods

    BRAND AMBASSADOR

    Justus Woods, a marketing major at Southern Methodist University ('25), channels his passion for community and innovation through leadership roles and event organization. Most recently, he co-organized Dare to Dream, bringing Google leaders to inspire SMU students through Purpose, Grit, and Action. As a Brand New Day ambassador, he combines his love for personal growth with his mission to help others unlock their potential, all while pursuing his interests in fitness, unique films, and building connections.