A kinder, more beautiful future.
J5 was founded in 2013 with a simple question: how might we design workplaces where people looked forward to Monday mornings? Our founders, John Vardalos and Kevin Drinkwater, believed that a more intentional approach to employee experience could transform culture, productivity and innovation from within.
What started as a spark has grown into something much bigger. Today, our projects include everything from airport experiences to public health systems. We’re building platforms for innovation inside corporations, uncovering new revenue models for nonprofits, and helping government agencies reimagine how they serve communities.
The work may look different now, but our spirit hasn’t changed. We’re still driven by curiosity, possibility, and the belief that meaningful change happens when people are invited in. We’re here to help create a kinder, more beautiful future, and we hope you’ll be part of it.
Our values.
Success comes from the diversity of our people and the culture in which we work. Our values ensure that our employees, clients and partners are treated equally, regardless of their age, sexual identity, gender, ethnicity, or religion.
Be Human
We are kind, vulnerable and take the time to listen
Be Brave
We know that it takes courage to embrace uncertainty, and the first step is to lean in.
Be Together
We are a formidable team when we come together.
Be Creative
We push the boundaries of what is possible.
Be You
We are individually unique and that is powerful.
Management team.
At J5, management is more than a role, it’s a practice rooted in listening, learning, and co-creating with the people we serve. Together, they set the tone for how we work: with humility, curiosity, and an understanding that real change happens when we roll up our sleeves alongside clients, employees, and communities.
To our clients, our leaders are trusted partners who help navigate complexity, align diverse stakeholders, and turn good intentions into practical, human-centred solutions. To our team, they create the conditions for growth, creativity, and wellbeing, ensuring that every project reflects the values and purpose that define J5.
John Vardalos
Founder
Kevin Drinkwater
President
Sydney Johnson
Head of Design
Leadership team.
The risk of poorly designed services or strategies are high, and the path to change is often complicated. Our practice leaders ensure that our work is grounded in rigorous methods and nurture the culture within J5, mentoring and supporting our teams so that we can continue to bring creativity, resilience, and humanity to every engagement.
In short, they help us do what J5 does best: design with people, not for them. And in doing so, they help the organizations we serve build services, systems, and strategies that are truly fit for the future.
Tim Chen
Team Lead
Annan Ollivierre
Team Lead
Erika Mahoney
Client Lead
Kristofer Kelly-Frere
Creative Lead
Jaclyn Ap
Team Lead
Kyna Ceschini
Digital Lead
Lily Lo
Team Lead
Design team.
At J5, our entire team is made up of strategists, designers, researchers, and engineers who lead with curiosity, creativity, and care. We come from diverse backgrounds such as public policy, healthcare, architecture, technology, business and the arts, but what brings us together is a shared belief that design can change lives.
You’ll feel the difference when you work with us, because we don’t just show up with answers, we show up with open minds and open hearts.
Julie Kuhn
UX Designer
Dan O’Shea
Service Designer
Hannah Kim
Service Designer
John Hutchings
Service Designer
Katie Saxon
Service Designer
Floriane Rousse-Marquet
Service Designer
Katie Pula
Service Designer
Autumn Sanders
Service Designer
Natasha Mawji
UX Designer
Cindy Lam
Visual Designer
Rhea Kachroo
Service Designer
Amy Bronson
Service Designer
Meng (Bo) Li
UX Designer
Pachy Orellana-Fitzgerald
Service Designer
Gabrielle Dickson
Service Designer
Join our team.
If you're a kind and creative designer, developer, strategist or something in between and want to make the world a better place, please take a look at our open roles.
