DesignTO Board Chair, Zviko Mhakayakora. Photo by The Creative Graham.

Zviko Mhakayakora’s Role & Passion for Relationship Building

As you may know, DesignTO is a not-for-profit, arts organization. It is run by a four-person leadership team, and supported by a small but mighty group of volunteers. Behind the scenes is a seven-person Board of Directors.

Just ahead of our 15th birthday, we’re thrilled to announce that the DesignTO Board Chair torch will be passing from Shaun Moore to Zviko Mhakayakora. In this Q&A with Tory Healy, DesignTO’s Editorial Manager, we’ll learn about Shaun’s time as a co-founder of DesignTO and later as Board Chair, and dive into Zviko’s trajectory through design school, her career, and what she loves most about DesignTO.

Tory Healy: Looking back 15 years, what led you to become one of DesignTO’s co-founders?

Shaun Moore: At the time of founding the Festival, independent designers in Toronto were producing really interesting work and ideas but were lacking exposure. The group who brought the first iterations of the Festival to life were working from a “strength in numbers” perspective. By coming together to promote our projects, we knew we could gain much-deserved public and media attention for the participating artists and designers, while also fostering an encouraging atmosphere to launch and discuss their work. Over the years, the Festival has substantially grown in scale and scope, but that desire to forward independent design (and design in general) has persevered.

TH: What decisions led you to take on the position as board chair?

SM: I took on the role of Board Chair because I believed there was a need for a depth of understanding, and perhaps compassion, for the Festival that a founder would be able to impart at the board level. We were still a very small organization, but growing quickly. I’m really proud of that growth and the many achievements our amazing team has accomplished. I can’t wait to see how the board will thrive under Zviko’s leadership.

TH: Why do you think it’s important to bring in new leadership?

SM: New leadership breathes new energy and perspective into an organization. It can shift the spirit and inspire change at various levels. Co-chairing with Zviko these past few months, I can already feel her bringing her enthusiasm to the board and executive levels, and I’m super excited to see that translate into great new things within DesignTO. 

TH: Zviko: When and how did you first get involved with DesignTO? 

Zviko Mhakayakora: In 2017, I curated an exhibition titled Where Is Home? that was part of the Toronto Design Offsite Festival (DesignTO’s former name). That was my first time working with the DesignTO team, and it was an amazing experience. A few years later while in a role at OCAD University, I worked closely with Jeremy Vandermeij as one of my clients on Design4 – a program OCAD U’s RBC Centre for Career Design hired me to bring to life. Through that, Jeremy worked with a curated multidisciplinary team of students to create the look and feel for the 2020 DesignTO Festival. I also worked closely with Deborah Wang through OCAD’s Career Launchers to recruit Programs Assistants, who played a role in bringing the Festival’s programming to life.

TH: What was the initial draw to the not-for-profit?

ZM: I was raised to be a firm believer in the Afrikan principles of Ubuntu, so working in and around community progression has always been a passion of mine. With DesignTO my goal was to immerse myself in the not-for-profit space and understand how such businesses work from the inside, and how targeted communities are impacted by our work. It has been fulfilling to get almost real-time feedback on what we’ve been working on and how things can be improved. I am grateful that I’ve had the chance to see that in different capacities, in various Canadian industries, given where I’m coming from.

TH: Where are you from originally and what brought you to Toronto?

ZM: I was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, and came to Toronto by way of Ottawa. I moved here to pursue my Bachelor of Design from OCAD University, one of Canada’s largest and leading art and design universities. 

‘Where is home?’ curated by Zviko Mhakayakora, with works by Annie Patiño-Marin, Žana Kozomora, Maxim Vlassenko, and Jessica Gaba. Part of the 2016 DesignTO Festival. Photo credit: Yuula Benivolski

TH: What was your first foray into design?  

ZM: I went to a school that valued creativity and the arts. My art and music teachers encouraged us to experiment and try new processes. Many of our class projects involved poster design and finding the best ways to communicate with different audiences. I found that came naturally to me. 

I’ve been exposed to design from a very young age. My dad is an architect and was the Principal Director for Local Housing, Public Works, and National Housing. After school, I would often wait in his office while he did presentations, had planning meetings, and watched him use his drawing board. We would also go and see projects he was working on and go for building or project tours. I loved seeing him in his element. I saw the importance of building relationships with the people you work with very early on. My dad is great at building and maintaining those. I enjoyed seeing the process from a building plan to getting the chance to walk into a completed building.

TH: What did you study at OCAD U and what was your greatest takeaway from your time and training there?

ZM: Graphic design. While I was there, I also got to learn curation from Andrea Fatona, the former director of the graduate program in Criticism and Curatorial Practice. My biggest takeaway was the importance of building relationships and maintaining them. 

TH: What is your current professional role? What do your day-to-day duties look like?

ZM: I am a corporate relations and business development specialist at Schulich School of Business, working with a broad spectrum of clients, like L’Oreal, PepsiCo, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Restaurant Brands International, Johnson & Johnson, and Enterprise Mobility, to name a few. My portfolio covers retail, healthcare, consumer services, consumer packaged goods, and supply chain & logistics. 

My focus is building relationships, and how I do that changes day-to-day, depending on the time of year. At Schulich, a lot of my work involves getting opportunities in front of students and clients so they can form their relationships. I also work closely with many of these clients to bring events and programming to life, for example, standalone events, career fairs, workshops, and the list goes on!

And when I find the time, I moonlight as a real estate agent in the GTA. My dad is an architect, I’m a designer, and real estate is something that we’re very passionate about in my family. 

TH: What do you find most admirable about DesignTO?

ZM: The impact that the Festival has had over the years. At different Festival events over the years, I’ve met visitors who drove up from the U.S., flew in from other parts of Canada, or from other countries to attend our events. DesignTO is a warm and welcoming Festival that brings people together, and where a lot of great relationships and collaborations are formed. The team has consistently maintained a great culture that continues to bring people together with a shared love for design.

Also, the scale that the Festival has grown. We’ve rebranded, shown the works of over 6,500 artists and designers over the years, and welcomed over 1 million visitors to our events since 2011. And we are still growing. That impact on the community has also been great to see.

‘Alimi Adewale Salon’ curated by Zviko Mhakayakora. Photo by Zivi Photography.

TH: How many different hats have you worn for DesignTO and what has led you to chair the board?

ZM: I’ve had the chance to experience the Festival as an audience member and curator/participant. I’ve been on the DesignTO Awards jury and on the board. I am very passionate about design and the work that the team is doing. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to collaborate with such well-connected and genuinely kind people. Having many points of exposure to the team, Festival, and the opportunity to have an impact on the future of an organization I adore, drew me to be on the board. 

TH: If you could crystal ball or manifest, what does DesignTO’s next 15 years entail?

ZM: I would manifest that DesignTO becomes synonymous with the Art Basels, and Venice Biennales of the world. The pandemic made it possible for events to be virtual, which gave access to folks who wouldn’t normally have access to our events. I had a few friends tuning in from Zimbabwe, which was nice to see. I would love to see more people from around the world attend our events both in person, and online.

TH: As a lover of design, who are some of your favourites? 

ZM: Lately, I’ve been finding inspiration from traditional Southern Afrikan art and design. One of my favourites is Ndebele kitchen designs, typically done by women. These designs use bright colours, geometric shapes, often following a pattern. An example of this is work by Esther Mahlangu. I’m drawn to connect more with my roots, culture, and the history of where I come from.

TH: What one design discipline would you like to learn more about and why?

ZM: Environmental design. I am generally interested in development and architecture that respects the environment it’s in and finds interesting ways to coexist. During a recent visit to Australia, I learned that when planning a build there, landscaping gets approved in the initial stages. You must respect foliage that is native to that area and cannot introduce any potentially harmful species. I found that interesting, and I’d love to learn more about processes like that in other parts of the world.

TH: What is next for Zviko, in say 5-10 years? Professionally and creativity-wise?

ZM: More travel, real estate deals, experimenting with different art and design processes, and learning. I want to hyperfocus on expanding my international network.

‘Alimi Adewale Salon’ curated by Zviko Mhakayakora. Photo by Zivi Photography.