November 2025

MFA DSI Alum Share Their DSI Journeys at Open House 2025

Missed our NYC Open House? Watch our innovative alum Amer Jandali, Bruno Monteiro, and Alejandra Saker share their DSI journeys. See the presentations here.

This past November, MFA DSI centered our annual Open House around the theme of “DSI Journeys”, who you are before DSI, and how DSI changes your way of thinking and practicing. Each of our special alum speakers reflect a completely different “DSI journey”.

Amer Jandali (MFA DSI ’16) founded and leads Marketplace of the Future, which just celebrated its ninth year closing out Climate Week NYC. Amer is a former nightclub and festival DJ turned Environmental Entrepreneur. He practices Social Design to bring the public closer to climate solutions. Amer exemplifies the entrepreneurial path many DSI-ers take. Watch his presentation here.

On his DSI experience, Amer said, “First, DSI was my first sandbox and launchpad. A place to rewire my brain with vocabulary, processes, and tools to allow my values to work towards the betterment of humanity. It’s truly become integrated in my practice and my life. To the point where the Social Design Principles are the first lesson in all four classes that I teach between two universities.”

Bruno Monteiro (MFA DSI ’16) is Vice President and Head of Digital Experience at HealthEquity, where they’re tackling the healthcare affordability crisis in the United States by redesigning and empowering people to save, spend, and invest for their health and wealth. Bruno shows us the DSI core of systems-thinking in application to the private sector, while still designing with care. Watch his presentation here.

When asked what DSI provided him, Bruno said, “The most important thing DSI gave me was the ability to see in systems — to understand how policy, behavior, and design are interconnected. That lens completely changed the way I lead, build organizations, and translate research into meaningful strategy.”

Finally, Alejandra Saker (MFA DSI ’24) is a Social Designer at Johnson & Asberry Communications and Communications & Education Designer at + POOL. Alejandra illustrates a non-profit journey post-DSI. Watch her presentation here.

When asked what DSI provided her, Alejandra said, “DSI taught me how to design with rather than for communities — grounding my work in co-creation, cultural context, and care. It helped me understand design as both a reflective and relational practice: one rooted in listening, transparency, and shared authorship. Those values continue to shape how I approach every project, from community engagement to public communications.”

Thank you to all our incredible DSI alum!