Is now, Creative Director/
Design Director at Gensler

Denise Korn is the Creative Director of Brand Strategy and Design for Hospitality, Real Estate, and Lifestyle. In this role, she leverages Gensler’s global multi-disciplinary practice to strengthen the synergies between brand development, architecture, interior design, and planning.

Denise set up shop as Korn Design in Boston’s South End in 1992, after six years working as a designer, creative director and art director in New York City.

Known for her signature purposeful and collaborative approach, she is dedicated to crafting meaningful brands for a wide range of clients including top-of-class developers, hoteliers, cultural leaders and entrepreneurs – providing expert consultation in the categories of leading hospitality, restaurants, luxury goods, and ground-breaking strategic work. Before joining Gensler, Denise founded and was Principal of Korn Design.

A design industry speaker, mentor and activist, her work has been recognized by AIGA, Communication Arts, Graphis, Hospitality Design, Interior Design and Print Magazine. Denise is recipient of a prestigious Fellow Award from AIGA for contributions as a design visionary and youth advocate; and was awarded a James Beard Foundation medal for design.

A champion of equity and diversity in the creative economy, Denise founded Youth Design in 2013, mentoring the next generation of urban talent, fostering equitable career opportunities in the design industry. She was honored by the Boston Business Journal as a 2015 Leader in Diversity and was a 40 under 40 honoree. She currently serves as a Senior Fellow in Social Innovation at Babson College’s Lewis Institute, as well as a Trustee on the Board for the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Denise earned a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and serves on the Advisory Council for Diversity for Cornell’s College of Architecture Art & Planning.

Is now,
Brand Studio Director
at Gensler

Javier Cortés is the Brand Studio Director, leading groundbreaking multi-disciplinary projects and teams across a variety of project types driving to innovative, integrated design of compelling brand experiences, placemaking and the built environment. Javier brought his particular variety of talento chilango to Korn since 1996. Javier has an uncanny ability to realize complex brand strategies with ease, producing meaningful design that both delights and supports business and creative objectives.

Driven by innovation, Javier is admired for his deep knowledge of emerging lifestyle trends, abundance of bold ideas, and dynamic visual style, serving clients in the hospitality, real estate, and cultural sectors. Before joining Gensler, Javier was a Partner of Korn Design.

Javier has led dozens of game-changing hospitality projects for clients such as The Waldorf Astoria New York, Four Seasons, The Ritz Carlton, Kimpton, and Host Hotels and Resorts in locations including Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Palm Beach, St. Andrews by the Sea and Saranac Lake.

He was named as one of Massachusetts’ most influential people for the Latino community by El Planeta newspaper, and his award-winning work has been published and honored by The James Beard Foundation, AIGA’s National Competition, Graphis, How Magazine and Print Magazine. He has also earned multiple awards from The Best of New England Design Competition (B. O. N. E.).

A native of Mexico City, Javier received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, Magna Cum Laude, from Boston University. Javier served as a Connector for Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Boston World Partnerships program, as Vice President of AIGA Boston, on the board of Youth Design and YMCA. Cortes is co-curator of the exhibition “Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Awareness Posters 1985-2010,” which travelled to 10 cities including Boston, New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Pasadena, California.