Patrice Gardner originally comes from a small town in Missouri where she always dreamed of making impactful and dynamic waves. As an inquisitive individual, her journey started with the love of social life, behaviors, cultures, and change. This led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, majoring in Sociology. However, being a creative has always been a passion of hers, and she looked for ways to bridge the gap between society and design, emphasizing the way people communicate and interact through experiences. She then continued with her educational journey and obtained a Master of Arts, specializing in Communications and Digital & Multimedia Design. Through curiosity and creativity, she pressed forward, dedicating her time over the past 10 years to developing businesses and organizations through design strategies, human-centered approaches, dynamic storytelling, and visual communications.
Throughout Patrice’s career, being at the intersection of graphic design, communications, and strategy, she’s shaped brands, led design teams, and delivered transformative user experiences across industries—from dynamic startups to global enterprises. At Grace Hill Women’s Business Center (2017), Patrice took on a pivotal role as Program & Communications Manager, where she helped existing and aspiring entrepreneurs receive vital trainings and resources to drive success and sustainability. While leading marketing and communication efforts, she was able to create connections for entrepreneurs, connecting them with lawyers, bankers, business coaches, and more. In addition, by doing the heart work, more than 1200 individuals were able to benefit from program services yearly. Since then, she’s supported businesses in a variety industries like Bear Robotics, Accelerate Change, and TNTP.
Patrice continues to craft designs for UX/UI, brand development, and social impact, collaborating with top-tier companies and non-profits alike. As a leader, she is highly adaptable, always learning and evolving with emerging trends and technologies and encouraging teams to do the same. She helps to drive innovation, push creative boundaries, and ensure work not only captivates but also drives real, measurable business results. Patrice continues to blend visionary design thinking with a results-focused mindset, disrupting traditional concepts and intentionally setting the standard of authentic connection and accessibility for all.