Season 3 Ep 5: Demetrio P Maguigad (Founder of Polyrhythmic/ Creative Media and Design Strategy)

For over 25 years, Demetrio Maguigad has dedicated his career to building a more just and equitable world through the power of design, storytelling, and authentic human connection.

Demetrio's journey began with a deep-rooted commitment to social justice. As a young organizer, he witnessed the transformative power of community action firsthand. Using music, theater, and popular education methodologies like Theater of the Oppressed, he mobilized disempowered voices, working with Filipino youth and immigrant domestic care workers in Chicago. These formative experiences instilled in him a lifelong passion for addressing critical issues such as human rights, environmental justice, and social equity.

He developed his expertise in communications strategy and media production while leading initiatives at organizations like Public Narrative. There, he managed, researched, and scaled the production of Getting On Air, Online, and Into Print, a widely used communications resource guide for media and journalists. He also trained nonprofit communicators and journalists in digital media and was selected for a U.S. State Department mission to Morocco in 2012 to share his knowledge with local communicators and government officials.

Demetrio later emerged as a leading voice in social impact design during his 12-year tenure as Principal Director of Design Strategy at LimeRed, a certified B-Corp. He led innovative projects with nonprofits and social entrepreneurs, co-designed the Idea Accelerator in San Francisco and Washington D.C., and co-authored Branding for Changemakersand ARC: A Communications Guide for Small Arts Organizations Making Big Impact.

As an educator and mentor, Demetrio has taught at Columbia College Chicago for over 12 years, inspiring students in courses on social media, digital strategy, and content creation. He has also guided entrepreneurs and startups at Chicago’s innovation hubs, including 1871, 2112, and MHub, helping them apply design thinking principles to their missions.

His artistic contributions include co-founding Bagwis, a multigenerational music collective focused on human rights, and long-standing involvement with CIRCA Pintig, a local Filipino theater company, where he provided music direction and original scoring for award-winning productions.

Today, Demetrio leads Polyrhythmic, a venture devoted to creating stories and designing experiences that challenge perspectives and inspire collective action. His career is a testament to the enduring power of creativity, collaboration, and purpose-driven work.