ROXANNE BENEFIEL

Co-founder, Creative Strategist, Group Hugg

Roxanne Benefiel is a creative director and brand strategist whose work moves between design, storytelling, and social impact. Over her 15-year career, she has built a practice rooted in empathy and equity, using design as a tool for connection and change.

Through her co-run studio Group Hugg, Roxanne leads brand and content strategy for purpose-driven organizations and nonprofits. Her most recent work with the Joyful Heart Foundation guided a full digital transformation and content and visual refresh, reimagining how the organization’s mission—to transform societies response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse—shows up in the world. She also co-runs Paper Rowte, a foundational brand strategy agency for women athletes and advocates, dedicated to advancing visibility and voice in sports culture.

A graduate of the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts, Roxanne now serves as a teaching assistant for the course “Branding Social Movements,” led by Dr. Ilene Feinman. Her work continues to explore how design can activate empathy and awareness, and how storytelling can mobilize communities toward justice and care.

As a juror for the 2026 PRINT Awards Citizen Design category, Roxanne celebrates work that uplifts, disrupts, and reminds us that design is a living practice of responsibility and resistance.