I just decided when someone says you can’t do something, do more of it.

Eason Yang is a designer, speaker, educator, creative director, and social innovator.

After overcoming cancer and rebuilding his life, he has become the face of professional comebacks, inspiring others to realize their full potential despite life’s interruptions and adversity. 

Eason's career struggles are often humorously compared to Steve Jobs' return to Apple, Robert Downey Jr.'s return to acting, and Lance Armstrong’s cycling victories (just kidding!).

Early in his career, Eason led global creative teams at Uber, Ogilvy, and Saatchi & Saatchi, earning worldwide recognition, including the Cannes Young Lion Award in 2012.

In late 2016, a cancer diagnosis altered Eason's path. Though he beat cancer, he was labeled “unhireable” at 35 due to a resume gap. Unfazed, he founded Not Entirely Dead (NED), a social enterprise to help cancer survivors navigate life and work transitions.

Eason’s work in design and social innovation has earned recognition from major creative awards, including AIGA, PRINT, and D&AD. Fast Company named NED the 2023 World Changing Idea and Most Innovative Design.

While creating NED, Eason earned a Master of Design degree from the University of Washington and served as the 2022 Commencement Speaker.

Today, Eason teaches design, mentors young creatives, and speaks globally, reshaping the narrative around creativity and societal impact.

Beyond design, Eason is a self-trained marathon runner, having logged over 8,000 km as part of his comeback. Each morning, classical music organizes his mind as he runs. 


Design & Innovation Awards

2024  PRINT Awards - Design for Social Impact
2024  PRINT Awards - Environmental Design

2023  Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Award - Art & Design
2023  Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award - General Excellence
2023  D&AD Awards - Future Impact
2023  D&AD Awards - Side Hustle
2023  American Graphic Design Award
2023  Graphic Design USA Responsible Designer
2023  Kleiner Perkins Design Fellow

2022  AIGA Year in Design - Winner of Social Design

Speaking + Lecturing

2024  Singapore Design Week
2023  TEDx Santa Barbara
2023  NPR - Podcast Guest 
2023  CreativeMornings - New York 
2022  CreativeMornings - Seattle 

2024  Yale University
2024  SVA - School of Visual Arts
2023  Tsinghua University
2023  Northwell Health
2023  Accenture
2023  Thomas Jefferson University
2023  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
2023  Microsoft
2023  The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2022  Fred Hutch

Exhibiting

Spring 2025  Featured Exhibition: New York Public Library
2022  Featured Designer: Seattle Design Week
2022  Featured Designer: University of Washington

Judging

2024  Global Creative Graduate Showcase
2024  Startup Yale at Yale University
2024  D&AD New York Portfolio Review
2023  AIGA Design Leader Certification
2023  AIGA Professional Designer Certification

Teaching

2023 - 2024  Yale University - Social Innovation Mentor