Oh, hey. What’s up?
We’re Heather & Jesse.
And we started the damn thing. We worked together at another portfolio school in Chicago for a while — Heather was the director and Jesse was a teacher. After feeling particularly wild one day, we struck out on our own to create a better, more modern ad school. And that’s pretty much how DAD began. We’re here because we want to help people who need it, we want to make cool work, and we want to have a good time along the way.
It’s just the two of us here. We’re not owned by a giant corporation. We don’t have an executive board or sales team. If you email us, one of us actually emails you back. If you call or text the school, one of us actually picks up. Go ahead, text us right now, we dare ya: (303) 335-9840. Why the hell do we do all this work ourselves? Well, we’re crazy. And maybe control freaks. But we also really, actually, truly enjoy this. If you ask us, advertising is the most fun a creative person can have without taking their clothes off.
We set out to make the
best damn ad school
on the planet.
We’re not in the business of putting out bad portfolios. What the hell kind of business model is that? We believe your work not only reflects on you, it reflects on the two of us. Which is exactly why we take this shit so seriously. The feedback is plentiful, the critiques are picky, and we’re unflinchingly honest because we want you to be the absolute best that you can be. We’re in this together – your portfolio is our portfolio, so you know the thing is gonna end up incredible.
We're involved
every step of the way.
At other schools, you’re just another ID number in the system. But at DAD we took great care to create an ad school experience that feels intensely personal. No one is left to fend for themselves here, we’re by your side on the whole journey to teach you, train you, and curate your final portfolio in the end. You’ll see see the two of us in class, you’ll see us at the brewery after class, you’ll see us on the kickball field. You’re gonna email us on the reg, you’re gonna call us for quick fixes, some of you might even text us at all hours of the night because we obviously need to be a little more selective of who we give our personal numbers to. DAD is a small school for this reason. When your mentors feel like so much more than that it makes for a pretty fun and rewarding experience overall.
This is the “no bullshit”
advertising school.
Our punk rock spirit is ingrained in just about everything we do here. We don’t have any reverence for the advertising status quo, so we’re totally transparent with our students every step of the way. That means honest conversations about how the business actually works with insights you won’t hear in any college classroom. Prepare yourself for a lot of real talk from real advertising pros who are spilling every secret, tip, and trick they’ve learned over their career — it’s sometimes wild, often hilarious, very frank, but always helpful.
At our core, everyone here shares one thing — we all give a shit. You’ll get constructive feedback from creative directors who think “good enough sucks” and are just as invested in your portfolio as you are. You’ll often hear teachers say that coming to class each night is the best part of their work week. That’s because during class, it’s all about the fun stuff. No bosses, no clients, none of the bullshit that can get in the way — just a lot of big talk about the work on every imaginable level and being as creative and arty as we can every single chance we get.
Heather Vanisko
Co-Founder, Recruiting Director
Jesse on Heather…
“Heather is the best. If she didn’t agree to move halfway across the country and run this school, I wouldn’t have started DAD. She knows the agency world inside and out and there’s no one I’ve met who’s better at preparing young talent to enter this business. Everyone loves being around Heather — she’s kind, relatable, easy to talk to, wears a new pair of Vans seemingly every week, has a Corgi that is an absolute nutbar, and is a powerful advocate for students to have in their corner as they go out and start getting jobs. All that, plus Heather’s a total goof — she’ll be a big part of what makes your DAD experience so much fun.”
Jesse Alkire
Co-Founder, Creative Director
Heather on Jesse…
“I feel really lucky to be working with this guy. He's a ridiculously talented writer, art director and photographer. Plus he's freaking hilarious. He started DAD because he cares about making great work and making the people around him better. And most importantly, he has a lot of fun doing it which means we'll all have a fun time doing it. With probably some 90s ska or punk band playing in the background, Jesse will always give you smart, forthright and thoughtful feedback. He'll never let you play it safe and your book will be better because of it. Outside of all that good stuff, he's a huge sports fan, loves comedy and has two wild little kids. Have him take you out for a burrito and he'll give you the scoop.”
