Valerie Carlson

Valerie Carlson is the Global Chief Creative Officer at Critical Mass, with more than 20 years of experience across design, product, AR/VR, film, brand strategy, marketing, retail innovation, gaming, and digital applications. As an avid storyteller and creative leader, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective to building experiences that connect brands with people in meaningful ways.

Throughout her career, Valerie has worked with leading global brands including FOX Entertainment, JP Morgan Chase, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, AT&T, Honda, Kraft, and Lululemon. Her work spans digital transformation, loyalty experiences, mixed reality campaigns, e-commerce innovation, and human-centered brand experiences.

Valerie’s passion lies in building strong creative teams and developing work rooted in culture, people, and real human needs. Before joining Critical Mass, she held senior creative leadership roles at Wunderman Thompson California, Method Products, EVB, and SapientNitro. With deep experience across innovation, storytelling, and creative strategy, Valerie brings valuable insight and global creative judgment to the jury panel.