I’m Clarice Bajkowski, the 19th’s Chief Creative Officer. As Creative Strategist, I oversee our brand and editorial visuals, leading an award-winning team of creatives who share my passion for our mission. Together, we shape the visual and strategic direction of our brand, ensuring our work truly reflects the diverse voices and experiences of the communities we serve. I joined The 19th in summer 2020, drawing on brand experience with Fortune 500 clients like Microsoft, Dell and HP to build our brand from the ground up. My work has earned multiple Society of News Design Awards of Excellence, and my typography has been featured in Typism Books 7, 8, and 10. I’ve been published in USA Today, The Guardian, and PRINT Magazine, and I’m a 2025 Poynter Executive Fellow and 2023 Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Media alum.
I bridge strategy and execution, centering design-thinking and equity to build creative systems that make space for inclusive storytelling. I’m attuned to the power dynamics of visual communication and work to ensure design serves the communities it represents.
I’m an Army brat, a proud Texan, and a graduate of the Texas Creative Program at UT Austin. Outside of work, the commitment to uplifting voices continues—I’m exploring with my family, working on typography projects, and building on my family’s extensive photo archive to add to the American Black story.
My work is free to consume and free to republish because of contributions from readers like you. A donation of $19 goes a long way toward sustaining our nonprofit newsroom.
