Dani Vachon (CEO, The Beacon Design Collective) came into the world with a natural passion for people, nature, and the arts. From an early age, she possessed an unstoppable drive and an unshakable belief that she could do whatever she set her mind to. For Dani, entrepreneurship was never about chasing money—it was always about following curiosity and doing what felt meaningful.
That mindset was evident early on. In high school, Dani organized and promoted her first multi-day music festival. By 18, she had launched an independent record store with her substitute art teacher. Around the same time, she was excelling in biology and earth sciences and actively involved in the Green Club—planting the seeds for a lifelong concern with environmental issues.
A Life Fueled by Passion, Not Profit
After completing design school, Dani spent the next 12 years immersed in the indie music scene. Originally drawn to album artwork and concert posters, she not only achieved that goal but also gained recognition in poster design, including being published in the iconic hardcover book Art of Modern Rock. She also built and managed Vancouver’s first online music zine.
Her contributions to the indie scene were extensive: she managed bands, produced over 300 concerts, founded a record label, launched three music venues, designed hundreds of posters, and co-founded a 50-event multidisciplinary arts festival. It was a whirlwind of creativity and hard work—and it was fueled entirely by passion, not profit.
But the realities of indie business eventually caught up. Without much focus on financial sustainability, and after tough lessons about business partnerships and risk, Dani found herself buried in debt.
Designing Her Own Path
In 2011, she shifted gears, moving into the gig economy and working in corporate events. She brought her expertise to major productions like Luxury and Supercar Weekend, Concord Seawall Challenge, Festival of Lights, EAT! Vancouver, and the Center of Gravity. She was successful, but the work didn’t fulfill her the way music and art had. More troubling was the sheer volume of waste at these events.
At one particular show for Fleetwood Mac, Dani found herself alone at the end of the night, tasked with disposing of leftover catering. She was faced with four industrial bins—each large enough to fit two people—overflowing with untouched food, all destined for the landfill. She cried. The waste was unbearable.
Her career had shifted into something highly operational and emotionally draining. Burned out from 18-hour shifts and disheartened by environmental disregard, she realized it was time to return to her creative roots.
That’s when Beacon was born—a design-focused venture that allowed Dani to realign her professional life with her core passions: creativity, sustainability, and purpose.
From Freelance to Founder
For business owner Dani Vachon, growth has been a constant journey of learning and adaptation. Over the years, she has faced a series of challenges, each one teaching her a new lesson.
Initially, as a solo freelance designer running her company, Beacon, she learned the value of niching down to attract the right clients. She also realized that higher rates for agencies are justified by the overhead costs and infrastructure needed to support the creative work.
As the company expanded and she brought on subcontractors, Dani began her journey into people management. She learned that clear, responsive communication is essential for building trust and loyalty with clients. When she eventually hired a project manager, she faced the challenge of finding someone who cared as much about the business as she did.
In recent years, as the team grew even more, the focus shifted to creating standard operating procedures (SOPs), but enforcement was difficult. This led her to the complex world of human resources. Through trial and error, Dani refined her hiring process, but setbacks still occur. For example, a new hire recently quit after just one day for a better-paying job.
Dani now believes that HR is one of the most complex parts of running a business. Her biggest takeaway is to set clear expectations early and often and to let people go sooner rather than later if those expectations aren’t being met.
The Beacon of Leadership
For Dani Vachon, leadership hasn’t been defined by a single breakthrough moment. Instead, it’s been more like a flywheel—gaining momentum gradually, built by countless challenges and quiet victories over time.
Every obstacle has added strength. Every difficult decision has brought greater clarity.
A concept that deeply resonated with Dani this past year was drawn from “Leaders Eat Last.” It crystallized something she had already been living: the idea that true leadership is about serving and protecting your team. In her words, her role is to protect the flock—to keep the business financially stable so her employees can live balanced, happy lives.
In practical terms, that means her team’s salaries are prioritized. If the business experiences a downturn, Dani takes the hit first. She makes the tough calls, faces the hardest problems, and bears the weight of uncertainty—so her team doesn’t have to. And when the business does well, she shares in that success, knowing that trust and fairness are the foundation of a resilient team.
Over time, this approach has cultivated something powerful: mutual trust. She believes that her team knows she has their back. And that trust fuels not just productivity, but a sense of shared purpose. It’s what makes them stronger—together.
Beyond Aesthetics
Beacon is a creative agency that goes beyond aesthetics to create an emotional connection with its audience. The company’s unique approach, called Empathy Stimulation™, combines content (storytelling, images and media, transparency), visuals (colours, fonts, shape, design elements), and user experience (ease of use, clear user journey, accessibility, testing) to help people not just understand a cause, but feel it. This emotional connection motivates people to take action, whether it’s donating, volunteering, or spreading the word.
Beacon’s mission-driven focus also shapes its business practices. The company is carbon negative, donates 1% of its revenue to charity, and views itself as a partner in its clients’ movements, not just a vendor. Success is measured by both traditional metrics and the real-world change that their clients achieve. Additionally, Beacon understands the challenges that nonprofits face, such as limited budgets and tight timelines, so the company creates flexible, practical, and sustainable solutions.
In short, Beacon’s success comes from its focus on empathy as both its method and its measure of success. By prioritizing human connection, Beacon creates brands, communications assets, and websites that drive social change.
Human-First Creativity in the Age of AI
In addition to running a creative studio, Dani Vachon is also a published author and speaker. Her e-book on branding, titled Star Dust, explores the emotional and strategic layers that give brands their unique magic. She has also shared her insights at the Canadian Digital Marketing Summit, speaking on the future of creativity in an increasingly automated world.
Dani is keenly aware of how AI is transforming the creative industry—and fast. Design, copywriting, and branding strategy—all are being reshaped by automation and machine learning. But rather than resist it, Dani embraces AI as a tool, not a replacement.
She’s clear on one thing: while AI has its place at Beacon, it serves only as a support tool, not a creative engine. The team uses AI in small, practical ways, such as transcribing meetings, generating summaries, or pulling out action items. At times, it may assist in expanding an artboard for different formats or drafting text based on prompts. But AI is never used to design assets, create imagery from scratch, or replace human strategy. At Beacon, creativity and direction remain firmly in human hands, with AI simply enhancing efficiency where it makes sense.
This commitment to authenticity is captured in a phrase the studio has proudly trademarked: “Handmade by Humans™.” It’s more than a tagline—it’s a promise. A declaration that every project is grounded in human strategy, emotion, and intention.
In an industry that’s moving at the speed of algorithms, Dani Vachon stands firmly for thoughtful, human-first communications and branding that connects with audiences on a deeper level.
Recognition Through Craft
- 2025: Webby Honoree – Recognized for the motion graphic project, For a Loving Future, which was praised for its emotional storytelling and animation.
- 2024: Vega Gold Award – Won for the illustration work on Being Métis Makes Me Happy, a project that celebrated Métis culture through vibrant and intentional design.
- 2023: Clutch Top B2B Company – Acknowledged for consistently delivering high-quality work, based on positive client feedback and strong industry reputation.
- 2022: Worldwide Logo Design Award – Received for the branding work on Mountain Kids Outfitters, highlighting the studio’s talent for creating engaging and professional visual identities.
- 2024: Building Resilient Organizations won the Design Master Prize for publication design
- HBC Trail Book Although the book did not receive any awards, Beacon was responsible for both writing and designing it for the client; a combination that is far less common than simply providing editing and design services.
How Beacon Works with Experts to Elevate Every Project?
At Beacon, collaboration is a core value. The company regularly partners with outside experts to ensure its work is not only visually appealing but also well-researched and purposeful. This approach is based on owner Dani Vachon’s belief that diverse expertise leads to higher-quality results and greater impact.
Beacon’s key collaborations include:
- Torpy Consulting: A partnership focused on emergency management. Torpy handles the research and writing for projects like evacuation guides and emergency operations manuals, while Beacon takes on the content strategy, editing, and design to make the technical content clear and accessible.
- A Michif language translator: This collaboration was for creating children’s books to teach young Métis readers the Michif language, ensuring linguistic and cultural accuracy.
- Left Align Consulting: A grant-writing firm that works with politically left organizations. This partnership helps craft and position funding proposals for maximum impact.
- Kashu Co.: A long-time creative partner that animates Beacon’s stories and illustrations for use in public education campaigns, brand storytelling, and digital learning.
Beacon’s Strategic Growth
Consistent Revenue Increases: Beacon has seen impressive year-over-year revenue growth under Dani Vachon’s leadership.
- 2024/2025: 38% increase
- 2023/2024: 16% increase
- 2022/2023: 38% increase
- 2021/2022: 40% increase
The Blueprint for Purpose-Driven Growth
Beacon’s success is driven by a business model that combines creative excellence with operational discipline. This approach has led to high demand and strong client retention, particularly for its human-centered design services. While the majority of its revenue (80%) comes from clients in Canada, Beacon has a growing presence in the United States, which accounts for the remaining 20%. For founder Dani Vachon and her team, this financial growth is a result of building a resilient, purpose-driven company that remains aligned with its core values.
Where Values Meet Practice?
Under Dani Vachon’s leadership, Beacon operates as a successful creative studio with a strong commitment to ethical, inclusive, and sustainable practices. The company holds several certifications, including BBB A+ certified, WBE-certified as a woman-owned business, and Platinum certified by the Green Business Benchmark.
Beyond these certifications, Beacon’s values are woven into its daily operations:
- Charitable giving and environmental action: Since 2021, Beacon has donated 1% of its revenue to charity, funding initiatives like planting over 300,000 mangroves and creating urban mini-forests to support biodiversity.
- Employee-focused policies: The studio provides its employees with flexible work hours, competitive pay, paid time off for volunteering, and prioritizes diverse hiring practices.
- Commitment to accessibility: All designers are trained in WCAG AA and AODA compliance to ensure that all digital products are inclusive and accessible to everyone.
For Beacon, these values aren’t just for show; they are fundamental to how the business operates and delivers its work.
Dani Vachon on Building a Culture of Growth
At the core of Dani Vachon’s leadership philosophy and Beacon’s culture is a genuine love for constructive feedback and continuous improvement. The mantra #BeBetter isn’t just a hashtag—it’s a fundamental value that guides how the team grows, learns, and delivers.
For every project, Beacon holds what they affectionately call “wrap parties”—post-mortem meetings where client feedback is openly gathered and recorded. These conversations become the catalyst for internal discussions focused on refining processes and enhancing future outcomes. It’s a culture built on openness, curiosity, and a relentless drive to improve.
Beacon’s values are deeply interconnected, but at their essence, they boil down to one simple truth: they care immensely.
- Be Better: Continuous improvement shapes everything at Beacon. The team embraces curiosity, learning, and collaboration to achieve the best results for clients, colleagues, and the causes they support.
- Empathy First: True understanding lies at the heart of Beacon’s work. By putting empathy first, they create solutions that resonate deeply, connect communities, and inspire meaningful action.
- We Give a Hoot: Whether it’s the success of clients, the well-being of their team, or positive change in the world, Beacon shows up with passion and purpose, driven by a sincere desire to make a lasting difference.
- We Say, “Why Not?”Bold thinking and creativity are encouraged every day. By questioning norms and embracing risk, Beacon uncovers opportunities others might overlook.
Together, these values create a culture where people and ideas flourish—propelling Beacon to continually raise the bar in both creativity and impact.
The Competitive Edge of Inclusion
Beacon has been featured in several publications, with mentions that speak to both the quality of their creative output and their values-driven approach to business. Here are a few of them:
- CEO Official Magazine
- Xraised
- WJBF Press Release
- KRON4
Open Letter to Aspiring Entrepreneurs by Dani Vachon
Dear fellow entrepreneur,
The secret to changing your life isn’t a secret at all: it’s about how you spend your time. What you focus on shapes your thoughts, and your thoughts create your reality.
My business completely changed when I started using my free time to read business books, hire a coach, and connect with other entrepreneurs. These weren’t just expenses; they were smart investments that paid off big time.
So, spend your time wisely. Focus on what truly matters: your family, your values, and your goals. When you do, you’ll start building a life that’s not only successful but also deeply fulfilling.
You’ve got this!
Dani Vachon,
CEO, The Beacon Design Collective
5 Key Takeaways from the Cover Story of Dani Vachon
- Purpose Over Profit from Day One
- Beacon is a Studio with a Soul
- Values Are Embedded in Operations
- Leadership Through Service and Trust
- Sustainable Growth with Creative Integrity
