BIOGRAPHY

My belief is simple: creativity is the only job left.

I do not believe creativity is a department. It is a way of seeing and solving business problems through a different lens. In a world where anyone can generate anything, what matters is knowing what should exist. Taste is now the currency of the future.

I have spent the first half of my career helping others build their brands from the outside, and the second half building one from the inside. Not just developing a brand from the ground up, but discovering its unique voice and giving it a soul—creating work that stands apart in a sea of sameness.

I believe the best work lives at the intersection of art and science. There must be tension between creativity and commerce. Commerce does not have to be hollow. Technology does not have to be cold. Scale does not have to mean sameness.

At Squarespace, I helped build a brand and a creative culture inside a technology company—a place where creativity has a seat at the adult table and reports directly to the Founder and CEO. A company that has baked creativity into its DNA and values. A place that uses design as its differentiator. A place committed to building a brand that feels like it belongs in the world, not just in the market.

For the last thirteen years as Chief Brand and Creative Officer of Squarespace, I built one of the most respected and awarded in-house creative organizations in the world, long before it became fashionable. I joined in the scrappy startup days and helped guide the company into a global, publicly traded business with a brand that consistently punched far above its weight.

Our team was named the world’s number-one brand-side agency by The One Club for Creativity, Brand of the Year by the Art Directors Club, and Agency of the Year by both Shots and Ciclope. Along the way, we were nominated twice and won an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial.

I have been honored as Ad Age Brand Chief Creative Officer of the Year, named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, included in the Adweek Creative 100 as a Branded Content Innovator, and recognized by Gold House A100 as one of the Asian Pacific leaders shaping global culture.

Beyond Squarespace, I serve as Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees at my alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design. There, I am helping shape what a creatively led future looks like—one where creativity, critical thinking, critique, and craft form the foundation of higher education. A place that teaches people to think, to question, to feel, and to make. A place that insists on a unique point of view and a different perspective on the world.

I am also a global speaker and advisor, with talks and keynotes at Harvard Business School, Cornell, Pratt, and Columbia University. I have spoken, judged, and been recognized at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Club, Art Directors Club, Clios, Ciclope, and C2 Montréal.

I am French Canadian, American, and South Korean—a cultural mix that taught me early that perspective is everything. I earned my BFA in Design from RISD and built my career across some of the world’s most influential creative environments. At Sid Lee in Montréal, I learned to move fluidly between design, advertising, digital, and architecture. At AKQA San Francisco, I helped shape global digital platforms. At Wieden+Kennedy London, I learned the craft of storytelling. At TBWA Worldwide, I worked across a global network of 12,000 people spanning 250 offices and ten regional hubs.

Squarespace became the place where it all converged—a single, enduring challenge where I could bring everything I had learned about brand, technology, culture, and craft into one chapter spanning nearly thirteen years.

For more than twenty-five years, I have worked to prove that creativity equals business success. I have worked inside the world’s most creative agencies and inside brave companies. I have been in the rooms where big decisions get made, alongside leaders who understand that creativity, taste, and human judgment are not nice-to-haves. They are now the foundation of what comes next.

We are entering a time when the most important skill will not be knowing how to use the tools. It will be knowing what to do with them.

This is the work I do.
This is the future I am building toward.avid Moon Ki Lee is the creative and business visionary known for his transformative role as the Chief Brand & Creative Officer of Squarespace. Over the past 12 years, he has played a pivotal role in Squarespace's journey from a dorm room startup to a prominent IPO unicorn.

His remarkable achievements have earned his team numerous accolades and industry recognition. Under his guidance, Squarespace has become Ad Age's In-House Agency of the Year, Shots Agency of the Year and Ciclopes Agency of the Year. Additionally, Squarespace has been honored as the Brand of the Year by the Art Directors Club and became the world's top-ranked in-house agency by the One Club for Creativity.

David was named the Brand Chief Creative Officer of the year by Ad Age and has been nominated twice and won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Commercial of the Year. He has been celebrated as a Branded Content Innovator on Adweek's Creative 100 List, setting new standards for storytelling and artistic integrity in addition to being named a Creative Visionary shaping the future of creativity. Fast Company recognized him as one of the Most Creative People in Business, while Business Insider acknowledged him as one of the Best Designers in Tech. David has also been featured in Gold House's A100 list, honoring Asian Pacific Leaders who have made a profound impact on culture and society.

David is an accomplished speaker and frequent guest lecturer who has given keynote talks at Harvard Business School, Cornell, Pratt and Columbia University in addition to speaking at industry events such as the Cannes Lions, One Club for Creativity, D&AD, Ciclopes and many more.

David's multicultural DNA as a French Canadian, American, and South Korean is a testament to his diverse perspective and unique lens on how he sees the world. Prior to his time at Squarespace, David held key roles at TBWA Worldwide, Wieden+Kennedy London, AKQA San Francisco while beginning his career at Sid Lee in Montréal. David holds a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and currently serves on their Board of Trustees as the Co-Chair, Officer of the Board where he is helping set the foundation for a creatively led future for the next generation of artists, designers and thinkers.