ONELAB CIC is a full service creative studio delivering design, digital media and entrepreneurship training to young people with special needs. ONELAB harnesses young people's hidden potentials and helps them convert innate creativity into a purposeful outlet.
ONELAB's person-centred approach to learning offers breadth, depth and clear progressions to (self-)employment within the creative economy. ONELAB provides a natural vehicle through which young people can explore, discover and interpret the world around them. It involves intense engagement, development of motivation and confidence, and the use of creative and dynamic ways of thinking.
ONELAB is closing the disability employment gap and offers long-term solutions to tackle unemployment amongst young people who are at greatest risk of becoming NEET.
ONELAB is led by co-founders Elsa Ellies and Miles Dunphy. Elsa and Miles each obtained Master's Degrees from the prestigious Royal College of Art, a postgraduate only design school, in July 2016.
Although the co-founders' lives converged at the Royal College of Art, they had very different pathways to design:
Elsa Ellies:
Elsa was born in Toronto, Canada and is second generation Korean. Her first degree was in econometrics, followed by a 10-year career in finance at leading global wholesale bank Scotia Capital in Toronto. After climbing the corporate ladder for a number of years, Elsa decided the time had come to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer.
She left finance to pursue fashion, moving from Toronto to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. After graduating from Parsons, Elsa was handpicked by designer Rick Owens to join his pattern cutting team in Italy. From Italy she moved to London to further her design practice at the Royal College of Art. It was here that she met co-founder Miles.
Elsa is the Chief Executive Officer for ONELAB CIC.
Miles Dunphy:
Miles was born in Cork, Ireland. He has lived experience of dyslexia and dyspraxia, which taught him to utilise all his senses in the classroom. This experience has been instrumental in designing an inclusive environment and programme for ONELAB students. Miles discovered his love for design at a young age and has always had a competitive edge and supreme drive to progress. Miles obtained his BA in Fashion from Birmingham City University.
Over the years Miles has honed his design skills and now leads all things creative for ONELAB CIC as Chief Design Officer.