For The Pensery’s founder, Mario S. Aguilar, the hidden suitcase was quite literal, tucked away in a utility closet in his El Paso childhood home. Young Mario always wondered what was inside the large, mysterious piece of luggage, yet could never muster the courage to venture into the dark closet and pull it out. But with age comes boldness. By the time he turned eight he was ready to brave the closet, retrieve the hidden suitcase, and finally discover its contents.

It opened to reveal a designer’s treasure lode: stencils, compasses, French curves, and a wonderfully weird sort of pencil sharpener that looked like an industrial smokestack and even smelled of smoke and oil. And although Mario had no idea what he had just found, he was immediately enthralled. These items had power and magic. He could feel their potential. He just had to learn how to use them.

We’ve all stumbled upon that feeling before—that sense of recognition and affinity that surprises yet affirms us. In our personal lives we may only encounter it by chance. In the corporate world it’s often hiding in plain sight. You just have to know where to look.

That valuable, potential-rich “hidden suitcase” may be made up of a handful of internal and external stakeholders, who can articulate their company’s defining attributes in a vibrantly authentic way. It may be seen in the trajectory of a law firm’s culture, full of history and promise, that has propelled them to a unique position in the field. It may be found in the hearts of a nonprofit’s supporters, who care more deeply about one initiative than anyone would have guessed. The suitcase—that unique collection of assets, tools, and abilities—is always there.

For Pensery clients, smart questions from our strategic partners target and locate the special suitcase an entity may not even have known it had. Then it’s up to our creative team to unpack it, take in its inspiration, select our tools, and put their power to work.

In Mario’s case, the suitcase belonged to his father, who had used drafting tools in college before making a career in the military. Pleased by his young son’s interest, his father showed him what each tool was for, including the best prize of all: a Leroy lettering set: straight rulers with the alphabet engraved into them, used to trace letters onto blueprints.

Mario, who at age eight was already a budding illustrator, began using the set, figuring out the spacing on his own, not realizing that he was learning leading and kerning. Waves of creativity and handmade holiday cards followed.

Years later, at the University of Texas at El Paso, Mario took a design course and was instantly reminded of how much joy and satisfaction it brought him. The rest has been not so much history as a continual process of uncovering, unpacking, and unfolding. The Pensery reflects the many worlds Mario has lived in and experienced, from that Texas border town to Hawaii, Germany, and the downtown design scene of New York City. Each one shaped his insights into the rich intersections of humanity and design, which the Pensery team brings to life. And in April 2022 it came full circle, when Mario was asked to serve as lecturer and juror for the University of Texas at El Paso 2022 Juried Art Exhibition.