In 2007, Julio Martinez and Erik Schmitt cofounded studio1500, a design firm in San Francisco that focuses on brand development and building collaborative relationships with clients large and small. In 2011, Martinez joined the faculty at the San José State University Department of Design, teaching foundation design courses. Between 2012–2016 he served as the Diversity Chair for the AIGA SF Board of Directors. Martinez received a BFA from San José State University in graphic design in 2002 where he also minored in illustration.
