Hi, I'm Sam.
I run Samapa Designs. Since starting the studio in 2020, custom merchandise and collectables have been part of the work. My wider experience spans communities, websites, design and marketing. Here's a closer look at the person behind the studio.
The story so far
2013 / Starting with a community.
I started SSU Clan in 2013 and grew the organisation through to 2017. We fielded Division 1 premier teams. Building and running that community was my introduction to the work behind an esports organisation, not just the name people saw on match day.
2015 / Taking marketing beyond esports.
In 2015, I started working in marketing at a small local car dealership group. Alongside the community work, this brought another setting into my experience: a local business, its brand and the people it needed to reach.
2017 / Closing one chapter.
I retired SSU Clan in 2017 and secured funding for another Australian esports organisation. The organisation I had built came to an end, but my work in esports continued. That transition is part of the experience I bring to community projects today.
2018 / Working across five regions.
In 2018, I joined a major Australian and New Zealand automotive group as Marketing Manager for Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and the ACT. It was a different scale from the local dealership group and another part of my background before Samapa.
2020 / Making it my own.
I started Samapa Designs in 2020. Custom merchandise and collectables became part of my own studio work: taking ideas through artwork, proofing and production. That hands-on side of the business remains important to what Samapa offers today.
2022 / Coins people wanted to trade.
In 2022, trading challenge coins showed me how much design mattered. Some coins were incredible, while ours struggled to attract trades. That frustration gave me ideas. I put my design skills into making challenge coins people would be excited to collect and trade.
2023 / From an idea to regular production.
The challenge-coin work grew quickly. By 2023, I was running regular challenge-coin production through the studio. What started with that trading experience had become a real part of my working life: designing coins, working through proofs and taking them into production.
2026 / Back to the wider studio.
After a setback, I restructured and refocused Samapa in 2026. Challenge coins remain part of the work, alongside a broader creative studio and consultation. Redemption and my current work with Trident are part of that direction: websites, design, marketing and communities. True North remains my independent apparel label.