Creativity Flow Speaker Series

Creativity Flow Speaker Series is an award-winning event presented by Laguna College of Art + Design in collaboration with Group Y, delivering unparalleled insights into the future of innovation.

Creativity Flow unites visionary leaders across art, design, and commerce, offering a platform for groundbreaking ideas and transformative solutions.

Our distinguished lineup includes creative trailblazers from industry giants such as Disney, NFL, Blizzard Entertainment, Rivian, Oakley, Liquid Death, Works Collective, Monster Energy, Mattel, and Blenders Eyewear.

Take center stage and gain firsthand wisdom and insight from the industry’s top creatives. Watch the full talks below and join the new era of creatives.

• Disney
• NFL
• Blizzard Entertainment
• Rivian
• Oakley
• Liquid Death
• Works Collective
• Monster Energy
• Mattel
• Blenders Eyewear
• Family Guy

Ryan Wilson’s, aka ThankYouX, evolution from anonymous LA street artist to internationally recognized hybrid multimedia painter. He discusses the lessons learned on the importance of understanding contracts and intellectual property in art, as well as the ongoing balance between commercial collaborations while maintaining creative authenticity.

From firefighter to streetwear entrepreneur, Joshua Vides launched his first brand at 19, balancing creative passion with a demanding job. He gives insight on self-negotiating major brand collaborations with Jordan, Fendi, BMW, Puma, and more without agents or lawyers. Joshua advocated preparation, adaptability, grinding through failures, and readiness to seize unexpected opportunities.

Nate Morley began his career producing over 200 Target commercials, learning to never settle for the first idea but push for many creative options. At Nike, Nate managed the global running brand, balancing authentic connection to the core running community while serving a vast and diverse global audience. He then went on to develop the LA 2028 Olympics branding concept featuring hundreds of “variable” logos reflecting the city’s diversity, emphasizing grassroots community involvement.

Nikki Scoggins leads creative efforts at Blizzard Entertainment, overseeing iconic franchises like Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. Nikki emphasizes the critical importance of being true to culture and creating work you genuinely believe in. She addresses challenges and opportunities for women in male-dominated industries, calling for men to be better allies. Nikki encourages aspiring creatives to claim credit, never stop creating, and be fearless in the pursuit of their artistic vision.

Brian Takumi talks about the “secret recipe” for Oakley’s brand, which includes nine creeds that provide objective criteria beyond subjective impressions. Cinematic storytelling and brand fiction are used as frameworks for unifying Oakley’s vision and narrative. He says that the brand aims to inspire employees and collaborators by inviting them to become active participants in Oakley’s unfolding story.

Denise Cherry shares her journey from architecture to marketing leadership at Rivian. She discusses building creative teams by hiring top talent and fostering collaboration and autonomy, as well as embracing curiosity, optimism, and incremental problem-solving as keys to innovation.

Andy Pearson talks about shifting focus to entertainment over traditional marketing, using humor and satire to engage and delight audiences as his strategy for Liquid Death. One of his many advice is to treat the brand as a character with a personality, allowing authentic, nuanced, and surprising storytelling.

Terry Snyder brings a 20+ year journey shaping creative branding in action sports and lifestyle industries. During his early career at DC Shoes, he formed foundational lessons in athlete-driven storytelling and brand authenticity. Here, he offers insightful advice on persistence, networking, and creative leadership for emerging professionals.

A classic example of trusting the process, John Martinez started with just wanting to draw. Today, he is the Vice President of Creative at Monster Energy, working with some of his childhood heroes. John gives insights that can apply to any young designer or artist.

Chris Down’s Hot Wheels project exemplifies innovation risk-taking, blending physical toys with digital features while facing market challenges. His advice to young creatives is to observe consumers rigorously, collaborate, embrace failure as learning, and always deliver your best work.

Dan Povenmire’s story is full of surprises. He learned valuable lessons about detachment from artwork while working on The Simpsons. Phineas and Ferb took 16 years from conception to cultural phenomenon, impacting Disney’s viewer demographics. His lifelong experience comes down to persistence in breaking into the industry. Dan is the Co-Creator of Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy’s Law and Creator of Hamster and Gretel.

Jeff Hammoud shines the light on his childhood passion for automotive design, education, and early career. He discusses sustainability in design, which he draws inspiration from outside of the automotive industry, like sustainable footwear, highlighting material innovation, and eco-conscious approaches.

Sophia Chang’s creative roots stem from growing up in a diverse Queens neighborhood, exposing her to multiple cultures and art forms. Collaboration is central to her work, exemplified by her NASCAR car wrap project which bridged women’s sports and design. Balancing motherhood and creative life reshapes her perspectives and priorities, integrating her personal and professional identities.

Scott Richards, also known as Slightly Choppy, is a painter, designer, collector, and surfer based in Newport Beach, California. A former Creative Director for Quiksilver and Stance, his artwork has exhibited internationally in cities including Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Sydney, Paris, and Barcelona, and is influenced by surf culture, industrial landscapes, and hand-crafted design.

Jason Sperling is the Chief Creative Officer at INNOCEAN, with a career creating iconic work for brands including Apple, Honda, TikTok, Amazon, Disney Pixar, and UNICEF Worldwide. He is known for the Apple “Mac vs. PC” campaign, has won multiple Cannes Gold Lions and an Emmy nomination, and is the author of two books on creative leadership and brand strategy.

Natalie Andrewson is an illustrator, comic artist, and Riso printmaker from North Carolina, now based in Los Angeles. Her work spans concept art and character design for animation, comic and book illustration, and editorial and advertising projects.

She created the graphic novel adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King for :01 First Second and has self-published numerous Riso-printed comics. Known for vibrant, imaginative fantasy worlds, she has worked with clients including DSTLRY, Wizards of the Coast, Canon, The New York Times, Muji, NPR, The Atlantic, First Second Books, Oculus, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, NYU, Apple, Bento Box, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, Disney, MoCCA Fest, and Thought Bubble.

Nick Foster is a Futures Designer based in Oakland, California. He has explored emerging technologies for global companies including Apple, Google, Nokia, Sony, and Dyson. Foster was the Head of Design at Google X, where he led teams developing brain-computer interfaces, intelligent robotics, stratospheric internet balloons, and neighborhood-scale nuclear fusion concepts.

Fortune Magazine named him “one of the world’s foremost leaders in speculative design” in 2018. In 2021, he was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry, recognizing his significant contributions to the field. He is also a published author and frequent public speaker on the future of technology and design.

Brian Gase is Rivian’s VP of Engineering Quality with responsibility. His responsibilities
including validating that Rivian’s products meet design criteria and customer
expectations. He also leads a Special Projects team that has built a variety of custom
Rivian’s from prototype test mules and the vehicles from Long Way Up to custom
painted R1s that can only be described as “coming soon”. Brian currently works out of
Irvine, CA and has called 3 states and 7 different buildings his home office in the 15
years he has been with the team. He has a wife and 3 sons, is extremely excited for the
upcoming R2 model and daily drives R1T VIN000003. Brian’s hands-on approach and
cross-functional collaboration have been instrumental in accelerating product
development and bringing unique, purpose-driven vehicles to life.

Gemma Correll is a British illustrator and cartoonist currently based in Southern California, where she lives with her husband and beloved pugs. She studied Graphic Design and Illustration at the Norwich School of Art and Design, graduating in 2006 and later moved to the USA in 2015. Gemma imbues her simple line drawings with narrative and humour to create illustrations that catch the eye and tell a story. Her unique style has gained her work for clients ranging from Amazon to The Washington Post on projects as varied as animated online advertisements and autobiographical comics. Gemma has also illustrated numerous children’s books and has worked extensively in publishing, editorial and on social media projects. She also licences her art for use on merchandise and homeware and fashion products. Her graphic novel, Anxietyland, will be published in April 2026.