Saturday, Oct 21

9:15 - 9:45 am
keynote speaker

the multi-faceted creative

Creative people by nature are passionate, talented, and dimensional individuals. Behind every creative is a kaleidoscope of interests that is constantly evolving. In a world where everyone tells you to pick one thing to specialize in, how can you turn your multifaceted identity into a superpower? Explore how your dynamic identity can fuel your success in a world hungry for innovation.

with will rodriguez, VP Of design and technology, weidnerCA

10:00 - 10:45am
breakout sessions

How to Launch a Business

Celia Surridge from the Better Business Bureau and Michelle Dahl from Career Creatives will team up to offer technical advice along with real-life experiences to follow the journey of getting a business off the ground. Learn and share about the challenges, lessons, and creative resources used to overcome the last few years.

With Celia Surridge and Michelle Dahl

Crafting a Creative Team Culture

While you may lead a creative team, the culture may not always reflect the work that you do. Learn how the leadership team at Yellow Brick Group cultivates a creative culture within their teams. They will share insights into their rituals, habits, gatherings, how they communicate, and more.

With Curtis Currier and Shawn Kahan of Yellow Brick Group

Design for Public Policy and Civic Engagement:Strategic Communications for Non-Profits

This panel will explore how design can be used to improve public policy and civic engagement, especially in non-profit advocacy. We will provide you with the tools and insights you need to create compelling strategic communications campaigns that reach your target audience, both within and outside your region.

With Thea Appling, James Hackett-Little, and Julie Baker

10:45 - 11:00 am
break

11:00 - 11:45am
general session

Facilitated Networking

You want to meet people, build your network, and make strategic connections. But networking is hard and honestly… a little awkward. Facilitated networking makes it easy. Instead of being left on your own to introduce yourself to strangers, you’ll be guided through a step-by-step networking experience. We'll even tell you exactly what to say (in just 60 seconds) so you get the best results. Plus, this session is on Saturday just before lunch, so you’ll meet new people to have lunch with and chat with throughout the event.

with jennifer bourn

12:00 - 1:30 pm
lunch

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
general session

the impact of mentorship

Hear Creative Leaders speak about how mentorship has aided them in their career trajectory. Topics will include the benefits of being as well as having a mentor, how to become a mentor and how to find and secure one.

With Marcy Wacker and stacey baradit

2:30 - 3:15 pm
breakout sessions

Pricing, Packaging and Positioning

Calculate your proper hourly rate so you ensure you pay yourself, pay your expenses, build your emergency fund, and return a profit to your business for future reinvestment. Discover a simple way to price and package your services for profit. And learn how to position your offers to get more yeses and close sales faster and easier.

With Jennifer Bourn

Leading High-Performing Creative Teams

Creative leaders from our region share strategies, tactics and insights on how to build and lead effective create teams. Learn and share about hiring, team structures, operations and processes, influencing stakeholders, coaching for performance, and more.

Facilitated by phil tretheway, with tamara lawrence and rashael parker

A Career in UI/UX

Are you curious about a UI/UX design career but don’t know where to start? Whether you're a new designer or considering a career switch, learn from local creative experts on how to get started, essential skills, growth opportunities, and resources for a rewarding UI/UX career.

facilitated by Marko Dugonjić; with Stacey Baradit, Christina Florente, and Carmen Zagazeta

3:30 - 4:15 pm
breakout sessions

Promoting and Growing Your Business

Now that you’ve launched a business, it’s essential to know how to sustain it. Learn how successful business owners have marketed their businesses and grown their clientele. By the end of the session, you’ll learn what type of marketing captures potential clients' attention, what channels to use, how to retain a client, and how to scale sustainably.

with celia surridge of better business bureau

Origin Stories of creative professionals

Join us for a lightning round where a diverse group of creative professionals share their origin story of how they got started, where they are today, and the catalyst the sparked their career trajectory.

with Eddie Rodriguez, Angelo Esquivel, Carmen Zagazeta, Steph Zangeneh Azam, Brina Patel, Landon Lee, and Roy Rezentes, II

making Space for Translation

Translation is usually something designers think about after the work has been completed. But what happens when the work is translated and the different languages don’t fit within your specs? Mónica Nainsztein, founder of Localipusm, will talk about why it’s important to make space for translation.

with Mónica Nainsztein

4:30 - 5:15 pm
general session

finding balance

Join Megan for a 45-minute session at the end of our first full day at the conference to help your body and mind integrate all the important information you’ve been hearing and absorbing throughout the day. Whether you need some moments of quiet sitting before moving into the evening, or more interaction and reflection, with a theme of Finding Balance, she will help guide us through some gentle body movements, reflection prompts and optional partner work – the choice is up to you. Either way, you’ll walk away with some helpful resources and personal toolkit ideas to help you fill your cup. Creatives are always hustling, let’s embrace this time to slow down and connect.

With megan morgan

5:30 - 7:30 pm
mixer

Join us for the official celebration after a day of learning and inspiration. We’ll have drinks, small bites, and fun activities. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with your creative community.

Sunday, Oct 22

10:15 - 10:45 am
keynote speaker

Cultivating Culture in our Cities through Art & Design

As creative professionals, we can contribute our expertise to influence the city in which we live and work. Jason Jong, Cultural and Creative Economy Manager at the City of Sacramento, will share how he uses his background as both a musician and community advocate to make a positive change and the opportunities that are available for us to do the same.

with jason jong

11:00 am - 12:30 pm
breakout sessions

Zine pop-up

Join our engaging workshop, where you'll learn to craft your own mini zine from a single sheet of paper. Whether you're passionate about showcasing your artwork, promoting your business, or expressing any idea close to your heart, this workshop is your creative canvas. This hands-on, entirely analog experience fosters a tactile and artistic environment. You'll use pencils, markers, stickers, glue, and collage materials to tap into your inner artist and bring your vision to life. By the workshop's end, you'll proudly leave with a tangible zine ready for photocopying and sharing, or you can use it as a draft for further exploration with digital tools.

Additionally, talented zine makers (listed below) will be on-site, showcasing and selling their unique zines. This offers you the opportunity to not only create your zine but also explore a diverse range of zines crafted by experienced creators. Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of zine culture, gather inspiration, and perhaps connect with fellow enthusiasts.

Roch, Mad, Erk @trashdaypress

Lydia Chang @artfulyds

R.M. Bermudez @death2mallgrabs

Alisa T. @sneepart

Lynn Tobin @lynn.tobin

Alondra Moreno @isopropanolarts

Mara G. @_maralane

with justina martino and Jazel Muñoz

Building a Case (Study)

Explore a step-by-step process for building a case study that sets up the objective, strategy and the impact of your results. Learn from local creative leaders in our industry.

with landon lee and carmen zagazeta

Lessons Learned from Building a Resource Site

Good design can have a significant impact on resources businesses rely on. Monica Griffis from Sacramento Metro Chamber and Floyd Diebel from EMRL talk about how its website redesign improved their members' ability to easily access their resources.

with monica griffis and floyd diebel

12:30 - 2:00 pm
lunch

2:00 - 2:30
general session

how a creative team impacts business results

Business and creativity aren’t usually associated together. However, when companies learn to harness creativity and partner with creatives—strategists, copywriters, photographers, designers, etc.—they often get impactful business outcomes. In this session, advertising leaders will share how businesses have increased their top line by hiring creative professionals and how business owners can start partnering with creative professionals today.

with lori bartle, Tra huynh, maggie Giordanengo, and Steph Zangeneh Azam

2:45 pm - 4:15 pm
breakout session

How to Talk About Your Creative Work

 You’ve built your portfolio, now it’s time to pitch it to a potential client or employer. So, how do you effectively communicate the value of your work? Katie McCleary, public speaker and storyteller, will team up with fine artist and founder of Career Creatives, Michelle Dahl, to cover both the technical aspects such as the story and structure of your portfolio, as well as non-technical aspects, such as vocal delivery, catering to the audience, and art of the follow-up.

with katie mccleary and michelle dahl

Diversity and Inclusion in the Photo Industry

How often do you see diverse representation in the photo industry? People of all abilities, genders, backgrounds working and learning from each other? Different faces in front of the camera, as well as behind the camera? When there’s a lack of representation at the table, brands struggle to create content and market to their diverse audiences. For the creator, the challenge is to incorporate representation in your practice while staying true to your craft. In this talk, Editorial and Commercial Photographer Jyotsna Bhamidipati will share different ways you can authentically infuse diversity and inclusivity in your brand.

with Jyotsna Bhamidipati

Motion design Workshop

Learn about motion design with in-depth presentations from three local creatives: Landon Lee (Noble Creative Collective), Tori Cincotta (Zendesk), and John Blake (Capacity Studios). We’ll explore behind-the-scenes techniques for 2D character animation in After Effects, motion design branding for tech, and creating video game cinematics in Cinema 4D + Unreal Engine. Whether you’re new to motion design or an industry veteran, there’ll be something in this workshop for you!

With John Blake, Landon Lee and Tori Cincotta

4:30 - 5:00 pm
keynote

creating a brand for the sacramento region

The Greater Sacramento Economic Council is partnering with agency un/common to design a brand identity for the Sacramento Region. Hugo Martinez, Associate Creative Director from the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, and Amber Williams, Partner at un/common, joins us to share the story behind this inspiring initiative, the research, and the creative progress so far.

with hugo martinez, amber williams and brantley payne