Keynote | IXD2 Detroit

At the IXD² Conference in Detroit, I delivered a keynote titled “The Power of the Pivot,” exploring the transformative journey from industry designer to educator. Drawing from my own career shift—from Senior Designer leading global campaigns to Assistant Professor shaping future creatives—I discussed how strategic pivots can redefine purpose and expand impact across both professional and personal landscapes.

The talk examined the intersections of design practice, education, and community, highlighting how lessons from fast-paced agency work translate into teaching methodologies rooted in mentorship, access, and representation. I spoke candidly about navigating identity, imposter syndrome, and reinvention within the creative industry, inviting audiences to view change as a design process in itself—iterative, reflective, and intentional.

Ultimately, “The Power of the Pivot” encouraged designers, students, and educators to embrace adaptability as a creative superpower and to build careers that reflect evolution, not limitation.