Speaking

Keynotes and Workshops on AI, Design, Careers, Leadership, and Craft.

For the last 15 years, I've been delivering keynotes, workshops, and panels throughout the world. I deliver dynamic, entertaining, and easy-to-follow talks that audiences and organizers love. Currently, I'm focused on AI integration, design leadership, and building things that actually work. No fluff. No frameworks you'll forget by lunch. Just hard-won insights from 25 years of shipping products at NYT, Shopify, Fanatics, and beyond.

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Current Keynotes

What I Speak About

Design Is Dead. Long Live the Build.

45-60 minutes | Keynote

The design industry is panicking. AI can generate UI, write copy, and ship prototypes faster than any human. If that's your job, you should be worried. But here's the thing: that was never supposed to be your job.

What This Talk Covers:

Why the "Pixel Factory" we built over the last decade was always the wrong optimization
What "Liquid UI" means and why interfaces will assemble themselves based on intent
The three new deliverables that matter more than mockups: Behavior Briefs, Contracts, and Guardrails
How to shift from "pixel pusher" to "architect of behavior"
Why focusing on failure states first is the secret to trustworthy AI products

Who It's For

Product designers, UX designers, design leaders, engineers building AI features, and anyone who's been told their job is "at risk" from AI.

Audience Takeaway

A clear framework for what design work actually looks like when AI is doing the production work—and why that's the best thing to happen to your career.

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The Creative Age: Why Builders Are Eating Managers

30-45 minutes | Keynote

We spent 20 years building management layers around creative work. Committees to approve a button color. Reviews to ship a modal. The creative class became the bureaucratic class. And now AI is automating the bureaucracy—leaving only the people who actually make things.

What This Talk Covers:

The rise of the "Full-Stack Creator" and why generalists are winning again
How to build a career around making, not managing artifacts
Why design systems failed and what replaces them
The tools, workflows, and mindsets of people shipping 10x faster than their peers
From "career ladder" to "project portfolio"—a new model for creative careers

Who It's For

Designers, developers, and creative leaders who want to stay relevant in an AI-accelerated world.

Audience Takeaway

A new mental model for what a successful creative career looks like—and permission to stop optimizing for promotions and start optimizing for output.

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Creative Truth: Building a Design Business Without Losing Your Soul

45-60 minutes | Keynote or Workshop

You quit your job to follow your passion. Six months later, that dream may start feeling like a nightmare. The dream of running your own creative business hits the reality of pricing, clients, and cash flow. This talk is about the unsexy truth of building a sustainable creative business.

What This Talk Covers:

Why "follow your passion" is incomplete advice
The real numbers behind a profitable design business
How to price your work (and stop racing to the bottom)
Managing clients without managing your sanity
Building a practice that lasts decades, not months

Who It's For

Freelancers, agency owners, studio founders, and anyone thinking about going independent.

Audience Takeaway

Real frameworks for pricing, proposals, and positioning—plus the mindset shifts that separate sustainable businesses from burnout.

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More Talks

Additional Topics

AI for Design Teams

How to actually integrate AI into design workflows without the hype.

Design Leadership at Scale

Building and leading design teams at Fortune 500 companies.

Design Systems That Don't Suck

Why most design systems fail and what actually works.

From Freelance to Agency

Scaling a solo practice into a sustainable studio.

Career Transitions

From stuntman to lawyer to designer to executive—designing your own path.

Product Strategy for Designers

How to think like a product leader, not just a pixel pusher.

Watch

See Me In Action

Full speaking reel coming soon. In the meantime, book a discovery call to discuss your event.

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Track Record

Select Speaking History

Year	Event	Location	Talk
2017	Generate London	London	Design Craft
2016	ConveyUX	Seattle, WA	Building Profitable Design Practices
2016	Revolve	Charleston, SC	Design Craft
2016	IA Summit	Atlanta, GA	Design Craft
2015	InVision Insights	Virtual	Design Craft
2014	BlendConf	Charlotte, NC	Design Craft
2015-2017	Future Insights Live	Multiple Cities	Design Leadership
2015-2017	General Assembly	Multiple Cities	Creative Truth Workshop
Ongoing	CreativeMornings	Atlanta, GA	Featured Speaker
Ongoing	Private Corporate Events	Various	Design Leadership & AI Integration
2015-2018	How Design Live	Multiple Cities	Design Craft
2012-2015	WebVisions	Multiple Cities	Design Craft
2015-2018	Creative South	Columbus, GA	Design Process
2016-2018	Weapons of Mass Creation	Cleveland, OH	Design Process
2016-2017	Midwest UX	Multiple Cities	Design Craft
2013-2018	Converge	Columbia, SC	Multiple Topics
2014-2020	Circles Conference	Dallas, TX	Workshops & Keynotes

Reviews

What Organizers Say

When You Book Me

What You Get

Custom Talk Development

I'll tailor the content to your audience, industry, and event theme. No canned presentations.

Pre-Event Collaboration

A prep call with your team to align on goals, audience, and logistics.

Professional Delivery

High-energy, no-notes speaking with audience interaction and real-time Q&A.

Slide Deck

Clean, visual presentation designed for impact (not bullet-point hell).

Post-Event Resources

Attendee takeaways, resource links, or exclusive content for your audience.

Social Amplification

I'll promote the event to my audience before and after.

Let's Make Your Event Unforgettable

I typically book 2-3 months out for conferences and 4-6 weeks for corporate events. Fees vary based on format, travel, and customization.

Schedule a Discovery Call Email Me Directly

Based in Atlanta. Available worldwide. Travel included in all engagements.

Questions

FAQ

What are your speaking fees?

Fees depend on format, travel, and customization. Conference keynotes are often set by the event and I can discuss options with you then. Corporate workshops and multi-day engagements are quoted separately. Let's talk about your budget and goals.

Do you speak at virtual events?

Yes, happy to! I have a full setup in my office for professional presentation and simultaneous screenshare and high-quality recording for your event.

Can you customize the talk for our industry?

Absolutely. I always tailor content to the audience. Whether you're a SaaS company, design agency, or enterprise team, I'll make it relevant.

Do you offer workshops in addition to keynotes?

Yes. I offer half-day and full-day workshops on AI integration, design leadership, design for engineers, and much more. These are hands-on, not lecture-style.

What's your cancellation policy?

Deposits are non-refundable, but I'll work with you to reschedule if needed. Full terms are in each speaker agreement.

Will you come on our podcast?

Probably! I love podcast conversations. Reach out with your show details and audience.

Keynotes and Workshops on AI, Design, Careers, Leadership, and Craft.

What I Speak About

Design Is Dead. Long Live the Build.

What This Talk Covers:

Who It's For

Audience Takeaway

The Creative Age: Why Builders Are Eating Managers

What This Talk Covers:

Who It's For

Audience Takeaway

Creative Truth: Building a Design Business Without Losing Your Soul

What This Talk Covers:

Who It's For

Audience Takeaway

Additional Topics

AI for Design Teams

Design Leadership at Scale

Design Systems That Don't Suck

From Freelance to Agency

Career Transitions

Product Strategy for Designers

See Me In Action

Select Speaking History

What Organizers Say

What You Get

Custom Talk Development

Pre-Event Collaboration

Professional Delivery

Slide Deck

Post-Event Resources

Social Amplification

Let's Make Your Event Unforgettable

FAQ

What are your speaking fees?

Do you speak at virtual events?

Can you customize the talk for our industry?

Do you offer workshops in addition to keynotes?

What's your cancellation policy?

Will you come on our podcast?

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