Creative Confidence Podcast

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Creative Confidence Podcast

IDEO U

168 episodes

1 week ago

IDEO’s Creative Confidence Podcast shares candid conversations with creative leaders, changemakers, and innovators navigating today’s most pressing challenges. Through real-world stories and insights, we explore how to lead with creativity, build resilient teams, and drive innovation. Grounded in IDEO’s 40 years of expertise in design thinking and innovation, each episode offers inspiration and practical tools for audacious leaders at every stage of their careers. Hosted by Mina Seetharaman, Head of New Ventures at IDEO, the podcast brings a human-centered lens to the complexities of making more courageous futures. Discover more at IDEOU.com.

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All content for Creative Confidence Podcast is the property of IDEO U and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

IDEO’s Creative Confidence Podcast shares candid conversations with creative leaders, changemakers, and innovators navigating today’s most pressing challenges. Through real-world stories and insights, we explore how to lead with creativity, build resilient teams, and drive innovation. Grounded in IDEO’s 40 years of expertise in design thinking and innovation, each episode offers inspiration and practical tools for audacious leaders at every stage of their careers. Hosted by Mina Seetharaman, Head of New Ventures at IDEO, the podcast brings a human-centered lens to the complexities of making more courageous futures. Discover more at IDEOU.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...

Episodes (20/168)

Creative Confidence Podcast

Key Abilities of Creative Problem-Solvers: David Kelley (Replay)

This episode is a Creative Confidence Podcast replay. In celebration of 20 years of the Stanford d.school, we’re revisiting our conversation with David Kelley, founder of IDEO and the Stanford d.school, on the core abilities of the most successful creative problem-solvers. David also shares personal stories and learnings from his friendships with several of today’s most innovative CEOs and leaders.

At a moment when creativity is increasingly essential to leadership, this episode offers a chance to revisit the fundamentals of creative problem-solving and hear them directly from one of the people who helped define the field.

Many of the ideas David shares in this episode align with his Creative Essentials, a roundup of the best advice he's collected across his long career. Read about David Kelley’s Creative Essentials here:

https://stanfordmag.org/contents/how-to-be-creative

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Get episode recaps and register for free live podcast events at ideou.com/podcast.

Build your creative problem-solving skills with IDEO U's online courses in human-centered design, AI, leadership, and more at ideou.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 week ago

44 minutes 10 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Part 1: Honest, Realistic, and Optimistic Leadership Advice from Friends of IDEO

As the year winds down, we asked 20 friends of IDEO including IDEO U instructors, Creative Confidence Podcast guests, and partners of IDEO to share honest leadership advice for leaders heading into 2026. In part one, hear reflections on uncertainty, creativity, and momentum. Host Mina Seetharaman and IDEO Partner Ilya Prokopoff share reactions and builds on each leader's advice.

Find more episodes of the Creative Confidence Podcast at ideou.com/podcast. Take online courses in human-centered design, AI, leadership, and more at ideou.com.

Many of the leaders featured on this episode have been guests on the podcast. Find links to their episodes at ideou.com/blogs/inspiration.

Guests on this episode:

Michael Hendrix

Managing Director, Invisible Notes; former IDEO Partner

Kate Schnippering

Polar Expedition Crew Member, IDEO U Instructor: Creative Thinking for Complex Problem Solving

Catherine Connors

Co-founder, StoryQuo

Futurist in Residence and Senior Director of Organizational Design, IDEO

Suzanne Gibbs Howard

Founder, IDEO U; Leadership and Learning Advisor; IDEO U Instructor: Unlocking Creativity

CEO, BEworks

Author & Founder, Radical Candor

Mollie West Duffy

Co-author, No Hard Feelings; Big Feelings

Author & Founder, The Life Brief

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2 weeks ago

43 minutes 25 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

3 Leadership Philosophies to Inspire Creative Excellence: Mike Peng

Host Mina Seetharaman chats with IDEO CEO Mike Peng about what creative excellence means today and how leaders can cultivate it on their teams. Mike shares three favorite leadership philosophies, stories from his global career, and practical ways to spark creativity, build healthy friction, and stay inspired.

Sign up for invitations to live podcast recordings at ideou.com/podcast.

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1 month ago

58 minutes 20 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

How to Prototype with AI: Takashi Wickes

Learn how interaction designer Takashi Wickes uses AI to prototype ideas with more creativity, intention, and humanity. In this conversation with host Mina Seetharaman, Takashi shares mindsets, stories, and practical methods from IDEO U’s Prototyping with AI online course to help you stay curious, embrace friction, and keep humans at the center of AI-powered design.

Sign up for invitations to live podcast recordings at ideou.com/podcast.

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1 month ago

51 minutes 24 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Asked & Answered: Justin Massa on Adopting AI with Purpose and Confidence

How can leaders bring AI into their organizations thoughtfully, without losing what makes them human? In this Asked & Answered episode, AI strategist and IDEO alum Justin Massa joins host Mina Seetharaman to answer listener questions and share a grounded, practical view of AI adoption. Justin explains why so many companies struggle to move from experimentation to impact, how to foster a culture of safe exploration, and why empathy and trust remain at the heart of leadership in the age of AI. Read the recap of this conversation on the IDEO U blog at ideou.com.

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2 months ago

45 minutes 24 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

How to Invest in AI for Your Business: Justin Massa

AI strategist and former IDEO partner Justin Massa joins host Mina Seetharaman to help leaders cut through the hype and focus on where artificial intelligence can create the most value. He shares practical frameworks for identifying strategic opportunities, balancing automation with augmentation, and bringing AI into your organization in a way that’s both human-centered and high-impact.Learn how to use Justin’s AI Opportunity Matrix, discover four universal entry points for AI innovation in businesses, and hear why reframing ROI beyond efficiency is key to sustainable growth.Read the recap of this discussion on the IDEO U blog at ideou.com. Want to learn more? Build your own AI adoption plan and learn tools for creativity, strategy, and responsible innovation in IDEO U's AI x Design Thinking Certificate, an 8-week online program. Learn more at ideo.in/aicert.

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3 months ago

50 minutes 7 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Asked & Answered: Jennifer Lo on Bringing Futuring into Your Organization

In this Asked & Answered episode, Jennifer Lo, IDEO's Senior Director of Design Futures, responds to community questions about how leaders can bring futuring into their organizations. From making the case for ROI, to balancing visionary leadership with grounded operators, to practical ways to get started, Jennifer shares insights on how to use futuring to build resilience and readiness.Read more on the IDEO U blog at ideou.com.

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3 months ago

49 minutes 24 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

How to Think Like a Futurist: Jennifer Lo

What does it mean to think like a futurist—and why should every leader learn how? In this episode of the Creative Confidence Podcast, Jennifer Lo, Senior Director of Design Futures at IDEO, shares how futuring can help leaders navigate uncertainty, build resilient strategies, and shape the future they want to see. Learn how to spot signals, expand your strategic horizon, and use storytelling and artifacts to make long-term thinking feel actionable today.Read the recap of this conversation and see the futures cone framework mentioned on the IDEO U blog at ideou.com.Follow Jennifer Lo on LinkedIn for more futuring inspiration: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lo-28654b3/

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4 months ago

41 minutes 8 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Asked & Answered: Catherine Connors on Storytelling for Leaders, Scale, and the Future of Narrative

In this bonus episode of the Creative Confidence Podcast, storyteller and strategist Catherine Connors returns to answer top questions from our IDEO U community. We explore what it really means to lead with story—beyond frameworks and formats—and how storytelling can be used to build culture, scale ideas, and drive meaningful change.Catherine shares her take on how to build storytelling capacity inside teams, how AI is reshaping the narrative landscape, and why co-authorship is the future of leadership storytelling.Whether you're looking to grow your storytelling skills, scale your influence, or help your team connect more deeply to their work, this episode offers practical insight for how to be a better storyteller and lead with narrative intention.Want to go deeper? Explore our Communicating for Impact Certificate—a 3-course program designed to help you speak and lead with clarity, empathy, and influence: https://www.ideou.com/products/communication-certificateRead the recap of this podcast episode on the IDEO U blog:https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration

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4 months ago

38 minutes 19 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Creative Collaboration with IDEO CEO Mike Peng (Replay)

In this conversation, IDEO CEO Mike Peng shares what it really takes to foster creative collaboration on teams. From designing for trust and tension to navigating ambiguity and divergent thinking, Mike offers a clear-eyed look at how leaders can create the conditions for breakthrough ideas. Originally aired on August 8, 2019, this episode is full of timeless guidance for today’s fast-moving, complex world.

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5 months ago

37 minutes 20 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Storytelling for Change with a Former Disney Exec: Catherine Connors

What makes a story powerful enough to shift culture?In this episode of the Creative Confidence Podcast, Catherine Connors—former Head of Content at Disney Interactive and founder of storytelling consultancy StoryQuo—shares five key shifts that can help leaders use story as a tool for transformation.From rethinking traditional formats to embracing play and shared authorship, Catherine challenges conventional ideas about storytelling and invites us to create stories that people want to carry forward.Whether you're trying to connect more deeply with your team, design more inclusive narratives, or spark culture change, this conversation offers actionable insights for leaders in every industry.Read the episode recap: https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/storytelling-for-leadershipConnect with Catherine Connors on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineconnors/Check out IDEO U's Storytelling for Influence online course: https://www.ideou.com/products/storytelling-for-influence

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5 months ago

36 minutes 25 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Asked & Answered: Matthieu Lorrain & Savannah Kunovsky

How are creative professionals actually using AI today? In this Asked and Answered follow-up episode, Google DeepMind’s Matthieu Lorrain and IDEO’s Savannah Kunovsky respond to questions from the IDEO U community. They cover real-world examples of AI-powered co-design, how to maintain creative control with liquid content, designing for neurodivergence, and what it means to make nature a creative collaborator.

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6 months ago

26 minutes 42 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

AI x Creativity: Matthieu Lorrain & Savannah Kunovsky

Google DeepMind’s Matthieu Lorrain and IDEO’s Savannah Kunovsky on how AI is reshaping creative work.

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7 months ago

46 minutes 34 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Staying Human-Centered in a Tech-First World: Grace Hwang

As technology accelerates, the challenge and opportunity is to stay anchored in what really matters: people. Host Mina Seetharaman talks with Grace Hwang, former GM of Design and UX Research for Mixed Reality at Microsoft, about how leaders can use human-centered design to navigate this shifting terrain with clarity and creativity. Grace, a former IDEO associate partner and longtime advocate of ethically responsible design, offers powerful insights drawn from her work at Microsoft, health-tech startups, and IDEO. She shares her framework for responsible innovation, examples of how edge cases can spark breakthroughs, and practical ideas for shaping a human-centered design practice.

Find episode recaps and register for live podcast events at ideou.com/podcast. Take online courses in human-centered design, AI, leadership, and more at ideou.com.

__________

Get episode recaps and register for free live podcast events at ideou.com/podcast.

Build your creative problem-solving skills with IDEO U's online courses in human-centered design, AI, leadership, and more at ideou.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 months ago

40 minutes 48 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Introducing Mina Seetharaman: Your New Creative Confidence Podcast Host

The Creative Confidence Podcast has been going strong for eight years, with more than 120 leaders sharing their advice, tips, and stories with the IDEO U community. Longtime podcast listeners might recognize the voices of IDEO U Founder Suzanne Gibbs Howard and Design Director Coe Leta Stafford, our original hosts who masterfully surfaced insights and lessons from our expert guests. Now, we’re excited to introduce you to the new voice of the Creative Confidence Podcast – IDEO’s Head of New Ventures, Mina Seetharaman. In a special episode of the Creative Confidence Podcast, IDEO CEO Derek Robson sat down with Mina to learn more about her journey to creative confidence – what it means to her, lessons she’s learned, and advice she has for leaders. Plus, some very important facts, like her animal alter ego.

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9 months ago

20 minutes 4 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

What Leaders Should Know About Leading Through Change: Melanie Bell-Mayeda

Learn how to lead through change and uncertainty with a human-centered approach. Discover three key leadership levers to help your team navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence.

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10 months ago

42 minutes 12 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

How to Improve Your Leadership Mindset for Greater Growth: Bonnie Wan

Explore how overcoming limiting beliefs and enhancing your leadership mindset, with guidance from Bonnie Wan, can propel your growth as a leader.

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11 months ago

39 minutes 22 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

How to Take Action and Shape Your Future Today: Frederik Pferdt

Discover how small actions today can shape the future you want. Learn key strategies for taking control of your future with empathy, experimentation, and your unique superpower.

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12 months ago

38 minutes 50 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

Unlock the Power of Systems Thinking: Deirdre Cerminaro

Learn the core mindsets of systems thinking to tackle complex problems. Our beginner's guide helps you zoom in and out, shift perspectives, and reframe challenges for lasting solutions.

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1 year ago

31 minutes 45 seconds

Creative Confidence Podcast

The Role of Human-Centered Leadership in the Age of AI

Discover the importance of human-centered leadership and AI. Learn how to balance technological advancements with empathy and ethics to drive sustainable success with Chair of IDEO, Tim Brown.

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1 year ago

37 minutes 53 seconds