Creative Confidence Podcast

IDEO U

The IDEO U Creative Confidence Podcast hosts cand…

  • 44 minutes 16 seconds
    Leadership Philosophies in Practice & Building Creative Teams: Q&A with Mike Peng

    IDEO CEO Mike Peng returns to the Creative Confidence Podcast to answer questions from listeners about modern creative leadership. Building on his previous episode, Mike goes deeper on how to lead creative teams when organizations resist change, how to reduce fear and build trust, what failure has taught him about leadership, and how to stay inspired in a fast-moving world.

    If you’re a leader trying to foster creativity, guide teams through complexity, or rethink what creative excellence looks like today, this listener-driven episode offers grounded advice, real stories, and clear perspective you can apply right away.

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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.

    21 January 2026, 12:36 pm
  • 50 minutes 41 seconds
    Part 2: Honest, Realistic, and Optimistic Leadership Advice from Friends of IDEO

    The creative leadership advice continues. In Part 2, creative leaders including IDEO partners, alumni, and IDEO U instructors share hard-won lessons on relationships, reflection, and staying human as we move into 2026. Host Mina Seetharaman and IDEO Partner Ilya Prokopoff share reactions and builds on each leader's advice.


    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:


    Grace Hwang — Design Leader; Former IDEO Associate Partner; Co-Founder, Upturn Health


    Michelle Lee — Partner and Executive Managing Director, IDEO; IDEO U Instructor: Creative Thinking for Complex Problem Solving


    Sara Kalick — Founder, The Possible: IDEO U Instructor: From Superpowers to Great Teams


    Jenn Maer — Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Knitted; IDEO U Instructor: Storytelling for Influence


    Jennifer Riel — Adjunct Professor, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto; Former Head of Global Strategy, IDEO; IDEO U Instructor: Designing Strategy & Activating Strategy


    Susie Wise — Designer, Design for Emergence; Author, Design for Belonging


    Takashi Wickes — Founding Designer, Open Studio; IDEO U Instructor: Prototyping for AI


    YC Sun — Senior Design Director, Healthcare and Wellbeing, IDEO


    Dabney Hailey — Founder and Principal, Hailey Group; Lecturer, MIT Sloan


    Amy Bonsall — Founder, Light Actions at Collective; IDEO U Instructor: Designing a Business


    Frederik Pferdt — Former Chief Innovation Evangelist, Google; author of What’s Next is Now

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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.

    7 January 2026, 3:10 pm
  • 44 minutes 10 seconds
    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.

    30 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 43 minutes 25 seconds
    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


    Jennifer Lo - 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


    Wardah Malik - CEO, BEworks


    Kim Scott - Author & Founder, Radical Candor


    Mollie West Duffy - Co-author, No Hard Feelings; Big Feelings


    Bonnie Wan - Author & Founder, The Life Brief

    __________


    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.

    18 December 2025, 7:14 pm
  • 58 minutes 20 seconds
    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.

    __________


    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.

    4 December 2025, 4:46 pm
  • 51 minutes 24 seconds
    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.

    __________


    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.

    19 November 2025, 9:29 pm
  • 45 minutes 24 seconds
    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.

    __________


    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.

    7 November 2025, 2:09 pm
  • 50 minutes 7 seconds
    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.

    __________


    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.

    9 October 2025, 2:34 pm
  • 49 minutes 24 seconds
    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.

    __________


    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.

    11 September 2025, 2:43 pm
  • 41 minutes 8 seconds
    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/

    __________


    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.

    27 August 2025, 7:16 pm
  • 38 minutes 19 seconds
    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

    __________


    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.

    13 August 2025, 3:35 pm
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