About the Blog
The creative world isn’t just being disrupted by AI—it’s being reimagined. And in the Ctrl + Create: AI for Creatives podcast miniseries from Enrollify, we’re pulling back the curtain on how designers, marketers, and content creators in higher ed are embracing this shift with boldness and clarity.
Hosted by Dave Hunt, Ctrl + Create: AI for Creatives brings together voices from both the agency world and the campus corridor—showing how AI isn’t replacing creative professionals, but empowering them to do more of what they love and do best: imagine, strategize, and tell great stories.
Whether you're an in-house designer trying to keep your university's brand consistent or a content marketer exploring new tools to scale your impact, this series is your backstage pass to how real teams are adopting AI without losing the human spark.
Episode 1 Recap: Rebel Optimism and the Future of Creative Work
Guest: Matt Owens, Co-founder + Chief Design & Innovation Officer, Athletics
In the premiere, we go deep into the mind of Matt Owens, the creative force behind Athletics—a studio whose client roster includes Google, Amazon, and MLS. Matt shares how his team is using AI as a design collaborator, not a creative crutch.
From “exploration days” that normalize play and experimentation to structured workflows that blend old-school craftsmanship with new-school tech, this episode is a call to reframe the AI conversation around curiosity, not fear.
Top Insight:
“AI doesn’t just save time—it shifts how you spend it. You’re trading one creative behavior for another.”
Practical Advice:
- Start with tools your team already uses (Figma, Adobe, Notion).
- Treat AI like a teammate—not a silver bullet.
- Lean into “rebel optimism”: a fearless, hopeful mindset for navigating creative change.
Episode 2 Recap: How Canva is Empowering Campus Creatives with AI
Guest: Nick Gyani, Head of Higher Ed Sales, Canva
This episode is a masterclass in how higher ed institutions are using Canva's AI-powered tools to supercharge content creation without compromising brand integrity. Nick Gyani breaks down how Canva is giving time back to designers while empowering non-designers to create on-brand, beautiful content at scale.
From micro features like AutoSort and Magic Write to macro shifts like Visual Suite 2.0, Canva is proving that brand governance and creativity don’t have to be at odds.
Top Insight:
“AI isn’t changing Canva’s mission—it’s accelerating it. It’s about making great design accessible to everyone.”
Key Takeaways:
- Campus teams are using Canva to shift from execution to strategy.
- Features like locked templates and brand kits keep everything on-brand without bottlenecks.
- Future trends include real-time brand compliance and one-click content adaptation across formats.
Episode 3 Recap: Rethinking Creativity in the Age of AI with Lori Mazor
Guest: Lori Mazor, Author of TEMPERATURE and CEO of Synthetivity
This episode is a mind-expanding journey into the heart of human-AI collaboration. Lori Mazor—architect, innovator, and author—invites us to reimagine creativity not as magic, but as synthesis. Drawing from her concept of “synthetivity,” Lori explains how AI doesn’t replace human creativity—it reveals and enhances it.
Dave Hunt and Lori explore new mental models for working with AI: from co-opetition to temperature theory, from federated adoption to redefining authorship. This episode challenges creative professionals, educators, and leaders to stop fearing AI—and start playing with it.
Top Insight:
“Creativity isn’t inspiration out of nowhere—it’s about connecting what’s already there. That’s where AI thrives.”
Key Takeaways:
- Synthetivity = Synthesis + Creativity. Creativity is the act of remixing, reimagining, and connecting—not conjuring ideas from thin air.
- Temperature is a creative tool. Borrowed from AI modeling, temperature helps creators navigate between structure (low) and chaos (high).
- Co-opetition is the future. Humans and AI aren’t adversaries—they thrive in collaboration and competition at once.
- Letting go of control makes room for magic. Embracing uncertainty unlocks unexpected and meaningful outcomes.
- Everyone should use AI daily. Don’t wait for permission. Experiment, iterate, and grow from the ground up.
- AI can deepen our humanity. Offloading repetitive tasks gives us space to focus on empathy, creativity, and connection.
Episode 4 Recap: Storytelling Our Way Through the Future with Maya Georgieva
Guest: Maya Georgieva, Narrative Futurist & Senior Director, Parsons School of Design
This episode is a bold exploration of what it means to be human in an increasingly immersive, automated world. Maya Georgieva—pioneer in narrative futurism and emerging tech—shares how storytelling helps us navigate frontier technologies like XR, AI, and quantum computing.
Together with Dave Hunt, Maya dives into spatial storytelling, ethics in authorship, systems thinking, and how students are leading the charge with curiosity and care. It’s a call for designers, educators, and technologists to anchor their work in empathy, agency, and intention.
Top Insight:
“Technology doesn’t tell stories—people do. And those stories shape the future.”
Key Takeaways:
- Narrative futurism blends foresight and storytelling. It's a tool for imagining inclusive, ethical futures—especially in education.
- Emerging tech is a new canvas. AI, XR, and quantum systems offer creatives new modes of agency, immersion, and expression.
- Spatial storytelling = deeper engagement. World-building, emotional presence, and interactivity shift how we design experiences.
- Ethical awareness is non-negotiable. From authorship to environmental cost, we must interrogate how and why we use these tools.
- Creative survival kit: curiosity, systems thinking, and humility. Innovation isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about asking better questions.
- Students are the spark. Maya sees learners approaching tech with courage, ethics, and imagination—modeling the mindset we all need.
Episode 5 Recap: Why Women (Especially Gen X Women) Must Lead the AI Revolution
Guest: Anne Murphy, Founder, SheLeadsAI and Empowered Fundraising Consulting
This episode is a candid, inspiring, and paradigm-shifting look at gender, leadership, and AI adoption. Anne Murphy, founder of SheLeadsAI, shares how a personal health crisis and a chance encounter with ChatGPT helped her build a community—and a movement—focused on ensuring women are leading the charge in AI transformation.
From hidden adoption patterns to systemic barriers, Anne unpacks the cultural shifts needed to create more inclusive, equitable, and human-centered AI leadership. Her insights are especially relevant for higher ed leaders, mid-career professionals, and anyone building a more just AI future.
Top Insight:
“Women aren’t late to AI—they’ve just been quietly leading the charge behind the scenes. It’s time to step into the spotlight.”
Key Takeaways:
- Women are adopting AI—but often silently. Cultural norms and workplace dynamics lead many women to experiment privately, resulting in underreporting rather than underutilization.
- Gen X is uniquely positioned to lead. This analog-to-digital generation has the grit, adaptability, and institutional knowledge to shepherd organizations through AI change.
- AI adoption is a culture shift, not just a tech one. Successful implementation requires addressing power dynamics, trust, and process—not just tools.
- Psychological safety is essential. Communities like SheLeadsAI foster inclusive spaces for experimentation, ethics, and peer learning.
- Language matters. Criticizing AI-generated tone or grammar can reinforce elitist norms and systemic bias. Clarity and accessibility should be the goal.
- Transparency and humility build trust. Leaders don’t need to be experts—they need to be honest, curious, and willing to learn out loud.
Why This Series Matters Now
Higher ed is in a pivotal moment. With budgets shrinking and content demands rising, creative teams are being asked to do more, faster—and smarter. But AI isn’t just a lifeline. It’s a launchpad.
Through conversations with visionary creatives and practical deep dives into tools, Ctrl + Create offers a roadmap for building more agile, empowered, and imaginative teams. The series answers not just what tools are out there, but how to use them in ways that amplify creativity instead of diluting it.
Bottom Line:
AI isn’t here to replace the creative process. It’s here to remove the roadblocks—so creatives can spend more time creating, and less time copy-pasting.
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