2025-26

Emily had the amazing opportunity to go to Canva Create through the LEAD program in Los Angeles, California, in April. Canva Create is an event that announces new products and features speakers and leaders sharing their experience in their respective fields. The event included keynote speakers, product launches like Canva AI 2.0, and sessions across areas like AI, design, social media, business strategy, and productivity. 

She would recommend this to any student because this convention will leave you with career exposure about marketing, branding, and how AI tools are used in the workplace. She learned so much from this convention, and even though my major is Information Systems rather than Marketing or Graphic Design, Shegot to network with a lot of different people and learn about the projects they are working on. The product launches and demos were her favorite part of the experience. Learning new AI/design tools can be an advantage when applying for internships or on-campus jobs that require you to use Canva more specifically. Seeing speakers, creators, and companies use design to build campaigns, businesses, or social-impact projects can help a student be confident in expressing their creativity and innovation. 

The main reason she would recommend going to Canva Create is that it gives students a way to explore the intersection of creativity and technology. Even for someone who is not a Graphic Design or Marketing major, the experience can help them build confidence with visual tools ad meet people doing creative work. You can also get fun merch and play games while you are there as well!!

You do not have to be in LEAD to buy a ticket; you can click on this link: Canva Create, and register for the early bird tickets for 2027. The tickets are around $250 per person, and it is a rewarding experience and you can get many connections across fields. Some of the speakers from this past event included: Isa Rae, Jon M. Chu, Refik Anadol (a media artist specializing in AI data paintings), Melanie Perkins (co-founder and CEO of Canva), Stef Corazza (head of AI research, Canva), Nina Walsh (Global Director, Games and Sports, AWS), Julian Shapiro-Barnum (Creator & Host, Recess Therapy), and many more. 

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