By Sarah Moore
VCU Brandcenter

Among programs at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the Educators Summit brought together nearly 50 instructors and industry leaders from around the world for a cross-disciplinary gathering. From organization to execution, Brandcenter community members were featured throughout.

“We’re often working in silos,” said Brandcenter Executive Director Vann Graves, Ed.D. “This is an opportunity to explore how we’re all addressing issues like AI, inclusion and how to better prepare students – both creatively and emotionally – for an industry that’s evolving fast.”

The Brandcenter is internationally acclaimed for its graduate programs in advertising, design and brand strategy. Graves organized the Educators Summit in collaboration with Steve Latham, who is a member of the Brandcenter Director’s Council and head of learning at Cannes Lions.

Across seven sessions, the summit delved into topics ranging from curriculum innovation and AI integration to soft-skill development and inclusive mentorship. Graves, who previously served as dean of the Cannes Lions Creative Academy and earned 19 Lions in his time in the industry, moderated panels throughout the week, including these that also featured other Brandcenter tie-ins:

• The “Preparing Curriculum Strategies for Tomorrow” panel included Brandcenter Director’s Council member Perry Fair, head of creative at Mattel Inc. The session explored how advertising education can evolve to meet industry expectations while still cultivating curiosity and craft.
• The “Preparing Students for the Creative Workforce” panel included Brandcenter Director’s Council member Debra Sercy, managing partner at The Blueprint. The session emphasized the importance of students developing both technical and interpersonal skills, with an eye toward presentation confidence, storytelling and relationship-building. 
• The “Accelerating Talent Development and Acquisition” panel included Brandcenter Director’s Council member Joe Maglio, CEO of McKinney and Barbarian. The session discussed inclusive mentorship, recruitment pipelines and how to support emerging talent across the industry.

Jess Collins, Brandcenter strategy chair and director of curriculum and instruction, was in Cannes leading the second year of Brandcenter’s study abroad program in conjunction with the festival. She also acted as a speaker and moderator for the Educators Summit.

Collins led “The Future of Hires in a Changing Industry” panel, which focused on portfolio development, job search strategies and early career success. She was joined by Brandcenter alums Genie Gurnani of Dream Sequence and Kris Kennedy, manager of creative strategy at Reddit – both of whom shared insights from their post-Brandcenter journeys. Collins also was a panelist for the “Transforming Learning Styles for Today’s Students” session, discussing how educators can support student well-being, mental health and resilience in a fast-paced, digitally saturated world. 

Throughout the summit, other Brandcenter community members also helped shape conversations around the creative skills of tomorrow.

Director’s Council member Lucas Heck, global creative director at Meta, spoke on how educators can incorporate AI tools into the classroom ethically and effectively, balancing new technologies with enduring human creativity. And recent Brandcenter graduation speaker David Shing, digital prophet of Shingy, participated in discussions around AI and the creative workforce, reminding attendees of the importance of human perspective in a tech-enhanced future.