2026 Creative Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation (CESI) Conference
About this Event
The Ratcliffe Center for Creative Entrepreneurship (RCCE) at MICA will host its 2nd annual CESI conference October 2-3, 2026. This two-day event will bring together students, educators, community artists and creatives of all genres to discuss the evolving creative ecosystem.
This year will feature two dynamic keynote speakers. Our Friday kickoff will feature Boston's "One Woman Dynamo", award-winning composer, director, performer and Associate Professor of Creative Entrepreneurship at the Berklee College of Music, Maria Finkelmeier. Saturday morning will start with Tori Soudan, an award-winning footwear designer and entrepreneur whose designs have been worn by Angela Bassett, Zendaya, Tamaron Hall and Carrie Underwood. Throughout the conference attendees will learn best practices from fellow creative entrepreneurs, attorneys, and how to balance entrepreneurship and mental health from a licensed clinical therapist. The Maryland State's Arts Council (MSAC) and Maryland Women’s Business Center will also be present to discuss artist grants and other opportunities.
Registration includes an opening networking reception, an awards luncheon, fashion show, two keynote speakers, a social design plenary session, access to nine workshops, and a tour. Discount tickets are available for large groups, MICA alumni, Chamber members and students.
For more information about host hotel, group rates or sponsorships, please contact [email protected].
Agenda
🕑: 04:00 PM - 09:00 PM
FRIDAY: October 2, 2026
🕑: 04:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Registration Opens
Info: Welcome to Day #1 of the CESI Conference.
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Conference Welcome
Host: Various Speakers
Info: Welcome to CESI 2026!
🕑: 05:30 PM - 06:25 PM
Keynote: Superpowers Aligned - Build Beyond Yourself
Host: Maria Finkelmeier, Performer & Assoc. Professor
Info: As creative entrepreneurs, we’ve fallen for the DIY trap, feeling like we have to do it all alone. Superpowers Aligned challenges this mindset, asking us to identify what we do exceptionally well, recognize what we don’t, and build teams of complementary strengths that allow our ideas to grow.
🕑: 06:30 PM - 06:35 PM
Premier of RCCE Alumni Masterclass Series Trailer
Host: RCCE
Info: Join us as we watch the trailer for the new RCCE Alumni Masterclass Series. Four creative ventures that were started through the RCCE, including Deanae Co., Kunaya, Boba Studio and Jess Jess Press, will be featured.
🕑: 06:35 PM - 07:00 PM
MICA @ 200 Fashion Show
Host: Hope Simpora, Faculty MemberMICA
Info: Come and see the fashions designed by our students in the Fashion & Culture, Experimental Garments and Multi Media Events classes. Curated for the CESI 2026, see their bicentennial themed creations walk the runway.
🕑: 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Welcome Reception
Host: RCCE
Info: As we celebrate the opening of the conference, mix and mingle with other conference guests as we network, enjoy lite fare and Sound Selections by DJ Melani Midas!
🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:55 AM
SATURDAY: October 3, 2026
Host: RCCE
Info: Join us for continental breakfast as we start Day #2 of the conference.
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:55 AM
Keynote: The Future is for Those Who Create It
Host: Tori Soudan, Footwear Designer & Entrepreneur
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM
The Art of Ownership: Protecting, Negotiating, and Monetizing Your Work
Host: Krystle I. Myers, Esq.
Info: In the creative economy, creating the work is only the beginning; understanding how to protect, negotiate, and monetize it is essential to building a sustainable creative career. This interactive workshop equips artists and creative entrepreneurs with practical legal knowledge to navigate intellectual property, contracts, and commercial opportunities with confidence. Participants will explore the differences between copyright and trademark protection, the importance of registration, and strategies for safeguarding their creative assets. We'll examine common contract provisions, negotiation strategies, and red flags that artists should recognize before entering into commissions, collaborations, and licensing agreements. Attendees will also discover how licensing can generate revenue while preserving ownership and creative control. Through real-world scenarios, we'll discuss practical approaches to enforcing it. This workshop will be offered at 10:00am-10:50am and 11:00am-11:50am.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Entrepreneurship & Mental Health
Host: Ebony Vaughan, LCSW-C, CCTP
Info: The pressure of perfecting your artistry and developing a sustainable business can be overwhelming for any creative entrepreneur. In this workshop, you will learn ways to navigate the highs and lows of every stage of the entrepreneurial journey. Conducted by a licensed clinical social worker and therapist, attendees will learn best practices as an individual and as a community of creatives. This workshop will be offered 10:00am-10:50am and 11:00am-11:50am.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Real Talk on Building a Sustainable Creative Business
Host: Karen Sippel, Managing Director, MD Women’s Business Ctr
Info: You love the work. But loving the work isn't the same as running a business — and too
many talented creatives get stuck there, treating a real opportunity like a hobby that
never quite takes off. In this session, three regional experts — from the SBA, Maryland
Capital Enterprises, and the Black Arts District — get real about what it actually takes to
build a creative business that lasts, not just one that survives on passion. We'll cover
the fundamentals every business needs, what's genuinely different (and surprisingly
familiar) about the creative economy, and how the skills you already have as an artist
can become real business assets. Funding will come up, but this isn't a grant workshop
— it is a candid conversation about the mindset shift from making things to building
something sustainable. Come with your questions; you'll leave with a clearer sense of
what to do next. This workshop will be offered 10:00am-10:50am and 11:00am-11:50am.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Superpower Speed Dating: Identify Your Strengths. Find Your People
Host: Maria Finkelmeier, performer and Associate Professor
Info: This playful, interactive workshop turns the ideas of Superpowers Aligned into action. Participants identify their own creative and entrepreneurial superpowers, recognize what they’re missing, and connect with others whose strengths might be exactly what they need.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Continuing the Conversation
Host: Tori Soudan, Footwear Designer and Entrepreneur
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:20 PM
Luminary Awards Luncheon
Host: RCCE
Info: The RCCE will honor three members of the creative community with the inaugural Lumière Awards. The three categories are: Lumière Educational Award - Recognizes an outstanding educator, teaching artist, or academic program leader who demonstrates exceptional innovation, impact and leadership as they prepare students for the creative ecosystem; Lumière Community Art Award - Recognizes a collaborative project, organization, or public installation that successfully unites, enriches, or addresses a critical need within the community and Lumière Individual Artist Award - Recognizes a solo creator or creative entrepreneur's artistic merit and contributions to the creative economy.
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:20 PM
Social Innovation Plenary Session
Info: More details coming soon!
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:20 PM
Coffee with the Council (MSAC)
Host: Chad Buterbaugh, Deputy Director
Info: Join the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), the state’s largest arts funding organization, for Coffee with the Council, an informal group conversation bringing the state’s arts community together to connect and share. This conversation will be facilitated by the MSAC team and driven by participant inquiry, so attendees are encouraged to bring their questions, ideas and examples of inspiring work.
🕑: 02:30 PM - 04:20 PM
Increasing Safety for All Road Users Along Falls Road: A Human-Centered Design
Host: Steffanie Espat, Social Designer & Graphic Designer
Info: Come learn about the basics of human-centered design (HCD), a research and design methodology that views people's experience as expertise and puts those at the heart of a problem at the core of future solutions. During the workshop, Steffanie will introduce HCD through a case study of the Falls Road Safety Project, a collaborative effort between MICA's Center for Creative Impact, the Maryland Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Office, and other local partners to improve traffic safety for all road users along Falls Road. This workshop will be offered 2:30pm-3:20pm and 3:30pm-4:20pm.
🕑: 02:30 PM - 04:20 PM
Make Space Studios
Host: Patricia (Trish) Ofari, Executive Director
Info: More details coming soon!
🕑: 03:00 PM - 07:00 PM
CESI Art Market
Host: RCCE
Info: Come, see and purchase some of the amazing work but area and regional artist at the CESI Art Market. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:20 PM
Grant Help (MSAC)
Host: Chad Buterbaugh, Deputy Director
Info: This event is your chance to take a deep dive into MSAC’s grant programs. Connect with staff for a 15-minute, one-on-one meeting on how to read grant guidelines, how to submit an application, how to use a scoring rubric to make your application as competitive as possible, or any other question about MSAC. Grantseekers of all levels of experience are encouraged to attend.
🕑: 04:30 PM - 04:40 PM
Conference Wrap-Up
Host: RCCE
Info: As you continue to network or shop, join us in the Brown Center Atrium as we formally close the 2026 CESI Conference. Food Trucks will also be available until 7pm.
🕑: 04:45 PM - 05:45 PM
Mini-Tour @ MICA
Host: Lee Davis, Co-Executive Director (CCI)
Info: Join the Center for Creative Impact (CCI) on a visit to the Lazarus Building and new Gallery Alley to see the work of MICA's amazing artists. With a new collection launching in October, this is a great way to wrap up a full day of workshops. Two 30-minute tours are available. Sign-Up during the Luminary Awards luncheon to secure your spot.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 38.69 to USD 80.85
