Activation + Breakout

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor >>

Community & Culture

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor >>

Featuring: The Down Market Team, Dr. Luis Martinez (Capital Factory)

Day 1 opens with a community brunch bringing creatives, founders, students, and civic leaders together for connection and context. Featuring opening remarks from Luis Martinez titled “Big. Real. Future.”, the brunch sets the tone for the day’s conversations around creativity, leadership, and long-term impact.

Creative Industries + Design

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

Featuring: Steven Darby, (Heavy Heavy)

A keynote on creative leadership, systems thinking, and what it means to build lasting work inside complex cultural and economic ecosystems—grounded in practice, not theory.

Innovation & Tech

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

Featuring: Charles Woodin (Geekdom), Emily Binet Royell (Parters for Public Good), Matthew Espinosa (Launch SA)

Together, this panel explores where San Antonio and Texas more broadly stands today in innovation, entrepreneurship, and city development. Not from a hype perspective, but from the inside: what’s working, what’s fragmented, and what becomes possible when leaders across sectors stop operating in silos and start building together.

Creative Industries + Design

Location: Geekdom 3rd Floor >>

Featuring: Nimmy ( Fine Arts & Imagination), Drew (Design + AI for Kids), Teresa (Teen Digital Artist & LiL Illustrator), Melvin (Parenting & Raising Creative Kids)

Host: Anthony Rose

A panel for kids, parents, and community leaders exploring how art, design, and AI spark creativity in the next generation, featuring artists, designers, young creators, and parents in conversation.

Entrepreneurship + Civic Dev

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor >>

Featuring: Yael Iffergan (SPHR - Managing Director) & INFINITalent Partners

A practical session for employers, founders, and hiring managers drawing from your 20 years of experience placing thousands of professionals across Fortune 500 companies and third-party recruitment. The session will cover setting new hires up for success, resume screening strategies, identifying and interviewing for key skills, conducting effective interviews, salary negotiation, and when to leverage a third-party recruiter.

Featuring: Joshua Lozano, Market Enhancement Manager, Whataburger Cecilia Lozano, Senior Designer (Global Design), Netflix Jeremy Karney, Head of Enterprise Digital Design & Design Operations

A grounded conversation on how design operates inside large, complex organizations—and what changes when design must scale, ship, and sustain impact. Leaders from retail, food & beverage, finance, and global media share how design shapes products, teams, and culture beyond theory.

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor >>

Take a break and refuel with a Texas classic. The Whataburger Lunch EXP brings the iconic flavors of Whataburger to The Creative Futures with a curated menu of fan favorites served by the Whataburger team. Join fellow attendees for a casual lunch, great conversation, and a taste of Texas culture.

Community & Culture

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor >>

Featuring: San Antonio Association of Graphic Designers

This drop-in workshop invites attendees to reconnect with tactile, physical creativity through collage-making.

Location: Geekdom 3rd Floor >>

Data has become one of the most powerful assets in the modern digital economy, shaping everything from artificial intelligence and creative industries to startups and digital platforms. In this session, Nic McGinnis (Phazur Labs) and Dirk Elmendorf (Co-Founder of Rackspace Technology) explore how data is created, valued, and leveraged across today’s technology ecosystem. Together, they unpack how creators, founders, and communities can better understand the economic power of their data, and how the next generation of builders will use it to shape platforms, companies, and entirely new digital worlds.

Community & Culture

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

Featuring: Lionel and Kathy Sosa with Andi Rodriguez

Host: Cory Ames

A live recording and candid conversation on leadership, creative risk, and how culture quietly shapes San Antonio’s economy, innovation, and civic future—past, present, and what’s next.

Entrepreneurship + Civic Dev

Location: Geekdom 3rd Floor >>

Featuring: Cristy Lime (The Optimization Specialist) & Carmen Aramanda (Trinity University)

This interdisciplinary Sprint brings students, creatives, and community entrepreneurs together to tackle real San Antonio challenges through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaborative problem-solving.

Community & Culture

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

Featuring: City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture"

Host: Kimberly Mirelez, (Public Art Administrator), 

This seated panel discussion reflects on 30 years of public art in San Antonio, not as a retrospective, but as a living civic system still in motion. The conversation explores how public art has functioned as civic infrastructure, shaping neighborhoods, supporting cultural equity, influencing development, and embedding creative voice into the public realm. Designed for a live audience and live streamed, the session documents both legacy and future direction through a thoughtful, moderated stage discussion.

Entrepreneurship + Civic Dev

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

Political strategist Saadia Mirza leads a conversation with Texas State Representative Diego Bernal, Texas State Representative Gina Hinojosa (Democratic Nominee for Governor of Texas), and Marcos Vélez (Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor) exploring how political narratives are built, amplified, and sometimes weaponized in the modern media landscape.

The discussion examines how leaders can communicate with authenticity in an era of rapid information cycles, polarized media ecosystems, and viral messaging. Panelists will share insights on ethical storytelling, hope-driven leadership, and how authentic voices can still break through the noise.

Creative Industries + Design

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor - Cumulus Room (Tech & Data) >>

Featuring: David Ramirez

A hands-on, game-based workshop where participants design live experiences using randomized constraints, adapting in real time as chaos is introduced.

Creative Industries + Design

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor - Fog Room (Startup) >>

Featuring: Drew Reinartz, Justine Scott, and Tally Neal

An open, hands-on workshop exploring how photographers shape compelling images through space, styling, and movement, this session breaks down things to consider of styling a scene, directing subjects, and working with bodies in motion. Designed for working professionals and confident beginners alike, the workshop blends discussion, live demonstration, and camera-in-hand experimentation, creating space for questions, practice, and real-time feedback. Bring your camera and curiosity.

Location: 300 Main Sky Lounge | Penthouse >>

Hosted by Luis Martinez of Capital Factory, this startup happy hour brings together founders, investors, creatives, and ecosystem leaders for an evening of connection and conversation overlooking downtown San Antonio. With light DJ ambience, drinks, and bites, attendees will experience curated networking and brief startup spotlights highlighting companies building across Texas. This gathering serves as a key activation within The Nite C.C.A.P. experience — Creative. Capital. Acceleration. Platforms. — creating space for the startup ecosystem to connect, share insights, and explore the relationships that help ideas grow into companies and platforms.

Entrepreneurship + Civic Dev

Location: 300 Main Sky Lounge | Penthouse >> 

Marques Mitchell — Vice President, Layton Construction, Brian Dillard — Vice President of Innovation & Technology, VIA Metropolitan Transit, Moderator: Corey Mac — Host & MC, The Creative Futures

San Antonio’s growth depends on the systems that power it. This salon conversation explores how infrastructure, mobility, development, and capital work together to support innovation at scale. Leaders from construction, transit, and development discuss how cities can responsibly accelerate growth while building the foundations for the next decade.

Location: 300 Main Sky Lounge | Penthouse >> 

An after-hours salon at The Creative Futures bringing together founders, creatives, and technologists to explore how ideas become companies, platforms, and cultural movements. Hosted at 300 Main in collaboration with Phazur Labs, featuring startup conversations, networking, and skyline views.

Curated DJ Set with DJ Cleo on the top of the skylounge at 300 Main. 

Location: 300 Main Sky Lounge | Penthouse >>

Sharon E. Gutierrez (Tech Community Leader), Saige Thomas (Director of Texas Fashion Week ), Ben Mickens (AI & Cloud Security)

Artificial intelligence is moving fast, but the human responsibilities behind it are still being defined. This salon conversation explores how creators, founders, and communities can approach AI with awareness, ethics, and intentional design. From cybersecurity to digital culture, the discussion examines how we build smarter, safer, and more responsible systems as AI becomes part of everyday life. A fast-paced, 45-minute provocative conversation tackling the gatekeeping of the future, the illusion of AI "taste," and the very real threats to both the creative and technical working class.

Location: 300 Main Sky Lounge | Penthouse >> 

The talking stops; the building begins. You must form a team of 2 to 3 people, and your team must include at least one Creative and one Techie. Your goal: invent an AI-powered app or concept that bridges your industries. Draw the UI and map the logic on a single cocktail napkin. The Pitch & Payout ,At 9:00pm The top selected teams get 60 seconds on the mic to pitch their napkin to the room. The most brilliantly chaotic, beautifully designed, or wildly useful idea walks away with $500 cash on the spot. Event wraps at 9:15 PM.

Activation + Breakout

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

Featuring: Josh Castillo & Regina Morales

A live, high-energy design showdown presented by the San Antonio Association of Graphic Designers, where creatives go head-to-head in one-on-one battles judged by their peers—for bragging rights, community glory, and a night to remember.

Activation + Breakout

Location: Sojourn Trading Co.>>

Host: Sojourn Bar Staff

Last Call: Culture & Conversation @ Sojourn Bar — A late-night Creative Futures meetup featuring specialty cocktails and curated drink offerings designed exclusively for the festival, where conversations continue offstage and relationships take shape after the official program ends.

A morning dedicated to movement, reflection, and connection, exploring how wellness communities are shaping leadership, creativity, and culture across San Antonio.

Hosted by The Down Market, and brought to life in collaboration with 300 Main, Legacy Park, Zen Haus, The Yard Gym, and Endure Run Club, this experience invites creatives, founders, and community builders to start the day grounded in wellness and community.

Location: Legacy Park (Wellness) >>

Kick off Day 2 with movement and community as local run clubs gather for a morning run through downtown. A relaxed and welcoming start to the day designed to energize the Creative Futures community.

Location: 300 Main REC >> 

Led by Chasity Morales (The Yard Gym)

A guided strength and mobility session focused on recovery, endurance, and functional movement for creators and founders who spend long hours building ideas.

Location: 300 Main Sky Lounge | Penthouse >>

by Mia Rose , Beloved Yoga, Dis and Dat (DJ Set) 

A calming yoga session designed to center the body and mind before the day’s programming begins. This guided flow invites participants to reset, stretch, and prepare for a day of creativity and connection.

Location: 300 Main Sky Lounge | Penthouse >>

Featuring Zen Haus + Box Street Social

Matcha, smoothies, and light bites while guests connect and reset before the day’s programming. A calm space for reflection and conversation curated by the Zen Haus community.

Community & Culture

Location: 300 Main Sky Lounge | Penthouse >>

The Wellness Sanctuary Salon brings together leaders across fitness, faith, and creative community to explore how wellness spaces shape leadership and culture in San Antonio. Moderated by Clair Pineda (Zen Haus / Creative Futures) with Stephanie Guerra (Puro Pinche), Chasity Morales (The Yard Gym), Marissa Arce (Endure Run Club), and Chad Belew (The Arsenal Church) in conversation.

Location: Geekdom 3rd Floor >>

A creative workshop where kids explore art, design, and imagination through hands-on stations including oil pastel art, design thinking, and digital illustration. While young creators build their work, parents engage in conversations on supporting creativity at home. The experience concludes with a Spring Gallery Wall showcase celebrating the students’ artwork.

Creative + Media Design

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor - Fog Room: (Startup) >>

Featuring: Cherise Royal (Collaborative Founder & Creative Director)

A hands-on workshop designed as a launchpad into Creative Futures, helping artists and creatives confidently position themselves, network with intention, and turn conversations into real opportunities. The session blends practical guidance with dedicated deep-work time so participants leave prepared—not just inspired.

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor >>

A hands-on workshop exploring how movement, environment, and framing shape compelling visual storytelling through video. Drew Reinartz (Photographer | Filmmaker) and Tally Neal (Creative Director) guide participants through techniques for capturing expressive portraits, directing body movement on camera, and using creative spaces to elevate cinematic storytelling.)

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor  >>

Artist Albert Gonzales (Trebla Art) shares how genuine connection—not chasing opportunities—has shaped his career. This workshop explores how to talk about your work naturally, build real community, and turn authentic relationships into lasting opportunities. Learn how curiosity, presence, and consistency can lead to collaborations, commissions, and meaningful growth as an artist.

Creative + Media Design

Location: Geekdom 5th Floor  >>

Featuring: San Antonio Association of Graphic Designers

This drop-in workshop invites attendees to reconnect with tactile, physical creativity through collage-making.

Community & Culture

Location: Sojourn Trading Co (Bar) >>

Featuring: Brian Benavidez

A guided, scenic 3-mile e-bike ride, exploring 20+ murals across historic neighborhoods and transformed industrial corridors. Using comfortable, power-assisted e-bikes, participants glide through the city while learning the stories behind the artists, the art, and the local culture shaping San Antonio’s creative identity.

Community & Culture

Location: Sojourn Trading Co (Bar) >>

Featuring: Shek Vega & Burgundy Woods (San Antonio Street Art Initiative), Lauren Beckman (Mixtli), Kevin Mancha (The Local SATX)

A candid panel conversation examining how San Antonio’s downtown revival is being driven by local creators, artists, hospitality leaders, and mobility innovators. This session highlights the grassroots ecosystem connecting street art, food, markets, nightlife, and human-scaled transportation to build a more walkable, creative, and people-centered urban core.

Community & Culture

Location: Sojourn Trading Co (Bar) >>

Featuring: Brian Benavidez

A guided, scenic 3-mile e-bike ride, exploring 20+ murals across historic neighborhoods and transformed industrial corridors. Using comfortable, power-assisted e-bikes, participants glide through the city while learning the stories behind the artists, the art, and the local culture shaping San Antonio’s creative identity.

Entrepreneurship + Civic Dev

Location: Geekdom Event Center >> 

What does the future of green space look like in a fast-growing city like San Antonio? Join Adriana Quiñones (Arboretum San Antonio), Stephen Lucke (Gardopia Gardens), and Brandon Ross (SA Parks & Recreation) in conversation with Cory Ames (BigCitySmallTown Live) as they explore how parks, trails, and public spaces are being reimagined for community, culture, and sustainability.

Community & Culture

Location: Sojourn Trading Co (Bar) >>

Featuring: Derik Cortez (Sojourn), Lauren Beckman (Mixtli), Mike Rogers (Richter Tavern), Colton Fox (Sojourn)

A discussion-driven, interactive class exploring where cocktail bartenders draw creative inspiration—and how ideas move from concept to glass. Rather than focusing on technique or recipes, Sources centers on creative process, examining how art, music, culture, memory, and lived experience shape what we create behind the bar, as facilitators collaboratively develop Creative Futures specialty drinks in real time.

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

Jon Rodriguez (Speaker) Workshop 

Cities aren’t just built — they’re designed. In this session, Jon Rodriguez (Adobe, Product Designer) explores how place branding influences how people experience a city, where talent chooses to live, and how businesses decide to invest. Discover how design and policy work together to create meaningful public spaces and turn identity into impact for cities like San Antonio.

Creative + Media Design

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

Featuring: Michael Fugoso

Host: Corey Mac 

A powerful story of reinvention, late bloomers, and betting on yourself. From business school and banking to creating work for NASA and global brands, Michael shares what it takes to trust the pivot, build discipline, and create a Big. Real. Future.

Creative + Media Design

Location: Geekdom Event Center >>

The internet rewards visibility — but great work starts with a voice. Filmmaker and creative entrepreneur Hallease Narvaez joins Corey Mac for an intimate keynote conversation on building a creative career without losing your perspective. From brand partnerships to independent work, this session explores how to balance client work, storytelling, and staying true to your voice. A candid look at creating with intention in today’s digital landscape.

Location: 300 Main REC >>

Host & Moderator: Jade Paris

Sixth Seat Presents: Lifting the Veil — What It Takes to Create is an intimate panel exploring the real, unfiltered work behind creativity. Featuring Brittany Brass, Alannah Tiller, DaVeon Smith, Jesse Hernandez, and Saige Thomas, this conversation dives into the challenges, discipline, and intention it takes to build meaningful work — and sustain it.

Location: 300 Main REC >> 

hosted by Thai Tea Films and The Down Market

A relaxed, creator-first mixer modeled after the YouTube Creator Collective series, bringing filmmakers together for real conversation, connection, and community. Hosted by Frame Theory Film Club, this meet-up creates space for local creatives and attendees to engage with Hallease and each other, offstage, unfiltered, and relationship-driven.

Activation + Breakout

Location: Sojourn Trading Co.>>

Featuring: The Down Market and The Community

A no-agenda, late-night meetup for organic conversations, unexpected connections, and creative decompression.