Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast

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Produced by the MBA in Design Strategy program at California College of the Arts, on Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast we ask questions, examine complexity, and innovate for human-centered solutions. Each episode is devoted to speaking with and listening to what luminaries and design leaders have to say about the world and their own personal journeys designing for ambiguity…and curiosity.

  1. 09/26/2025

    Rethinking Reuse: How 2080 Reuse Is Reinventing Furniture for a Circular Future with Help from the DMBA

    What if reupholstering a chair could cut your carbon footprint by 80%? In this episode of Everything Is a Prototype, Kriss Kokoefer, founder of 2080 Reuse, shares how she’s building a whole new category at the intersection of circular economy, commercial interiors, and design-led innovation...with help from DMBA students and alumni. Kriss opens up about pivoting careers, launching (and selling) a century-old upholstery business, and her mission to make reuse the easy button for businesses. We talk about building trust, embracing uncertainty, and why good project management might just be the secret weapon for sustainability. This is one for the builders, designers, and anyone curious about how to scale impact through systems, not just products.

    47 min

  2. 04/21/2025

    Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast Presents THE FUTURE OF THINGS: AI as a new material for Design

    THE FUTURE OF THINGS: AI as a new material for Design.  On Saturday, Apr 5, chairs from the Design Division at CCA co-moderated an insightful panel discussion that explored the transformative role of design in shaping the future of products, services, and systems enabled by generative, agentic, and distributed physical AI. Moving beyond the conventional focus on AI as a set of tools for designing, our expert panelists discussed how designers can reimagine and craft the next generation of "things"—from rethinking transportation and healthcare to reinventing how we cook, shop, communicate, entertain, and/or safeguard our communities from natural disasters. This conversation highlighted design’s power to envision future lifestyles, steer technological evolution, and generate lasting value for communities and our planet. Panelists: Lauren Bedal / ArchetypeAI - Design, Product Lead Tim Belonax / Anthropic - Brand TJ McLeish / CCA MDes Faculty + AI Expert Karl Willis / Autodesk - Senior Research Manager Moderators: Justin Lokitz, DMBA and Elena Pacenti, MDes

    50 min

  3. 04/04/2025

    Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast w/ Rio Cruz Morales, Senior Product Manager of AI Foundations @ Velocity Black

    In this episode, we break down innovation to its very core with Rio Cruz Morales, a DMBA, multi-time startup founder, and Senior Product Manager of AI Foundations @ Velocity Black. Rio is a product and innovation expert, who created the Product Experimentation Method and framework to help others do what they do. And...what's so cool about Rio, is they found the DMBA by happenstance. In a word, Rio is awesome!

    35 min

  4. 03/25/2025

    Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast w/ Aksharika Raja and JJ Vélez from Lawgical, an Amazing Stealth Startup in the Legal Space

    In this episode, we get deep into the startup space with AK Raja, a DMBA alum and former EY Design Strategist, and JJ Velez, a former software engineer from Apple. This dynamic duo is working on Lawgical, a tech startup focused on helping law firms (and companies) streamline their immigration paperwork. Check them out here: https://lawgical.app/

    41 min

  5. 10/07/2024

    Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast in "Discussion" with Google's NotebookLM

    This entire episode is one big prototype. Rather than talk to real humans, we’ve asked Google’s NotebookLM tool to create a discussion around the value of the DMBA. I think the insights are pretty spot on. What do you think?

    12 min

  6. 05/30/2024

    Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast w/ Izzy Shu, Dave Korstad, and Tony Jimenez, the DMBA alumni behind the amazing brand JOI

    In this episode, we dive deep into design strategy with Izzy Shu, Dave Korstad, and Tony Jimenez, the DMBA alumni behind the amazing alternative milk brand JOI. Enjoy!

    37 min

  7. 01/25/2024

    Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast w/ Jinney Kho, a Former Interior Architect Who’s Now a Design Strategist & Founder

    Hi, welcome to Everything Is a Prototype, The DMBA podcast, where we talk all things design strategy…and prototypes. In this episode, Jinney Kho, a former interior architect and recent DMBA grad, talks about her journey and how she has designed a new path as a design strategist and startup founder. Enjoy!

    35 min

  8. 12/12/2023

    Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast w/ Jo Marini, Co-Founder and CEO of Mothership Materials

    Hi, welcome to Everything Is a Prototype, The DMBA podcast, where we talk all things design strategy…and prototypes. In this episode, Jo Marini, a DMBA alum, professor, and kickass entrepreneur, discusses her amazing new company Mothership Materials, and how she plans on saving the world. Enjoy!

    41 min
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About

Produced by the MBA in Design Strategy program at California College of the Arts, on Everything is a Prototype: The DMBA Podcast we ask questions, examine complexity, and innovate for human-centered solutions. Each episode is devoted to speaking with and listening to what luminaries and design leaders have to say about the world and their own personal journeys designing for ambiguity…and curiosity.

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