Innovation Advisory Council

A large exhibition hall with numerous display booths and panels showcases various projects, guided by innovation advisors. People of all ages wander about, eagerly observing the displays. The venue boasts high ceilings and is brightly lit with large windows in the background.

A man collaborates with innovation advisors in a workshop, arranging notes on a wall of colorful sticky notes and diagrams. A laptop is on the table nearby, while another person and a screen can be seen in the background.

Bringing together leaders in business and civic life to support MassArt’s mission, elevate art and design skills and disciplines, and strengthen the economy.

The purpose of MassArt’s new Innovation Advisory Council (IAC) is to enhance the college’s relationships with key external stakeholders in business and civic life. The IAC will cultivate new MassArt advocates and allies who will help to elevate the role that artists, designers, and creators play in the workforce and the economy. The IAC will deepen industry connections for our students, faculty, and alumni and expand partnerships that create career pathways for our students

Goals

Cultivate new MassArt advocates and allies
Build support for MassArt’s strategic priorities
Deepen industry connections
Grow existing partnerships and develop new pathways for our students

Innovation Advisory Council Members

Michael Bobbit, Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council

Brian Collins, Co-Founder, COLLINS

J.D. Chesloff, President and CEO, MA Business Roundtable

José dos Santos, Head of Design & User Experience, Signify US

Ben Downing, Vice President for Public Affairs, The Engine

Jen Harrington, CEO & Founder, Hatch

Emily Isenberg, Founder & Creative Director, Isenberg Projects

Frank Rivera, Senior Manager Global Key Account Marketing, New Balance

Emily Ruddock, Executive Director, Mass Creative

Lisa Simmons, Artistic/Executive Director, Roxbury Film Festival

Dave Schlafman, Director of Design, Games Netflix

Tamara Small, CEO, NAIOP Massachusetts

Russ Wilson, Chief Design Officer, Fidelity

Dr. Lisa Wong, Co-Founder of the Arts and Humanities Initiative, Harvard Medical School

Creative Employment will grow 18%

in Massachusetts through the early 2030's

A total of 160,000

creative workers will be needed in Massachusetts over the next 15 years

In 2022, more than 58,000 job postings across all sectors in Massachusetts required specialized skills taught at MassArt. These skills are in short supply:

New Product Development 10%

of Job Postings & 3% Worker Profiles

Product Design 12%

of Job Postings & 3% Worker Profiles

User Experience Design 13%

of Job Postings & 4% Worker Profiles

Industry Partnerships & Initiatives

MassArt Illustration faculty John Rego and students are designing posters for ‘26 FIFA World Cup in Boston.

A group of five innovation advisors gathers in a workshop. One person wearing sunglasses operates a robotic arm at a table, while the others watch attentively. A laptop and a control box with fans are also on the table, framed by large windows in the background.

Fashion Design Associate Professor, Cara Tuttle and her class partnered with Tatum Robotics to design a robotic hand/wrist system that can actuate all the hand shapes of ASL.

A large group of people gather for a photo with Tim Gunn.

Tim Gunn (Project Runway, Liz Claiborne, Parsons) met with Fashion Design seniors to talk about the state of the fashion industry and get a sneak peek at their collections.