Speaking Engagements
Giving back to the design and tech community has been a privilege. I have been honored to speak at and support numerous events throughout my career. I’ve given talks, moderated and participated in panels, mentored and judged at hackathons, guested on podcasts, and facilitated workshops.
Let’s discuss the details of your idea or upcoming event.
You can book time on my calendar or connect with me on LinkedIn.
-Kevin Flores
Kevin and Jeanine giving a talk to students and faculty on non-linear design careers and continuous learning at the Siebel Center for Design, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Remote or In-Person
I can give a talk or participate in an event remotely. These typically range from 1 to 1.5 hours and include time for Q&A. Focused workshops may require up to 3 hours. If travel is required for an in-person event outside the San Francisco Bay Area, expenses must be covered.
Honorarium
Customizing a presentation or planning for an event takes prep work. In most circumstances, I’m not available to participate for free. I may offer a discount or waive my speaking fee for educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations, or mutually beneficial initiatives.
Kevin and Jeanine gave a talk on design careers and "generalist vs. specialist" positioning to students at the California College of the Arts
Kevin was interviewed by Nanxin "Peter" Zhao on navigating a long career and leveling up as a designer for the Écru Dot Podcast
Kevin moderated a panel of design professionals discussing careers and the impact of AI on design at Mission College
Kevin participated as a judge and led a group discussion on AI and Ethics at a student hackathon at Cal State University - East Bay
Kevin gave a talk on design careers and the importance of measurable impact to students at Cal State University, East Bay
Kevin participated on a panel of telecom professionals discussing mobile identity and security at the APIgee Conference
Upcoming & Past Event Highlights
Design Career Strategies, Guest Speaker at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
I look forward to speaking with design students at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago - my hometown! I'll cover portfolios, job searching, navigating a long career, and other hot topics in Q&A. (April 2025)
West Valley College Hackathon, Design Mentor
Being a mentor and guiding students on hackathon projects was very cool. An incredible range of social good concepts was explored! I loved supporting the ideation and development phases and advising on storytelling for their final presentations. (March 2025)
Design Illinois: A Mentored Future, Keynote Speakers
My partner, Jeanine Flores, and I were honored to give the keynote for this event at the Siebel Center for Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, our alma mater. We shared insights gained by navigating three decades of professional design experience and tips from the Design Career Handbook. (March 2025)
Kicking Off Your Design Career, Guest Speaker at Cal State East Bay
I gave a talk to graduate-level design students at Cal State East Bay, including portfolio preparation, job searching, and interviewing. The talk featured topics from the Design Career Handbook, mini case studies from my career, and plenty of Q&A. (February 2025)
GenAI and Case Studies, Live Guest Speaker in Maven course
I was a guest speaker in the GenAI-powered Experience Design course by John Gusiff and Mahnaz Hajesmaeili. We discussed Generative AI and design, what makes a compelling case study, and other hot topics. (February 2025)
Écru Dot Podcast Recording with Live Audience, Fireside Chat
I am grateful to the Écru Dot crew for this interview. I discussed topics with founder Nanxin "Peter" Zhao: design impact and influence, the generalist vs. specialist debate, hot takes on design thinking, design-minded product management, and more. Video Part 1 + Video Part 2. (January 2025)
Ideathon at Cal State East Bay, Fireside Chat Panelist
I was a fireside chat panelist at Cal State East Bay's Ideathon event. In addition to providing feedback on student projects, I led a breakout discussion group on AI's impact and ethical use in design. (November 2024)
Balancing Specialization and Generalization in Design Roles, Panelist in the Ecosystem Leadership Report series
I was a guest panelist on this webinar, part of the Ecosystem Leadership Report: Design series hosted by Diego Nuñez. (November 2024)
Kicking Off Your Design Career, Guest Speakers at California College of the Arts (CCA)
Along with my partner, Jeanine Flores, I gave a talk to graduate-level design students at CCA about design thinking in the field, the generalist vs. specialist debate, and landing your first role. The session featured topics from the Design Career Handbook and open Q&A. (October 2024)
Flip the Script on What It Means to Be a Full-Stack Designer, ADPList BeMore Virtual Festival
My talk at the annual BeMore Virtual Festival hosted by ADPList was on blending soft and hard skills to be successful and understanding metrics to ensure your design connects to business, along with a spicy take on design thinking and a bit of self-deprecating humor. (September 2024)
Design and AI, Moderator of a Design Panel at Mission College
I moderated a panel of working designers discussing the broad range of pathways into a design career, standing out in the job market, and the (then early) hot topic of AI in design. (December 2023)
First Round Network, Featured AMA Guest
In addition to participating in ten cohorts as a mentor in the Fast Track program, I was also an AMA guest. I fielded questions on design vision, human-centered teams, and cross-functional collaboration. (May 2023)
How to Be a Career-Changing Mentor — 25 Tips From The Best Mentors We Know by First Round Review
I shared the value of customizing the approach for each mentorship relationship in this First Round Review article. (November 2019)
Innovation Hackathon at 23andMe, Organizer and Host
I organized a multi-day internal hackathon with over 20 cross-functional teams of engineers, designers, and product managers. The event had swag, multiple categories, and prizes. Several projects advanced to consumer-facing features. (June 2019)
Designing a Personalized Experience - Meetup, Organizer and Moderator
I organized and hosted a public design meetup at 23andMe. I moderated the panel with guests from Adobe, Khan Academy, and Netflix. (December 2017)
Colin Campbell interviewed me for his Life of Design series on the purpose of design, key problems overlooked, and the future of design. (October 2017)