The Speakers
FEATURED EXPERTS
01
Building a Sustainable Studio Practice After School
Urvi Sharma 17 FD is the co-founder of INDO-, a Rhode Island-based furniture and lighting design studio serving luxury residential and hospitality projects globally. As a designer, she uses a layered design process, incorporating personal narrative, traditional craft techniques and modern ways of making into her work. Mirroring her experiences growing up in New Delhi, India and working for internationally renowned designers, Urvi's products seamlessly blend her Indian roots with an American design ethos, and her made-to-order product line offers contemporary objects that celebrate the handmade. INDO- has been featured in numerous publications and is an honoree of the Forbes 30 Under 30, Class of 2023.

Instagram Essentials & Digital Marketing
November 20, 2024
Presented by Dr. Margarita Lila Rosa
Scholar, Curator, and Creative Strategist
Margarita Lila Rosa is a Harlem-based scholar and ​independent curator specializing in Afro-Latinx, Latinx, and Black ​Atlantic history and contemporary art. Her curatorial and academic work has been ​written about in Ebony, Hyperallergic, and Teen Vogue. Dr. Rosa is a Lecturer in the Black and Latino Studies Department at Baruch College. In 2024, she was a fellow in the Studio Museum in Harlem’s Arts Leadership Praxis. She has written for the Museum of Modern Art and has art history essays in The Brooklyn Rail, i-D, and Frieze, among others. Rosa’s curatorial focus is modern Latin American art and contemporary international feminist art. Her recent shows include Sula Playing in the Dark, at the Bishop Gallery, and Tigueras, a show of Black and Latinx women artists on billboards across New York.
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How To Write Awesome Contracts
Greg Kanaan, ’02 FAV, is the Founder and Managing Attorney of The Legal Artist, a Connecticut-based law firm that focuses on intellectual property, business law, and contract issues for artists, filmmakers, and creative entrepreneurs. Greg is an experienced intellectual property and entertainment attorney and has been representing creative professionals for over twelve years. Prior to becoming an attorney, Greg was a television producer, working on documentary series for Discovery Channel, Court TV, TLC, and A&E.
On top of providing a wide range of legal services, Greg regularly lectures at colleges, non-profit art organizations, and professional design associations on topics such as contract formation, negotiation, fair use, trademark, and AI. He currently teaches a law and governance course at the Pratt Institute in New York City. Greg is licensed to practice law in Connecticut and New York.
Taxes for Artists and Creative Freelancers
Hannah Cole is a tax expert who specializes in working with creative businesses and mission-driven solopreneurs. A long-time working artist with a high-level exhibition history, the financial challenges of freelancers and small creative businesses are both relevant and personal to Hannah. Her specialty is communicating complex tax issues in a clear, creative-centered, empowering way.
She founded her company, Sunlight Tax, with a mission to serve visionary people, just like you, who are self-employed, with relevant tax and financial education, so you can bring your unique vision to the world. She’s helped tens of thousands of creative and mission-driven self-employed people skill up with accessible tax and money education through professional speaking engagements from Florida to Alaska, and on the Sunlight podcast.
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Freelancing 101
Coming in Spring!
Presented by Jackie Ferrentino 15 IL
Freelance Illustrator & Cartoonist
Jackie Ferrentino is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist living in Brooklyn, New York. She's worked with clients such as The New York Times, Google, Cartoon Network, The Washington Post, Nike, Mountain Dew, and others since graduating from RISD Illustration in 2015. Her lifelong interest in creating bold, character-driven work has been the common thread across various projects and industries––from creating comic cover art to television commercials. In addition to her illustration work, she also has experience with design and art direction and has commissioned artists to create bespoke editorial illustrations. Complementing her professional work, she creates illustrations and comics as part of her personal art practice.
Pricing Strategies for Creative Entrepreneurs
Erin is a RISD-trained graphic designer (GD '08) who went to work at a branding firm in NYC and discovered she had a knack and passion for the business side of the creative industry.
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Since then she’s specialized in business operations and client experience, helping to grow and run successful creative agencies. She has served in COO and Director level positions in branding and marketing agencies in NYC and Philadelphia. Today, Erin is Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Client Services at Clearbridge Branding Agency, an award-winning branding agency with locations in PA, NJ & IL.
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Through her company, Erin Cantwell Co., and her volunteer work, including co-founding and now co-chairing the RISD Women In Business Alumni Group, Erin continues to work with designers, makers, and other creative entrepreneurs as business coach, helping them to start and scale successful and profitable businesses while doing the work they love.
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The Sessions
FEATURED TOPICS
Building a Sustainable Studio Practice after School
October 29 @ 7pm
Join Urvi Sharma as she shares her journey after graduating from RISD, including working for a RISD alum, starting her own studio, being on a TV show, going through challenges and engaging with her community when she needed help. Learn about how her RISD education, network and resources helped her get started and grow to become a thriving, sustainable studio/ business today. This talk will be especially helpful for those who know they want to do something on their own after school, but aren't quite sure where to start.
Instagram Essentials & Digital Marketing
November 20, 2024 @ 7pm
This workshop will cover the essentials of building an online presence as an artist or designer. Discover how to transform your Instagram profile into a powerful portfolio that resonates with curators and clients. Learn advanced techniques in digital marketing, audience engagement, and branding to elevate your artistic profile. This workshop goes beyond basics, equipping you with the tools to cultivate a dynamic online presence and strategically position yourself for success in contemporary art and design landscapes. Build meaningful industry connections and thematic narratives around your work.
How To Write Awesome Contracts
January 15, 2025 @ 7pm
Contracts are probably the least fun part of running a business but they’re also the most important. In this presentation, you’ll get a crash course in everything you need to know about contract law, including why having written agreements is critical for every transaction, what makes a contract legally valid versus what makes it unenforceable, when it’s okay to stop performing on a contract, and what information needs to be contained in every contract you use.
Taxes for Artists and Creative Freelancers
January 29, 2025 @ 7pm
What can I deduct? Do I bring receipts to my accountant? How do I deduct my home studio? Why do freelancers have to pay taxes quarterly, and how do I do that? Hannah will discuss the basic tax equation, self employment tax and the estimated quarterly tax system, audit concerns for the creative person, and other tax issues relevant to artists, designers and makers.
Freelancing 101
Coming In Spring
Pricing Strategies for Creative Entrepreneurs
Coming In Spring
Recorded Talks
FEATURED TOPICS