Building a Globally Successful Creative Business

This three-day masterclass will give a unique look inside the processes behind some of today’s brightest creative entrepreneurs and leaders, RCA academics and founders of successful start-ups from the award-winning incubator InnovationRCA. From September 17–19, 2025, this experiential short course has been designed by Philip Dodd (Chair, Made in China UK Ltd) and Nadia Danhash (Director, InnovationRCA and AngelClubRCA) to help entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders working in creative businesses create a greater impact, structured around three core themes of building a business, developing new markets and growing and developing a team. In an exclusive small group setting, you will receive and reflect on new ways to re-evaluate, improve and expand your capabilities, plus address some of the daily practical issues that need to be answered for a business to grow. Off-site visits to studios, galleries and creative workspaces across London include Mika Kanayama's first London design: Garden Cinema, Covent Garden, Bompas & Parr, Creative Studio, East London, Heirloom, physical / digital design studio, East London and more! Guest contributors for the 2025 programme include: - Jim Heverin, Board of Directors, Zaha Hadid Architects - Jack Godfrey Wood, Founder of Heirloom - Paul Hitchman, Global COO of AWAL - Mika Kanayama, founder of Muzo Design - Eva Guerra, Strategic Design and Service Experience Consultant. - Rosey Blackmore, Licensing and Merchandise Director, Tate - Sam Bompas, Co-founder of creative studio Bompas & Parr - Chelsea Chen, Co-Founder Emotech, award-winning AI entrepreneur pioneering markets in the Middle East and CMO of Unesco AI Center - Daljit Singh, Head of Brand at Exactly.ai. The world’s first ai marketplace that puts creators at the forefront - Clara Gaggero Westaway, Co-founder and creative director of Special Projects - Virginia Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer, Loowatt Ltd - Sarah Douglas, Co-Founder, The Liminal Space - Louis Alderson-Bythell, Lecturer, RCA School of Design They will share how they successfully initiate, drive and manage creative projects and businesses. The course is delivered during the London Design Festival, an excellent opportunity to find more about designers from across the globe and London’s position as a powerhouse for the creative industries. This course is application-only. Please visit the course webpage for further information and how to apply. Disclaimer: the list of contributors is subject to change.