The Lab
Mastering Your Inspiration
Get ready to be inspired, empowered, and educated! Our Masterclass Series is designed to elevate your skills and ignite your passions. These virtual sessions will be packed with wisdom from industry leaders across culinary arts, performing arts, STEM & AI, and business & entrepreneurship.
Masterclasses
From Kitchen to Commerce: Turning Creativity into Culture & Business with Jimmy Prude
This session explores how everyday creative passions — starting in a home kitchen — can be transformed into a thriving cultural brand and business. Jimmy Prude shares practical steps for scholars looking to turn a personal craft or hobby into a sustainable venture.
Stage Psychology with Brent Birckhead
Jazz musician Brent Birckhead breaks down the mental game behind stepping onto a stage, from managing nerves to performing with confidence. Scholars will learn techniques for building the mindset that turns performance anxiety into presence and command.
You Don't Have to Be a Coder to Build with AI with Brian Nelson
Brian Nelson demystifies artificial intelligence for non-technical creators, showing how anyone can use AI tools to build projects without writing a single line of code. The session focuses on accessible, no-code approaches to bringing ideas to life with AI.
The Molding of an Entrepreneur with Brandi Forte
Brandi Forte walks scholars through her own entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the mindset shifts and lessons that shaped her into a business leader. The session offers a candid look at what it really takes to grow from an idea into an entrepreneur.
Transitioning from a "Side Hustle" to a Scalable Brand with Social Impact with Jimmy Prude
Jimmy Prude returns to guide scholars through the process of scaling a side hustle into a full-fledged brand built for growth. The session emphasizes weaving social impact into business strategy so success and purpose grow together.
Designing the Future: AI, Architecture & Sustainable Innovation with Camessia Johnson
Camessia Johnson explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, architecture, and sustainability, showing how emerging technology is reshaping how we design and build. Scholars will gain insight into how innovation and environmental responsibility can work hand in hand.
Storytelling, Visual Identity, and The Intersectionalities of Blackness with Erica Blake
Erica Blake examines how storytelling and visual identity can authentically capture the many intersections of Black experience and culture. The session encourages scholars to use narrative and design as tools for representation and self-expression.
The Unified & Unlimited Masterclass Series has been a game-changer for our ACT-SO scholars. We're not just giving them information — we're giving them access to real practitioners who've built businesses, careers, and creative brands from the ground up, and that kind of direct mentorship is something you can't replicate in a classroom.
- Brent Gossett, Director of Competitions and Practices, ACT-SO