Designing Culture: Mike Nicholls on Building Umber & Leading With Purpose

Mike Nicholls—creative director, visual artist, and founder of Umber—joins us to talk about using design as a tool for discovery, identity, and positive inspiration. With over 20 years in the game, Mike shares how he built Umber into a globally recognized platform amplifying Black and Brown voices through print, digital content, and cultural storytelling.We dive into the mindset shifts that shaped his creative evolution, the power of editorial design, his love for hip-hop’s visual language, and why abundance comes through collaboration. From Oakland’s creative pulse to the future of Black media, this episode is packed with real talk, vision, and design leadership gems.Whether you're a designer, founder, or cultural curator—this one’s for you.