Making Midwest

From cell animation to creative direction, Kendra Ryan has spent nearly two decades navigating an industry that won't sit still. Her work at BUCK spans Emmy-winning traditional animation, AI assistants, and interactive projects. Through it all, she demonstrates that everything you build compounds over time, and nothing gets left behind.

Come see Kendra Ryan speak this summer on June 27 at Making Midwest 2026.

AI can get you to “looks good” faster. It can’t tell you if it works.

Erin Sarofsky reminds us why that still belongs to people, and why that’s something to be energized by, not afraid of.

Come see Erin speak this summer at Making Midwest 2026.

Making Midwest is made for motion designers and video professionals, but it welcomes creatives of all kinds. This event is not about tools or tutorials. It is a creative festival where artists, studios, and thinkers gather to build what comes next for human-made work.