IHAF Professional Certification Program
A four-part training series designed to deepen your understanding of AI.
As a practical, principled approach to AI for creative and marketing professionals, this certification program delivers a concentrated transfer of real‑world AI experience that goes beyond traditional training. Participants develop the skills and confidence to leverage AI across strategy, workflows, governance, and ways of working, all grounded in hands‑on experiential learning rather than theory.
AI is reshaping creativity and marketing, yet most teams are navigating it without shared principles, clear workflows, or confidence in what truly adds value. IHAF Learning Labs on Applied AI help members move beyond scattered experimentation to build a thoughtful, responsible approach to applying AI to their everyday work—without hype, fear, or shortcuts.
Delivered across four half-day classes, the program blends expert guidance with practical application to strengthen your ability to choose the right tools, prioritize proven practices over one‑off experiments, and foster collaboration instead of isolated trial and error. Program graduates leave with sharper thinking, stronger workflows, and a common point of view on how AI can meaningfully amplify creative and strategic outcomes.
This is a 16-hour program delivered virtually across four live sessions—each one builds on the last. Participants who attend all four classes will earn a certificate of completion.
When
Tuesday, April 14 at 12-4 pm ET
Tuesday, April 21 at 12-4 pm ET
Tuesday, April 28 at 12-4 pm ET
Tuesday, May 5 at 12-4 pm ET
Where
Virtual training series
Who
Enrollment is available to in-house agency professionals (members and non-members). Participation is limited to the first 24 registrants.
Pricing
IHAF Member: $999
Non-Member: $1,998
Program Curriculum
Session 1: FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN AI
Tuesday, April 14 at 12:00 – 4:00 pm ET
Our learning series begins with a shared foundation for understanding AI in creative and marketing work. Participants will gain clarity on AI’s capabilities, develop a common language, and explore responsible adoption. This class introduces governance as a creative enabler and concludes with the cohort defining an AI mission and vision to further inform the experience.
What we’ll cover:
• The current state of AI in creative and marketing work
• Strengths, limitations, and realistic expectations for AI today
• Shared language and mental models for talking about AI
• Personalized team-first education and curriculum design
• Early governance considerations and responsible use
• Evaluating AI outputs with judgment, taste, and brand integrity
• Defining a shared-AI mission and vision
Session 2: AI PURPOSE, TOOLS & WORKFLOW
Tuesday, April 21 at 12:00 – 4:00 pm ET
This class moves from shared understanding to intentional application by defining the role AI should play within respective organizations. Participants identify meaningful use cases, map opportunities, and design realistic workflows grounded in real friction points—leaving with clearer priorities, early workflow concepts, and support to continue refining their ideas.
What we’ll cover:
• Mapping real creative and marketing workflows
• Identifying friction, repetition, and opportunities in everyday work
• Defining meaningful AI use cases by role and team
• Designing workflows that integrate AI without forcing adoption
• Matching AI capabilities to real needs on the team
• Prioritizing opportunities based on impact and feasibility
Session 3: BUILDING YOUR CUSTOM AI
Tuesday, April 28 at 12:00 – 4:00 pm ET
Our third class turns ideas into usable systems. Participants learn when to use standard versus custom AI tools, apply design principles that drive consistent outcomes, and experiment with building scalable platforms. Through demos and guided practice, you’ll develop a clear approach to creating AI systems that add demonstrable value.
What we’ll cover:
• Overview of designing AI tools
• Custom vs. standard AI tools and when to use them
• Building and refining simple AI tools without technical complexity
• Prompt writing as a shared craft and system
• Sharing, scaling, and governing AI tools across teams
• Measuring value beyond speed or volume
Session 4: STRATEGY FIRST, CREATIVE ALWAYS
Tuesday, May 5 at 12:00 – 4:00 pm ET
Wrapping the series, our final class shows how AI can support strategic thinking and creative expression without replacing either. Participants treat prompt design as a creative discipline, using hands‑on exercises to link language and visual tools, refine ideas, and build integrated workflows—graduating with a confident, cohesive approach to applying AI in real work.
What we’ll cover:
• Using AI to support strategic thinking and exploration
• AI for research—strong inputs and meaningful outputs
• Iteration as a strategic and creative practice
• Applying AI to creative ideation and visualization
• Linking language and visual tools within creative workflows
• Integrating AI into strategy and creative expression with intent
OFFICE HOURS WITH THE EXPERTS
Friday, April 24 at 12:00 – 2:00 pm ET
In addition to classroom instruction, participants are invited to take advantage of “office hours” at the program mid-point, offering time with our trainers for targeted coaching. Office hours provide space to troubleshoot challenges, apply concepts to real work, and deepen learning through personalized support.
Training Partners
John Roberts
Founder & Managing Partner, Truth Collective
John brings over 30 years of business leadership and a strategist’s passion for what truly moves people and brands. He’s helped create and lead multiple teams and global brands in navigating transformation with sharper strategy and braver creativity. Today, he applies that same perspective—and an enthusiastic curiosity—to AI, framing it not just as a creative tool but as a business lever to unlock growth, efficiency, and bold new possibilities for teams.
Josh Coon
Chief of Brand Experience, Truth Collective
Josh brings 20+ years of brand and creative leadership to his role as CBX at Truth Collective, where he leads the integration of AI across disciplines. A former in-house studio leader himself, he knows the pressures internal teams face—and how to unlock their full potential. His focus: using AI to amplify human creativity, not replace it.
Take advantage of more than just our events.
IHAF members have access to a wealth of resources in our Content Hub. From benchmarking studies to creative brief templates, dive in to elevate your experience and enable your success.