Carina Gardner, Ph.D., is a designer, educator, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Design Suite, the University of Arts & Design, and the Marketing for Creatives Membership. Her work focuses on helping creative professionals build sustainable design businesses. Her businesses are located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dr. Carina Gardner is the founder of the University of Arts & Design, offering Undergraduate Design Certificates and Master’s degrees for business-minded creatives. She’s also the CEO of Design Suite, a flagship program that has helped over 500 designers turn their creative skills into profitable businesses.
Carina holds a Ph.D. in Design from the University of Minnesota and has spent over 17 years licensing her art and patterns. Her designs have appeared on dishware, jewelry, prints, clocks, sewing patterns, and seasonal décor sold through major retailers like Nordstrom, Riley Blake Designs, Silhouette, and 500+ independent boutiques and museums across the U.S.
She previously served as Creative Director for Carta Bella Scrapbook Paper and founded the children’s brand Mini Lou, carried by Nordstrom and Peek Clothing. Through her popular Make and Design Podcast, Carina teaches hobbyists and crafters how to build a real design business step-by-step.
Carina also has a podcast just for Design Suite, University, and Marketing for Creative Members. She gives the inside scoop on the Design Your Life Podcast to help her creative business owners get results.
When not sharing on her podcast, she’s posting on Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, Facebook, and TikTok. Hang out with her whereever YOU like to hang out most!
Carina can be found on youtube going live or filming her Design Around the World series. You can see Design Suite members and University of Arts & Design students share their designs on her channel, join a Crafting in the Kitchen episode, follow one of her Craft Along series, check out Dishing the Tea, and so much more.
Carina has been thrilled to bring her vision to life through the creation of the University of Arts & Design—a place where creativity and business merge to help aspiring designers thrive. As part of this growing ecosystem, the university launched Artboard Magazine, a publication that celebrates design thinking, student work, and the vibrant possibilities of a creative career. She also built the Design Your Future Workshop Series, a powerful online experience designed to equip creatives with confidence and clarity on how the university helps student get results, the UAD way, meet faculty, and more.