The marketing industry is changing rapidly, and the pace isn't slowing down. AI is reshaping creative and marketing workflows. Audience expectations are evolving. And what it takes to build effective campaigns looks different than it did even six months ago. This shift is creating a new demand for people who can orchestrate AI-assisted workflows, manage content systems across channels and keep outputs aligned with brand standards. These are the creative, digital and AI skills that the Adobe Digital Academy aims to equip the next generation with so they excel in the modern, ever-evolving workforce.
As you may have seen at Adobe Summit, the market has shifted from AI experimentation to AI value realization. Those who will define this next era are the ones who use AI as a natural part of their craft — be it predictive, generative, or agentic. From creating standout content at scale to orchestrating impactful customer experiences and ensuring brand visibility for your brand across SEO and AEO (agentic engine optimization), the range of what modern marketers are expected to master has never been greater. At the center of all of that is customer experience orchestration: delivering the right experience, to the right person, through the right channel at the right time across the full customer lifecycle — one of the most critical capabilities a modern marketer can now have. For the next generation of marketing professionals, this is a moment of real opportunity that when paired with access to the right experiences, networks and mentorship can turn that potential into leadership.
That's the gap the Effie LIONS Foundation is working to close, and Adobe Digital Academy is proud to help make it possible.
Voices of the Future: An Effie LIONS Foundation Fellowship
The Effie LIONS Foundation has launched the inaugural Voices of the Future Fellowship, a fully-funded, eight-month program designed to give the next generation of marketing leaders the tools, connections and real-world experience they need to build careers at the forefront of the industry. At Adobe, we know that the most effective marketing is always rooted in creative work. As the company that brings together creativity, marketing and AI, we are honored to be the Presenting Sponsor, helping to create the ideal environment to train future leaders in these vocations.
“Voices of the Future arrives at exactly the right moment as the marketing industry undergoes profound change,” explains Jae Goodman, Effie LIONS Foundation board chairman. “Now is the time to rethink the global talent pipeline and bring rising voices to the table. This program ensures that the next chapter of our industry is shaped by the broad perspectives and bold ideas it will need to thrive.”
The program is structured as an end-to-end learning journey. Fellows begin with virtual learning through the Adobe Digital Academy, which equips learners worldwide with AI literacy, content creation and digital marketing skills — the core capabilities required of today’s modern marketers. That foundation is then brought to life at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where fellows meet their professional mentors — including leaders from Adobe — and attend curated industry events. The program concludes with paid apprenticeship placements at global agencies and brands, ensuring that fellows leave not only with knowledge, but credentials and experience too.
The inaugural cohort of 12 fellows comes from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, the United States and Vietnam. Marketing is a discipline that works best when it reflects the full range of the audiences it's trying to reach, and bringing emerging leaders together from across the world creates a richer learning environment. Fellows will be guided by Dr. Frederique Covington Corbett, global leadership professor, consultant and marketing industry leader, who will serve as Dean of the program.
Supporting the leaders of tomorrow
Adobe has long believed that creativity and innovation thrive when new voices and perspectives are brought into the fold. Sponsoring the Voices of the Future Fellowship is a natural extension of that commitment, and a concrete way to invest in the people who will shape the marketing industry's future.
As Allison Knapp Womack, global CEO of the Effie LIONS Foundation, says "Creating access is the key to unlocking the future of the marketing industry. Through Voices of the Future, fellows gain leadership training, digital skills, AI fluency, mentorship and industry connections that can shape their careers and empower them to shape the industry's future."
This sponsorship sits alongside a broader, sustained commitment to nurturing the next generation of creative and marketing talent. Through Adobe Digital Academy, Adobe is reaching millions of learners worldwide with the creative, marketing and AI skills needed to excel in the modern workforce. Adobe expanded the Adobe Film & TV Fund to provide direct support to emerging filmmakers through grants, products and partnership, and has also long supported the Young Lions Competitions and Cannes Lions as whole. Together, these and other initiatives represent tens of millions of dollars invested in ensuring that learners at every stage have the skills and opportunities to grow alongside the industry.
To the 12 “Voices of the Future” fellows, congratulations and welcome. Adobe is proud to be shaping the future of marketing and building a more AI-ready industry together with the Effie LIONS Foundation. We look forward to watching how this cohort will shape the future of marketing.
