World-Building Brands in an AI Era

Geoff Cook’s career took off the night he met MoMA’s CMO—and helped create the iconic MoMA QNS brand. Since then, he’s shaped brands from MILK and NeueHouse to Times Talks, JFK Terminal 4, and the Prince Estate. Partner at Base, mentor at TechStars, and global culture expert, Geoff shares how bold branding can leave a lasting cultural impact.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

- How a single encounter can launch a career and define a creative trajectory

- Why human connection is at the heart of every successful brand experience

- The concept of “world-building” in branding and how it fosters community

- How to balance AI as a tool without losing creative originality

- Key considerations for branding early-stage companies and preserving cash

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(00:33) Jeff Cook’s career breakthrough at MoMA

(02:10) Early lessons from DKNY and international branding

(04:07) Culture-driven branding from Milk to global institutions

(07:40) Translating cultural expertise to JFK Terminal 4

(10:09) World-building brands to foster human connection

(12:19) AI in creative work: opportunities and guardrails

(20:12) Mentoring early-stage companies and branding pitfalls

(26:27) Brands that make Jeff smile

About Geoff Cook

Geoff Cook's career catapulted on the night he met MoMA’s CMO at a Base party in Manhattan, where he discussed developing the institution’s new branding for its temporary museum in Queens. The project, MoMA QNS, was the first in a string of iconic brands he has helped to create, including MILK, NeueHouse, JFK Terminal 4, Iconiq, The New York Times' Times Talks & Food Festival, the Prince Estate, and countless others. Geoff approaches branding with a sharp understanding of business strategy and a finger on the pulse of global culture (he speaks four languages and savors local flavor everywhere he travels). As a partner at Base, Geoff asks companies big questions and helps answer them with unexpected, visionary solutions. The result is very often a profound cultural impact. Geoff also puts his branding acumen to use as a mentor at renowned tech accelerator, TechStars, and serves as a board member at Sentral.

What Brand Has Made Geoff Smile Recently?

Geoff is impressed by On, a Swiss-based athletic brand. He admires how On builds a cohesive, coherent world through product design, store experiences, and creative campaigns that surprise and delight. The combination of Swiss precision and playful, culturally relevant marketing makes On a standout in his eyes.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Geoff on LinkedIn.
• Check out the Base Design website and Instagram.
• Here's the Design Week article on AI we discussed.

Listen & Support the Show

• Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart</