Paula Vivas on Building Freepik’s AI Empire, Launching Upscale Conf, and Why Community Still Comes First
“I think I’m going to stick with community. I’m going to stick with human connection and storytelling. Everyone has a story, and AI doesn’t have a story… There’s nobody else like us. We feed AI, but we choose what we feed it. So there’s no one better than you to tell your own story and work on your own terms… It’s not about the tool. Don’t forget that. It’s about what you’re getting out of it.”
I had the pleasure of talking with Paula Vivas. Paula is a Spanish-born marketing and design executive whose career bridges the evolving worlds of creative technology, artificial intelligence, and digital strategy. With over 15 years of experience across Europe and the United States, she has established herself as a versatile figure in both traditional marketing roles and the fast-moving landscape of AI-driven innovation. Currently, she leads U.S. market strategy for Freepik, a design platform known for its expanding suite of AI-powered tools, while also serving as the founder and organizer of Upscale Conf by Freepik, an international conference focused on the intersection of AI and creativity.
Vivas’s professional journey is deeply shaped by her experience as an immigrant and self-taught English speaker. After relocating from Spain to San Francisco in search of broader professional opportunities, she began working in the shipping department of a startup, learning English through day-to-day immersion. She eventually transitioned into a design role at the same company, where she served as the sole designer for more than 2 years, gaining hands-on experience in packaging, web design, and branding. That early phase laid the groundwork for her return to marketing and product strategy, skills she had first cultivated in Spain.
Before her move to the United States, Vivas held roles in advertising and social media, including work with Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She later co-founded Charis.ai, an AI-centered venture focused on ethical and human-centric technological applications. Across all of her professional endeavors, Vivas has maintained a strong commitment to responsible AI use and inclusive innovation, principles that inform much of her current work.
At Freepik, Vivas plays a key role in shaping the company’s North American growth strategy and community-building initiatives. She has helped transform the company’s San Francisco presence from a remote operation into a physical hub for collaboration, even personally participating in remodeling efforts that turned a leased storefront into a vibrant office and event space. That space has since hosted over 40 community events, drawing more than 3,000 attendees and featuring speakers and attendees from companies such as OpenAI, Github, a16z, Microsoft, Figma, Meta, Whatsapp, Haiper, Scenario, Leonardo or ElevenLabs.
The momentum generated by these gatherings helped spark the creation of Upscale Conf, an international conference series that convenes creatives, technologists, and entrepreneurs to explore the current and future impact of artificial intelligence on the creative industries. Launched in Málaga, Spain, in 2023, the first edition of the conference featured 37 speakers and drew more than 600 attendees. Notably, the event was organized without initially attaching the Freepik brand, a decision Vivas has described as a deliberate attempt to highlight the community rather than the company. The conference has since expanded to San Francisco and is expected to become a recurring fixture in both cities, with plans to host future editions twice a year.
Vivas describes Upscale not simply as an industry event, but as a platform to encourage dialogue around the creative uses and ethical boundaries of AI. She frequently advocates for greater public education on emerging technologies, emphasizing that fears around automation and generative AI should be met with transparency and outreach rather than silence. She has spoken openly about the challenges of skepticism in creative communities, noting that resistance to AI often arises when people feel that their own skill sets are under threat. To address this, she promotes a narrative of AI as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for human ingenuity.
The platform Vivas oversees at Freepik integrates multiple generative tools, including Google Veo 3, Flux, Kling, Magnific, Minimax or Topaz, offering creators a suite of AI functions across image, video and audio content. She frames the platform not only as a production toolkit but also as a digital ecosystem that supports connection among users. Recent product launches have emphasized real-time updates and feature integration, with teams reportedly deploying new tools even during conference events.
Alongside her marketing responsibilities, Vivas remains deeply engaged in community-centered initiatives. Her approach to leadership involves close collaboration between product and marketing teams and direct engagement with both users and skeptics. She has spoken about the importance of keeping communication human-centered and about listening to concerns from those hesitant to adopt AI-driven tools. She has also expressed concern over issues such as misinformation, deepfakes, and ethical misuse of generative technologies, calling for stronger education efforts and mental health resources in the face of increasingly persuasive artificial media.
When asked what kind of careers may remain viable in a world increasingly shaped by automation, Vivas stresses curiosity over specialization. She encourages young people to reflect on their strengths and to approach AI not as a threat but as a medium for extending creative and professional potential. Her own career trajectory, from marketing work in Spain to AI conference organizer in California, underscores a belief in personal reinvention and adaptability.
While Vivas acknowledges the disruptive pace of AI advancement, she remains optimistic about its potential to enhance, rather than diminish, human creativity. Whether discussing the role of AI in film production or the emergence of emotionally resonant chatbot interactions, she emphasizes that human context, storytelling, and ethics must remain at the core of technological development. Her goal, she says, is to ensure that community voices shape the future of AI, rather than being shaped by it.
Yitzi: It’s so nice to meet you. Before we dive in deep, we would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share with our listeners the story of your childhood and how you grew up?
Paula: It’s nice to meet you. I was born and raised in Spain, and then I came to the US looking for a better life — professionally. When I arrived, I didn’t know much English, at a conversation level at least. I started doing interviews, which was really tough because I couldn’t understand most of what people were asking me.
I ended up joining the shipping room of a startup, packing boxes of their products. That put me in a room full of people speaking English all day, and that really helped me catch up. Eventually, I became the in-house designer. I was there for almost three years as the only designer, which was truly revealing about the professional market here, being proactive is rewarded.
I got to work on packaging, website — basically everything you can imagine. That experience helped me reach a level of English where I could finally go into the kind of professional marketing work I had done in the past.
From there, I joined various projects as freelance while I decided to be a mom. After some time, it was the moment of going back to marketing. Not long after, Freepik reached out, and I was more than happy to join the team and help grow their presence in the US. That’s how it all happened.
Yitzi: That’s great. You probably have some amazing stories from your migration journey and from being part of a very successful AI company. Can you share with our readers one or two stories that stand out in your mind?
Paula: One of the first that comes to mind is when we arrived here. My husband and I came with just a suitcase — nothing else. We were walking around San Francisco looking for a place to rent, and I remember people on the street smiling at us. It was something I had never experienced before in a foreign city. I actually looked at myself wondering, do I have something on my face or on my clothes? But no, everyone was just genuinely nice.
It made us feel at home, and that was really beautiful, especially as immigrants. San Francisco has a reputation nowadays, but I truly believe it’s a very inviting city. Locals make you feel like you belong, and I think we should talk more about that — the kindness and openness of the people here.
Another story would be with Freepik. Initially, we weren’t supposed to have an office because we were working remotely. But then, we put up a billboard on a building, and we thought, “Okay, if we’re doing this, we should paint the building too, let’s turn this into a marketing campaign”
We talked to the building owner, and he asked if we wanted to paint the whole thing. Then he said, “If you want to do that, you need to rent the first floor.” So we did. We created an office and remodeled everything ourselves — full startup mode. I was changing bathroom tiles, fixing up the kitchen, painting walls and shelves. I was doing marketing, but also literally kicking out mice.
Since then, we’ve evolved into a more professional setup. We now host events at the office. We’ve held more than 40 events with over 57 top speakers from companies like Github, a16z, Microsoft, Figma, Meta, Whatsapp, Haiper, Scenario, Leonardo or ElevenLabs. Pretty much every company in the city has come through our space.
Those events and that growing community — more than 3,000 people have attended — led us to create Upscale Conf by Freepik. We realized we had built this amazing network, and we wanted to give people a real stage to share ideas and talk about the future. Not the distant future, but what’s happening right now.
That’s how Upscale was born. We held our first event in Malaga last year. It was completely sold out. We had 37 speakers from around the world and over 600 attendees. We didn’t even say Freepik was behind it — we wanted it to be about the community and the conversation.
This year, it was time for Freepik to shine. We’ve been shipping new products almost every week, and we wanted to give creatives and professionals a platform — a space to network, to share their work, and to educate others. It’s such a privilege to do that. We’re really proud of what we’re building.
Yitzi: First of all, I love the name Upscale. It’s such a perfect name because it’s very AI-centric, but it also connects to business. And by the way, I’m always looking for a good upscaler.
Paula: When we first started brainstorming about the name, we wanted something related to AI but also to everything else! You can upscale your business, your life, your goals… It’s always about growing.
But like you said, it made sense for us as a company. We have the best upscaler in the market, Magnific, as part of Freepik. And not only that, if you use Mystic to generate an image, it is actually Magnific and Flux together — we have it all integrated. So for the price of a Freepik subscription, starting at $9 per month, you get access to everything. And we also have Topaz, so you can upscale videos too.
Yitzi: Good to know. I’ve seen Freepik, and I was really impressed. As far as I know, there’s nothing else like it. It’s like a Swiss Army knife of AI tools. Has anyone used that comparison before?
Paula: I would say it’s not exactly like that, but it’s a really good simile. I see it as a place you don’t want to leave because you have it all. It’s more than just tools, it’s a platform with the focus on helping the creative community to achieve their goals.
You can explore what other creatives are doing, and you can go from sketching something to editing a video based on that sketch. You have everything in one place. And the version you see today is less than what you’ll see tomorrow.
Even yesterday during the conference, our team was launching new features. They were literally on their laptops, on the sidewalk, implementing a new image generation model — another one from Google, Imagen 4.
I can’t say enough about our product team. They’re so talented and dedicated, and they make our lives in marketing and AI so much easier. 2025 has really been a year where the Freepik team has shined — a lot. I’m incredibly proud of everyone and lucky to witness it all.
Yitzi: Do you envision Upscale becoming like a CES, a big conference, becoming the AI conference?
Paula: Yes, and I think it’s really important to acknowledge this — without community, you don’t have a tool. Without the creatives behind it, your tools mean nothing. We’ve been with designers since 2010. We know how they think, we know how to help them, we know what they need. I have a design background and now I’m into AI.
We make it in a way that it feels natural, it’s organic for us to grow with them. I do see Upscale becoming one of the biggest conferences in the world. For sure, in Europe it’s already a key player. Here in San Francisco, we’re planning to do it every year. I see Upscale becoming something really big. I think it’s already big, but it’s going to get even bigger. The key? It’s not selfcentered, it’s less about the product or tools, it’s more about the human side of AI.
Yitzi: Is your target demographic AI companies or founders, or is it more the end users, the creatives using AI?
Paula: That’s a really good question. At Freepik, we go for both. We just launched an enterprise plan, so we’re targeting executives and enterprise-level customers. But at the same time, we don’t want to forget the consumers — we have those creatives we were talking about, those tech-savvy people who want to innovate with all the tools.
Right now, our demographics are about 35% designers, tech professionals, and product teams. Around 25% are founders and executives. About 10% are investors — by that I mean VCs — along with press and students. Everyone wants to see what’s next in the space, not what your tool is about. This conference is not just about learning from inspirational keynotes, but also about being hands-on and having someone show them what they’re doing with AI. It’s about helping them move faster, create more freely, and communicate through AI — whether it’s through image, video, or audio.
Yitzi: You’re planning to do it every year?
Paula: We’re planning to host Upscale Conf twice a year moving forward. The momentum we’ve seen, especially in San Francisco, was incredibly encouraging. We sold out, quadrupled our sponsorships, and saw a huge spike in ticket sales. That told us we’re building something the community truly values.
San Francisco is definitely here to stay — it is a no-brainer after the response we had. The SFJazz means a lot to us. The venue is so unique and creative that we’re not sure if we’ll move. Long term, I’m confident Upscale will continue to grow and become a global touchpoint for anyone working in AI and creativity.
Yitzi: And are you going to move it to different cities?
Paula: Yes! We’ve already locked in dates for our next edition in Málaga this November (4th and 5th).
We’ve also been debating it because the film industry is in Los Angeles and the advertising world is in New York, and those seem like great places to reconnect with the community. In that sense, we’re launching Upscale Talks, a more agile format that will pop up in those cities to keep the conversation going between flagship events.
Yitzi: Speaking of the movie industry, as you know, there’s been huge pushback against using AI. And more generally, even outside the industry, people are skeptical. For example, I once put out a printed piece here in Baltimore and used OpenAI’s Studio Ghibli filter — it’s a cute trend right now. Someone saw it and said, “That’s AI-generated. I can’t stand it. I hate it.” I couldn’t relate to that reaction, because honestly, I’m fascinated by it. How do you overcome that stigma, that kind of visceral rejection people have? There’s a real fear around AI art and creativity.
Paula: That’s a really good question. I’ve heard it often. Every time we talk about AI, there are a lot of people who just aren’t ready. But I think it’s mostly when it affects their own field.
For example, illustrators might push back against AI-generated images, but still happily use ChatGPT to help write emails or stay organized. A writer might reject text generation but be open to AI-generated music. It really depends on what part of someone’s creative identity is being impacted — some areas feel more personal than others.
The key is education. People need to understand this isn’t going away. It’s like the internet, like when movie theaters came after live theater, or when streaming changed the TV game. It’s another evolution. We’ve seen the wave rise, and now it’s here to stay. You either adapt or risk being left behind. We’re basically the boomers of the AI era.
We have to shift the narrative. If we only focus on image or video generation and ignore all the other possibilities, we’re missing the bigger picture. What about medicine? If we don’t engage with AI and use it to analyze research papers and push innovation forward, we lose out on evolution. The same goes for biotech and so many other fields. AI is accelerating innovation across every sector.
Back to the film industry — yes, I think most are already using AI, but they’re not ready to say it out loud. We know they are because they’re using our tools.
Yitzi: They’re using it on commercial video, like in actual movies?
Paula: Yes, absolutely. We know for a fact that Magnific has been used. AI is already part of the process.
The turning point was when the Coca-Cola ad came out using AI. That made it okay for enterprises. Then Will.i.am created that Mercedes ad, and it became acceptable for brands too. The moment a movie openly integrates AI and shows that it works, it’ll become more mainstream. Everyone just needs to be on board — not just with the tech, but with the whole process. We still need good scripts, solid direction, all of it. AI is just a tool to help make that process faster and help professionals shine even more.
Once people truly understand that, I think a lot of the fear will fade. Yes, some roles will evolve or even disappear, but new ones will be created. That’s always been the case with new technology.
The message should be: you’re brilliant. Let AI help you be even more brilliant. Don’t waste time staring at a blank page, wondering where to start. Use AI. Test out tools. Prompt Claude, Chat GPT, Perplexity with your idea and let it give you context, let it push back. Take advantage of what’s available. That’s what it’s here for.
Yitzi: That’s great. As a marketer, you are seeing the incredible speed that AI is advancing. Yesterday at Google’s conference, seeing something like VEO 3 — it’s crazy. The speed is unbelievable. Are you ever nervous for your own job? Because now, you can imagine an AI agent that could be a good marketer, even a good CMO. Are you nervous about your job, and what are you doing to make sure it’s secure?
Paula: I’m nervous about not being able to keep up with the speed, but I’m not nervous about my job. For me, marketing has evolved into community. I really believe in the human side of it. I believe in human beings. I believe we need conversation. I believe we need to set boundaries for AI. We have to have those ethical conversations around AI. I believe we need to talk to people and bring communities together, because we’re shaping the future. We’re deciding which tools are going to be used the most. We’re the ones making those choices.
I don’t believe my job will be taken away, it will just evolve. I think we need to invest more in storytelling, in human stories. I really love that you asked me about my background before getting into AI, because I believe we need to invest more in people. And that’s something AI can’t replace.
Yitzi: That’s great. If a young woman came to you and said, “I’m graduating high school soon, and I’m trying to choose a general career path — I’m thinking of accounting, maybe becoming a lawyer, or going into another service industry — but I want a job that I know won’t be replaced anytime soon,” what would you recommend? From your perspective, seeing what’s coming down the pipeline in AI, what do you think will still be safe 20 or 30 years from now?
Paula: Hmm, that’s a great question. In the AI world, 20 or 30 years is hard to imagine — I can barely keep up with one week. I think the most important thing is not to lose curiosity. Be curious.
I don’t know if I’m the best person to give advice, because I’ve changed my career path so many times. But if you don’t know what to study, start by using AI tools. Begin with what you’re good at. Ask yourself, “Am I creative?”
I remember when some of the first tools came out and people were generating images. I talked to an engineer who told me, “I’ve never been able to illustrate anything. I can’t draw on paper or on a computer. But now, with these tools, I can. I didn’t even know I was that creative. And now I have a show at a museum with my art.” That’s the kind of transformation that’s happening.
We should all reflect on our individual strengths. Think, “What am I good at?” I couldn’t do that when I went to college. I just picked something — advertising — because it felt right. I saw this Levis (odyssey) commercial directed by Jonathan Glazer, and it blew my mind. I was sitting on the couch, and I knew I wanted to do that. I wanted to tell stories about brands, about people. I wanted to help shape those stories.
So I think it’s important for young people to sit down and ask, “What am I good at?” If you want to be a lawyer because you care about people, then think about how AI can support that. Just treat AI as a tool. It’s something that will walk alongside you.
The future is uncertain, for sure. There might come a time when AI doesn’t just mimic us, but actually creates on its own and develops more refined tastes than we have. Maybe we’ll have robots at home doing the dishes and laundry. But we’re still the ones creating it all.
So let’s tell young people to really think about who they are, what they’re good at, and how they can use AI to their advantage — just like we embraced the internet when it first came along.
Yitzi: You’re raising a really fascinating question — one that’s been discussed in different forums for decades. Once we have an android or a robot that does our dishes, and it has a brain made by OpenAI or Claude or whoever, and it can be creative, it can talk, and it’s better than humans in a lot of ways… what’s the difference between a human and a non-human? What does it actually mean to be human?
Paula: We’ll have more free time to be curious about anything. I mean, do you know how much laundry I do? I have three kids — I do a lot of laundry. If I had something or something handling that, thinking about dinner and all those little daily tasks, I think we’d be able to focus more on what really matters.
I see it as something really positive. I don’t have that whole Terminator outlook. It might happen — who knows — but I don’t see it that way. I believe we’re in a magical time, one that puts human beings in a more creative, conversational, and community-focused space than ever before, just because we have to.
Yitzi: What are the concerns that you think people should be mindful of? What should we be forewarning about and addressing? Things like deepfakes, misinformation — what else are you personally concerned about in the short term?
Paula: Ethics, like you said. Fake content, deepfakes — that makes me nervous. Right now, we’re at a point where every piece of information we consume is really important. Every country has its own issues, and deepfakes could definitely play a role in that.
But I don’t think the technology is quite there yet to fully trick us — at least, not perfectly. Still, it’s something to watch. I’d actually like to take more time to think about that, because there’s so much to consider when it comes to uncertainty.
Another thing that scares me is the idea that we’re no longer the creatives, that AI might get to a point where it does it better than we do. If they become the thinkers and we’re just following along — that’s a scary thought.
But I still believe in humanity. I don’t want to end on a negative note. I believe AI is here to stay, and I believe it’s here to serve as a tool, not to replace us. I try not to focus on the fear. I like to stay realistic, but I’d rather focus on the positive.
Yitzi: What are your thoughts about people using things like Character AI and falling in love with a perfect AI bot, to the point where they lose interest in building real human relationships? What do you think about that?
Paula: I think we’ve always had that. It’s not something entirely new. The difference now is that it’s more personalized. You can get exactly what you want out of a fake person. But people have always fallen in love with things — pictures, ideas. I mean, we had the movie Her. We saw this coming, right?
But I think we need to work on the human side of things, the humanity we’ve been talking about throughout this interview. This really comes down to mental health. That’s the issue, and it’s not AI’s fault. I don’t think AI is the villain here. We need to invest in mental health. That’s the core issue. This could go in many directions, but it’s just another example of why we need to focus on mental health.
We need to raise serious awareness and say, “Hey, this is just a tool.” I’m sure there are always going to be issues — in every field. That’s why I think we need to focus more on the human aspect instead of blaming AI.
Yitzi: Just yesterday, America passed a law called the Take Down Act. Are you familiar with it? Basically, people were using AI to make fake nude images of others and then blackmailing them. That’s now illegal — just became law yesterday.
Paula: Yeah. The thing is, we do care about people’s privacy, and this is a really personal matter. But now, if I see a picture of a famous person naked online, I automatically assume it’s fake. So that weight it used to carry — the fear people had years ago — it’s not quite the same anymore.
I mean, it’s still important. Nobody wants to see themselves out there like that, vulnerable. But now, people just assume it’s AI-generated, and that really lowers the impact and value of those kinds of images.
Yitzi: That’s fascinating. You’re saying that because of AI, everyone now just assumes it’s fake. That’s a great point.
This is our signature question, and then we’ll wrap up. You’ve been blessed with a lot of success, and you must have learned a lot from your experiences. Can you share five things you’ve learned that you wish you knew when you first started in AI?
Paula:
- Play more. Be curious. Don’t just ride the wave — be at the front of it. Make sure you understand the technical side so you know your ground. Don’t focus on the tool, focus on what’s behind it. That’s definitely one takeaway.
- Talk to the community. I’ve been doing that, you can really learn from them when you listen. Go have dinner with them, have lunch with them.
- Talk to the haters. Talk to the people who are against AI or hesitant about it. Listen to what they have to say. They’ll have valid points, for sure. I’d tell my past self, sit down with them, give them space in your circle, make sure they feel heard, and address their concerns. Go with them — walk alongside them.
- Make sure your product team is aligned with your marketing team. They can’t be separate. Marketing has to be immersed in a product, and has to breathe it. Now there’s a new tool every five minutes. I could make a video today and need to update it tomorrow. So product and marketing need to work closely together and speak the same language.
- Go enterprise. Focus on the consumer, but remember that consumers are also in big companies. They need to be educated in AI too. They’re the ones driving AI into the mainstream — Coca-Cola, Mercedes, musicians, studios. Talk to them. They’re the ones making the creative work, the engineering work, bringing it all to TV and the broader public.
Those would be my five. And also, have fun. We’re all so stressed with these constant five-minute cycles and updates that we sometimes forget — this is actually really fun. Yeah, this is so much fun.
Yitzi: This is our final aspirational question. Because of your great work and the platform you’ve built, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could put out an idea, spread an idea, or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would that be?
Paula: Oh. No pressure. Wow. I think I’m going to stick with community. I’m going to stick with human connection and storytelling. Everyone has a story, and AI doesn’t have a story. We don’t have a story. I’m sticking to that, and I’m sticking to the idea that we’re genuine. There’s nobody else like us. We feed AI, but we choose what we feed it. So there’s no one better than you to tell your own story and work on your own terms.
That’s what I would say. Don’t lose yourself along the way. Stick to your personality, because no one has lived what you’ve lived — your traumas, your happiness, your family, or lack of it, your religion, your politics. All of that together makes you, you. That’s what makes your creative output, using all these tools, unique. It’s not about the tool. Don’t forget that. It’s about what you’re getting out of it.
Yitzi: Beautifully said. So how can our readers learn more about Upscale, the Upscale conference? How can they attend, how can they sign up, how can they learn more about Freepik? How can they explore all its features? How can we support you in any possible way?
Paula: Social media is our main marketing channel. All our channels are @freepik, so you can follow us there for updates. Sign up on the platform. We also have a Discord channel. Just go to freepik.com and take advantage of our freemium model. And if you like it, sign up — we have really good pricing tiers, very competitive for what’s out there. People need to know that, for sure.
For Upscale, again, follow us on social media and go to UpscaleConf.com. You’ll see the ticket info there. Today we’re launching the Malaga edition, and instead of the early bird price, we’re calling it the early egg price — it’s even earlier than the bird. People can follow everything on UpscaleConf.com, our social media platforms, and also on our Upscale Conf YouTube channel. We livestream the event, and it’s completely free to watch. We have incredible talks lined up.
Yitzi: Paula, it’s been such a delight to meet you. I know you’re going to be extremely successful — you already are — but I know there’s even more ahead. We wish you continued success and good health. I hope we can do this again next year.
Paula: Yes. Let’s talk again. Thank you so much for this. I don’t know how much time we spent, but I would stay here the whole morning talking with you even in the middle of this conference. You give off such beautiful energy. Thank you so much for this interview.
Yitzi: Thanks. It’s really nice to connect with you. I’m excited to share this with you and with our readers.
Paula Vivas on Building Freepik’s AI Empire, Launching Upscale Conf, and Why Community Still Comes… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.