Life After RISD: Checking in with Alum Sol Armada de la Cruz

Los Angeles-based creative Sol Armada de la Cruz 92 AP left her home in San Juan, Puerto Rico to attend RISD in the 1980s and has been carving her own unconventional path ever since. A creative leader working for Warner Brothers Discovery as part of the Global Experiences team, she has helped launch Harry Potter theme parks and traveling exhibitions across continents and redefined how fans interact with the TV and movie characters they love. She is excited about her new role as president of RISD’s Alumni Association and shares her thoughts here about life after college and lessons learned at RISD that continue to resonate. 

Tell me a little bit about your professional practice and what you’re currently working on.
I lead retail for Global Themed Entertainment at Warner Brothers, which means I get to build the magical shopping moment inside theme parks around the world. If you’ve ever held a Harry Potter wand at a theme park or tried on a Batman cape, chances are that merchandise came across my desk at some point. 

How would you say your background relates to the work you’re doing today?
I’ve always been a huge pop culture fan. I grew up in Puerto Rico and always carry it with me. We’re small but mighty! When I was a kid, in the ’80s, it was the analogue era. Media was my window on the world before the Internet or social media. I was recently working on the first Harry Potter themed experience in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and asking young people there what they love about it. They said that they learned English by reading the books and watching the movies. I know what that feels like! I learned English by watching TV.

How did you go from apparel design into theme park merchandising?
I got my first job through an internship I had senior year at RISD. I worked as an assistant menswear designer for Tommy Hilfiger in New York City under the guidance of amazing designer Reed Krakoff. That was a really formative time of my life. Reed taught me that everything is connected: fashion, design, pop culture ... . Then I stumbled onto a company that did branded accessories for Disney. I thought this is a career? I can get paid to do this? I worked in IP design for 10 years, and now I work on the other side of the table.

Why did you initially choose to study at RISD?
As a 16-year-old, I was lucky enough to attend the summer pre-college program at Cornell University. I thought that I wanted to be an architect, but I realized at Cornell that it was not for me. So, I asked the cool kids which art school in the States was the best, and they all said RISD. Again, this was before the Internet. I had no idea where Rhode Island was, but I was like, “Yup, I’m going to RISD.” I arrived in Providence with a heavy accent and zero clue of what I was doing. It was like being on a completely different planet, and I loved every minute of it.

What lessons did you learn at RISD that you still carry with you today? 
My Foundation Studies 3D teacher, Ed Oates, told me to have fun in the studio, and that piece of advice always stuck with me. Life is too short or too long, however you want to look at it. We all spend a lot of time working, so you have to enjoy your work. And RISD gave me this super-power of thinking that anything is possible. Endless hours of crits taught me how to talk myself into it, out of it, and around it—to stick to my guns and defend my ideas. 

What inspired you to take on the role of Alumni Association president?
I’m very passionate about what RISD meant for my career and my life. I was given an incredible opportunity. I frequently run into RISD alums when I’m traveling, and we drop everything to talk to each other! It’s all about making connections. I couldn’t say no to this opportunity. 

Life After RISD is an ongoing series featuring alumni making outsized impact in culture and industry. Stay tuned for more from our graduates on how RISD has helped to shape their practices and the way they engage with the world. 

Simone Solondz
May 4, 2026