PRESS
JUNE 27, 2026
Santa Fe is a creative capital: Now, the hard part
Is Santa Fe the creative capital of America? When I was asked that, my first instinct was to say no. I have spent 30 years as a data scientist studying how communities tick, and I distrust a town’s flattering opinion of itself. Then I looked at the numbers. Measured by creative density, we absolutely are.
JUNE 24, 2026
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs
Peter Zandan has been part of Austin's technology story since 1977, long before anyone was calling this city a tech hub. In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with the long-time entrepreneur and community leader (and recent inductee into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame) to trace that journey from the beginning. Peter shares what brought him to Austin, what kept him here, and how he went on to found multiple companies including IntelliQuest and Zilliant, guided throughout by a philosophy of following his heart over his head in business.
The conversation covers Peter's creation of the Zandan Report, which provided objective, data-driven insight into Austin's tech ecosystem at a time when no one else was tracking it, and the role that kind of community infrastructure plays in helping a city understand and grow its own identity. Peter also reflects on his decade as a board member at Meow Wolf, and what sitting at the intersection of art, experience, and technology has taught him about what communities actually need to thrive.
On AI, Peter is optimistic in a way that feels grounded rather than naive: he sees artificial intelligence as a tool that enhances human capabilities rather than one that displaces them. That view shapes his broader point about Austin's future... that as the city has evolved from a place that had to recruit tech talent to one that attracts it naturally, what it must protect is precisely the quality of life and community spirit that made it worth moving to in the first place. Human relationships and lived experience, Peter argues, matter more in an AI-driven world, not less.
JUNE 13, 2026
Santa Fe Magazine Festival | AI, Navigating Our Way
Peter Zandan in conversation with Jace Mercer, Vince Kadlubek and Chantell Murphy.
Here’s what nobody’s telling you about AI: the interesting part isn’t what it can do. It’s what it can see — about us. The Mythoscope, a new psychological tool built by a novelist, a data scientist and AI, maps the hidden tensions in our psyche using something harder to fake than data: our taste. What happens when artists and machines build something together that neither could create alone? This conversation with Creative Director Jace Mercer, Meow Wolf Co-Founder Vince Kadlubek, Nuclear Engineer Chantell Murphy and is led by Data Scientist Peter Zandan. It explores that collision where storytelling, technology and human contradiction meet — and what it uncovers about who we are in a culture eager to reduce us to categories.
JUNE 12, 2026
Santa Fe Magazine Festival | The Creative Capital of the U.S.
New York. Los Angeles. Austin. Wrong, wrong, and wrong. According to an independent analysis released in February 2026, the creative capital of America isn’t where you think it is. Measured not by hype or hotel bookings, but by per-capita concentration of working creatives, institutional depth and centuries of continuous artistic practice — Santa Fe leaves every other American city behind. Data scientist Peter Zandan, Ph.D. and founder of IQ2 Analytics and Insights, explores his findings with Santa Fe’s Mayor and New Mexico Innovation Hub founder, David Perez, and former Community Development Director for the City, Elisa Montoya.
MAY 19, 2026
Austin Tech Council Hall of Fame Induction
Honoring the visionaries who built Austin into a world-class tech hub and innovation center.
Be honest. Do you know who these people are in this video?
If you’ve built anything in Austin tech, you owe it to yourself to find out.
These are the Austin Tech Hall of Fame inductees (so far…. the list will grow every year). These are people who built the ecosystem that made your opportunity possible. The networks. The culture. The reputation that puts Austin on the global map.
This week we celebrated the newest inductees with a reception where 200 people got to hear from some of the smartest and most generous civic minded leaders. These are people who have done real things over the years that lead to Austin being Austin.
And please notice who is in this video. It is not just founders with big exits. We honor investors, corporate leaders, service providers, journalists, and community builders because a healthy ecosystem is build by far more people than those getting funded and ringing the bell.
MAY 8, 2026
The Creative Capital of the U.S.
Since Santa Fe Magazine started, we’ve interviewed over 500 people. I’m always struck that when asked what they love about Santa Fe, how inarticulate and approximate even the most articulate and exacting people were — as if they’re searching for a word, a vibe, a note that is just beyond their ability to explain it.
MAY 5, 2026
How Meow Wolf Did It
The first time I heard Vince Kadlubek’s name was in 2008. It came through my sister’s friend, who said he was selling weed at Video Library. I was out of college and reluctantly back in Santa Fe — back from New York City, where I’d been suddenly laid off from my Executive Assistant job in the financial crash.
MAY 1, 2026
New Meow Wolf CEO says ‘physical experiences’ will be central to the future of entertainment
Matthew Henick started as CEO of immersive entertainment giant Meow Wolf on Monday, but he’s spent some of his opening days as millions of visitors to the company’s flagship location have: walking through a glowing refrigerator into a room of wonders and playing musical notes on a mastodon replica’s giant ribs.
FEBRUARY 26, 2026
Santa Fe, New Mexico Named the Most Creative City in the United States
A special report released February 25, 2026, concludes thatSanta Fe, NM is the most creative city in the United States when measured by per-capita creative concentration — a distinction grounded not in branding or tourism slogans, but in independent data, institutional depth, and centuries of continuous creative practice.
“If you measure creative capital by density, by per-capita concentration of people who make things that matter, Santa Fe is the creative capital of America,” writes Peter Zandan, Ph.D., founder of IQ2 Analytics and Insights in the report titled Santa Fe, Creative Capital of America.
JUNE 18, 2025
Santa Fe Magazine: The AI Whisperer
Peter Zandan knows a lot about a lot. He is a data science and analytics entrepreneur and a leading voice on AI. We recently had a fascinating conversation with him about the future of AI and what it means for us as humans.
Even though no one can say for sure what lies ahead- Peter made us feel hopeful about the whole thing and a more inspired to connect to other humans in meaningful ways.
Read the full incredible interview with Peter in issue 15.
MARCH 12, 2024
New poll reveals what residents think about Austin in 2024
More than 800 Austin-area residents were asked their thoughts on several key issues surrounding the city.
2024 Zandan Poll: The Voice of the Austin Community
It all began with an idea. What if we can get beyond the loudest voices and the media spend, and hear the truth about how our community feels about Austin.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Name Peter Zandan as Special Adviser for Data and Audience Impact
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today the appointment of veteran data science expert and entrepreneur Peter Zandan as special adviser for data and audience impact. In this position, Zandan will help the National Academies build the platforms, processes, and reporting necessary for engaging with their audiences and stakeholders.
MAY 8, 2019
Why AI Will Never Completely Replace Comms Pros
Our robot overlords can't crack a joke, and that will be their downfall, according to Jason Stanford and Peter Zandan of Hill+Knowlton Strategies.