In this week’s episode of the Real English Conversations Podcast, the show that helps global professionals speak clearly and confidently at work, host Curtis Davies welcomes two innovative creators who are transforming how we think about learning, collaboration, and communication. Joining the show are Maryam Shoja and old high school buddy Matt Gardner, the founding partners behind Mod Hob Cooperative & PlotWeaver: Cards of Creation — a creator-led producers’ cooperative building practical, regenerative systems for learning, collaboration, and community resilience. Mod Hob (short for Modern Hobbies) brings together educators, designers, technologists, and artists to design systems that replace extractive work with cooperative intelligence — treating people as co-creators rather than users, customers, or resources. In this conversation, we explore their philosophy, their design process, and how their collaborative storytelling system helps individuals and teams think more clearly, communicate with empathy, and create shared meaning. Maryam is a Learning Systems Designer, educator, strategist, and English Language coach with 16+ years of experience designing inclusive and neurodivergent-friendly learning environments. Matt went to high school with Curtis & is a user-centered product design strategist, UX researcher, and systems thinker with 20+ years of experience helping cross-functional teams turn complexity into clarity. Together, they are building tools that make systems thinking, emotional intelligence, and creative collaboration accessible to everyday people — from classrooms to corporate teams. This episode is especially powerful for educators, leaders, language learners, and global professionals who rely on English to collaborate, present ideas, and build strong relationships at work.