March 19th - 20th

Share. Explore. Collaborate.

Thursday, March 19th

  • 9:30 - 10:00 am (30min): Virtual Coffee Hour

    10:00 - 10:15 am (15 min): Welcome with Dr. Roger Firestein

    10:15 - 11:30 am (75 min): Keynote - The Creativity Advantage: Professor James Kaufman

    11:30 - 12:15 pm (45 min): Lunch Break

12:15 - 1:00pm (45 min)

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

1:00 - 1:15 pm (15 min)

BREAK

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

1:15 - 2:00pm (45 min)

Friday, March 20th

  • 9:30 - 10:00 am (30min): Virtual Coffee Hour

    10:00 - 10:15 am (15 min): Welcome with Dr. Roger Firestein

    10:15 - 11:30 am (75 min): Keynote: AI-Enhanced Creative Problem-Solving Tools for Higher Education and the

    Workforce: Professor David Yates; Grad Students: Mikhaila Ackerbauer, Scott Jesmore, Faizan Kazani, Chris Von Spitzer

12:15 - 1:00pm (45 min)

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

1:00 - 1:15pm (15 min)

BREAK

1:15 - 2:00pm (45 min)

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

Session Details

*

Session Details *

Speaker

Biographies

Anne Brisson

Anne is a current PhD Art Education student researching how art techniques teach affective & cognitive creativity skills in business, education and science with emphasis on affective skills. She holds a Master’s degree in the Science of Creativity, a Bachelor degree in Adult Education, a Bachelor degree in Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor degree in Urban Planning. She has over 25 year’s experience in business and in leadership positions, including leading two non-profit organizations. She has also led her own recycled fashion business called ReCouture, and her own gallery called Mouche Studio Gallery. Anne is a practicing professional artist and art educator.

Andy Burnett

Andy is CEO of Knowinnovation Inc. The company is focused on accelerating scientific innovation, and works with large academic funding agencies around the world.

Maggie Cubbler

Maggie Cubbler is a master's candidate in Creativity and Change Leadership at Buffalo State University (graduating May 2026) developing a framework for creative self-leadership that helps high-achieving women foster leadership skills from the inside out. A military veteran and all-around creative, she combines leadership theory, creative practice, and embodied cognition in her research and leadership work. Maggie is building a consulting practice focused on helping women develop authentic internal authority through her 5I methodology by teaching them to recognize their existing leadership capacity and achieve alignment between their authentic selves and their actions in the world.


Molly Holinger

Molly Holinger is an Assistant Professor of Creativity and Change Leadership at SUNY Buffalo State. She received her PhD in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent Development from the University of Connecticut and her M.S. in Creative Studies from the Center for Applied Imagination at SUNY Buffalo State. Her research and teaching focus on the positive outcomes of creativity, such as engagement, meaning, and positive emotions. Molly has published in research journals such as Gifted and Talented International, Translational Issues in Psychological Science, and the Journal of Creative Behavior. She has also published chapters in the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity and Emotions, the Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains, and the Cambridge Handbook of Instructional Feedback. Her prior appointments include Visiting Assistant Professor at the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship in the Farmer School of Business at Miami University and consultant for the Creativity and Emotions Lab at the Yale Center of Emotional Intelligence. 

Scott Jesmore

Scott Jesmore is a Technology Innovator in the Autonomous Machines group at SUNY Upstate Medical University, where he researches, evaluates, and deploys emerging technologies including robotics, artificial intelligence, and drones to improve healthcare operations. With an MS in Information Technology and graduate studies in Creativity and Change Leadership, he applies Creative Problem Solving to adapt emerging ideas into practical solutions.

Kim Marie McKernan

Kim Marie McKernan, founder of Inspired Outcomes Now, combines 30 years of branding and marketing expertise with a passion for Creativity. As co-host of the Creative Flow Podcast, she is passionate about telling the stories of our creativity community. Kim empowers leaders to bring their visions to life with brand strategies and turnkey websites that drive results, and she helps conscious entrepreneurs grow their impact. With an MBA and an MS from the Center for Applied Imagination, she uses the Positive Creativity process, which integrates the Science of Creativity and Appreciative Inquiry to drive business strategies that are both impactful and open to new thinking. 

Melodi Ozyaprak

text

Veronica Scarpellino

Veronica Scarpellino is a recovering artist turned executive and leadership coach, creative thought partner, and founder of Goldfinch Leadership. She helps individuals and organizations navigate change and complexity by developing Creative Intelligence; the integration of emotional awareness, creative thinking, and strategic action. Veronica is a member of Forefront: Powered by Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches Agency and the author of Second Draft: Rewrite Your Midlife Career with Creative Intelligence. She also created the ICF-approved Certification in Creative Intelligence (CQ), a capacity-building program that equips leaders, coaches, and human development professionals to think more adaptively, foster innovation, and translate insight into real-world impact.

Christopher von Spitzer

Christopher von Spitzer is a dual master’s student studying Creativity and Change Leadership at Buffalo State’s Center for Applied Imagination and Extended Reality Technologies at Arizona State University. He is a former intern at Dreamscape Learn and currently works at ASU’s Mesh Labs. Prior to graduate study, he spent over 15 years as an educator working with students across the globe in learning centers, public and private schools in the United States and abroad, at the university level, and within a nonprofit organization. He is the recipient of the Sidney J. Parnes and Ruth B. Noller Creativity Award and the Mary Murdock Creative Spirit Award.

Sarah Thurber

Sarah Thurber is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and business leader. She is Managing Partner at FourSight, where she leads a team of researchers, designers, coders, and trainer to develop thinking tools that accelerate team performance. The FourSight company has collected more than six million data points on cognitive diversity and helped tens of thousands of teams think better together. Sarah’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Fast Company, and Inc. She has a Master of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership, and her most recent award-winning book, Good Team, Bad Team was featured in Forbes as a book to help CEOs maximize team potential.

Jon Hulbert

Jon Hulbert is the Founder of Roadmap4Change, a consulting firm that helps teams and organizations create sustainable change through training, facilitation, and coaching. As an expert in change management, he has partnered with more than 60 higher education institutions and nonprofits over the past decade. He previously served as the Organizational Change Management Specialist at the University of Southern California and the University at Buffalo and has coached over 200 managers. Jon also teaches in management development programs offered to local organizations through the Continuing Professional Studies Department at SUNY Buffalo State University.

Faizan Kaizani

While working in technology, for almost a decade, Faizan has developed a keen interest in product design and development. Faizan has had the opportunity of working with reputable businesses where he coordinated the execution of projects that results in business growth and fosters innovation with upcoming technical trends. When Faizan is not working, he is busy in his mini home studio noodling around various instruments and exploring new sounds and creating new music. 

Iryna Molodecky

Iryna is a visual practitioner and educator whose work explores how drawing and visual thinking make complexity visible and foster collective insight. With 25+ years across advertising, art, design, and visual facilitation, and over a decade teaching creative thinking, she bridges artistic practice with collaborative problem-solving. A published author and international presenter, she recently received the IVLA Creative Achievement Award for her contributions to visual literacy, including the Visual Toolkit for Higher Education. She holds a BFA, an MA in Creative Studies, and certifications in creativity, change leadership, and visual facilitation.

Gerard Puccio

Gerard J. Puccio is a renowned thought leader in the field of creativity and innovation, serving as a State University of New York Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University (a unique academic department that offered the world’s first graduate degree in creativity). With a prolific body of work that includes over 70 articles, chapters, and books, Dr. Puccio has made a lasting impact on the study of creative thinking. His influence extends beyond academia, he has provided consulting and training services to organizations in over 20 countries, helping them leverage creative thinking for success. His clients include Crayola, the United States Marine Corps, Capital One, Moog, the Smithsonian Institution, and numerous others.

Russ Schoen

Russ Schoen is the facilitation lead at FourSight where he designs and deliver trainings and facilitations that help individuals and teams maximize their innovative output. In addition, Russ works as a speaker and trainer in the areas of deliberate creativity, innovation, high performance and change leadership. He has facilitated programs worldwide including programs in Kuwait, Singapore, Italy, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the US. 

Pamela Szalay

Pamela Szalay is an independent coach and consultant who specializes in developing creative leaders and teams. She also serves as a program facilitator for eCornell, delivering industry-leading professional development in leadership, creativity, and emotional intelligence. With over 15 years of experience, Szalay designs and facilitates innovation programs across healthcare, education, and nonprofit sectors. Her published work spans topics such as creative problem solving, workforce engagement, emotional well-being, and the role of creativity in leadership and learning. With over 15 years of experience, Szalay designs and facilitates innovation programs across healthcare, education, and nonprofit sectors. Her published work spans topics such as creative problem solving, workforce engagement, emotional well-being, and the role of creativity in leadership and learning.

Thomas Vogel

Thomas Vogel, PhD, MFA, is a Professor of Marketing Communication at Emerson College. His research on "Creative Literacy" explores how creativity training impacts people over the long term and why human agency is vital in our new era of generative AI. He is the author of Breakthrough Thinking - A Guide to Creative Thinking and Idea Generation, and director of the documentary YesNoMaybe, a film about how students can learn and practice creativity, creative thinking and problem solving as a skill. A scholar-practitioner, Vogel is a co-founder of mediaman, an international digital agency focused on human-centered design and technology.

Kai Wang

He is the founder of AI Ager, a training and consulting firm focused on innovation and AI adoption. He works with organizations to leverage AI to boost productivity, enhance the quality and consistency of outputs, and support complex decision-making, including business proposal development and product strategy. He also teaches courses on AI and innovation at Stevens Institute of Technology, where he earned his PhD in Technology Management. He is an alumnus of Buffalo State University.

Nanvi Jhala

Nanvi is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus on Arts and Learning. She works as an artist, educator, and designer, bringing arts-based ways of thinking into classrooms. Her work spans Reggio-inspired and public education contexts.

Josh Mahaney

Josh Mahaney is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at ESSCA School of Management in Aix-en-Provence, France where he teaches courses in Innovation and Marketing. Josh completed his PhD in Business Administration at Grenoble Ecole de Management and his Master of Science degree in Creative Studies at Buffalo State University. Josh also has 6 years of experience working in corporate innovation labs at both Disney and the Orlando Magic (an NBA team).

 Bernie Murray

 Bernie Murray (MS) work focuses on creative development, imagination, creative metacognition, and the role of creativity in learning. Her work also includes reflective practice as a means of growth and development. Bernie has examined pedagogical approaches that help learners become designers of their own creative capacities in the context of dynamic learning, social and professional environments.

Hector Ramos

 Dr. Hector Ramos has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in creative thinking (CPS, Lateral Thinking, Design Thinking...). He has conducted training sessions and facilitation on CPS in different companies and organizations. He has also coached several clients on creative thinking over the years.

Lakshmi Sithambaram

Lakshmi Sithambaram, M.S., LMHCA, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate in Washington State and the founder of Inner Canopy Therapy, PLLC, Bothell, WA. She holds a Master’s in Applied Psychology and a Master’s in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State University. Her work integrates creativity, mindfulness, and trauma-informed approaches to support healing and resilience. 

Tim Switalski

Tim is founder of Darwin Associates, providing training, facilitation, coaching and consulting services to international clients focusing on Emotional Intelligence, Change Leadership, Creativity and Innovation. He is a founder of CREA Conference which takes place annually in Italy and considered one of the premier creativity conferences in the field. Tim was the former Director of Leadership Development at Buffalo State where he provided learning and development opportunities for staff and faculty. His leadership program won a national award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He is published in the “The Routledge Handbook of Collective Intelligence for Democracy and Governance”.

Hannelie Venucia

A visionary deep creative thinker, embodied change facilitator, creative catalyst, innovation strategist, business philosopher, prosperity designer & creative architect of the emerging world of work and leadership, I am the creator of the ‘Born to Thrive Creative Thinking Adventure, Game, & Toolkit’, & ‘Softening the edges of Change and Creative Leadership Frameworks’. A global public speaker, my paper, ‘Embodiment – the missing Link in Creative Innovation’ was published in the International Journal for Innovation in Management. I am the author of ‘Sharing Corn – Leadership & Self-Leadership Awareness Journals 1 & 2 – Constructing new models of Understanding’ & ‘ABC’s of Applied Sensemaking’.

Anna Wolska-de Keijzer

Anna Wolska-de Keijzer is a Visual Strategist and founder of Go Visual Concept. She helps leaders, experts, and creative professionals turn complex thinking into clear decisions-by making the invisible visible. Working at the intersection of strategy and visual intelligence, she uses one-page mapping to unlock clarity, focus, and forward momentum. With a background in architecture and strategic facilitation, Anna specializes in structuring the invisible thinking that often blocks direction. Based in Paris, she works internationally in English, French, and Polish. Her core belief: when you can truly see the problem, the solution becomes obvious.

Kathysue Dorey

Kathysue Dorey is the founder of Dorey Enterprises and lead practitioner-researcher of The Dorey Method™, an integrative healing approach that restores well-being from trauma through nine methodologies rooted in positive psychology, applied creativity, and emotional intelligence. An Ed.D.–Traumatology candidate (May 2026), she holds a master's in Creativity and Change Leadership and certifications in coaching, trauma healing, and self-defense. She has conducted IRB mixed-methods research since 2012 and hopes one day to establish The Dorey Institute — a sanctuary where people from around the world can come to heal.

Roger Firestien

Dr. Roger Firestien has presented programs on innovation to over 600 organizations around the world including: fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, universities, associations, hospitals and religious institutions. His expert views on creativity have been covered in Fast Company, Forbes, Investor’s Business Daily, INC and The New York Times. Roger’s nine-part series on innovation is on the Open-Sesame e-learning platform. Dr. Firestien has written seven books and hundreds of articles on the creative process. His books include Why didn’t I think of that? and Create in a Flash. His latest book is Solve the REAL Problem. It was released as an audio book in November of 2024. Dr. Firestien is Associate Professor Emeritus at the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University and guest lectures at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, NY. Roger splits his time between his home in Buffalo, NY and his family’s farm in Northern Colorado.

Christian Glide

Christian Gilde is a professor of business at The University of Montana Western. He conducts research in the areas of management, creativity, and higher education. His research translated (and translates) into numerous journal articles and books on business and education.

Michael Ackerbauer

Michael Ackerbauer, PhD, is Managing Director and Principal Change Agent of Ackerbauer Laboratories, a consultancy helping leaders navigate complexity, build resilient teams, and lead purposeful change. He provides facilitation, coaching, and training that translate change readiness, strategic alignment, and applied innovation into business agility and operational excellence. A 25-year IBM veteran, he led enterprise change initiatives and influenced over $100M in revenue. His work spans healthcare, HR, insurance, information technology, finance, retail, and global sectors. Michael teaches graduate courses in Change Leadership at Marist University and Organizational Creativity & Innovation at Buffalo State University. He is also a certified rock balancer.

Mikhaila Ackerbauer

Mikhaila Ackerbauer is an educator and creative professional with nearly a decade in teaching and a master's in literacy. She is currently pursuing a second master's in Creativity and Change Leadership while working on strategic AI initiatives at Buffalo State University. She also runs Aurora Clementina, a boutique studio in floral design and baking. At CREA 2026, she will present the custom AI tools she has helped develop at Buffalo State University.

Hasan Akdeniz

Hasan Akdeniz, Ph.D., is an educator and researcher specializing in gifted education, creativity, biomimicry, and AI-supported learning design. He has taught for over fifteen years and has led national curriculum initiatives, STEM programs, and innovation labs for talented youth in Türkiye. His research focuses on creative problem-solving models, talent development, and the integration of ethical AI in education. Dr. Akdeniz regularly collaborates with teachers, universities, and policy institutions to design project-based learning environments that integrate human intelligence, natural systems, and artificial intelligence to drive sustainable innovation.

Mirvari Aghakishiyeva

Mirvari from Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, graduate from Michigan State University’s “Write Your First Novel” courses. Holds Master's degree in International Relations, Baku State University. Story-writer, Script-writer and CPS trainer. Translated books about EMDR therapy, and wrote the script for the social project 'Psychological violence against women' . Awarded with Certificate of Appreciation by the 2nd Baku International Animation Festival in 2019. Author and co-Organizer of “Children and the future of animation” presentation at Landau School in Baku.

Noor Baig

Dr. Noor Baig is an emergency physician and Assistant Professor at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, where he leads the Pakistan Life Savers Program — an initiative training 10 million citizens in CPR and Bleeding Control. A current PhD scholar and JHU-ICTIRT scholarship recipient, he holds a Master's in Creativity & Change Leadership and is a recipient of the Parnes-Noller Award, the Mary Murdock Creative Spirit Award, and the Firestien Family Creative Achievement Award.

Jenn Babcock

Jenn Babcock is a creative consultant, educator, and facilitator who helps individuals and organizations approach challenges strategically, think creatively, and generate high-impact solutions. She designs interactive, hands-on experiences that inspire curiosity, foster collaboration, and cultivate actionable insights. Her work empowers diverse audiences to tackle problems with creativity, reflection, and practical application.

Hannah Benefield

Hannah Benefield is a writer, Agile coach, and experience design practitioner passionate about creating empowering, inclusive environments that enable creativity and unlock new approaches to complex problems. Through community-building, powerful storytelling, and transformative learning experiences, her work helps individuals and teams connect with their own creativity, collaborate mindfully, and turn curiosity into practical action.

Anthony Billoni

With over 30 years as a leadership growth expert and founder of APEX Leader Growth, Anthony Billoni guides clients from chaos to clarity to success through coaching, strategic planning, and problem-solving. In addition to co-producing the Creative Flow-Thinkers and Change Agents podcast, he earned an MS in Creativity and Change Leadership from the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University in 2001. Ever since, he has been an involved alumnus and has worked with the companion Creative Problem Solving Institute as a program designer, program leader, and volunteer. In 2025, he was recognized with the Distinguished Leader Award.

Bartu Birgol

artu Bingol is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics at Arizona State University. His research spans number theory, mathematical creativity, and mathematics instruction. He holds a PhD in Mathematics from UMass Amherst and is passionate about making mathematics a deeply human and communicative experience.