Exhilarated? Inspired? Ready — right now — to build a more creative organization? The following consultants and trainers tap into the creative energy of companies.
Creativity Associations and Institutions
American Creativity Association
█ Philadelphia █ (888) 837-1409 www.amcreativityassoc.org █ A nonprofit, membership-driven organization dedicated to promoting a creative society by increasing awareness of the importance of creativity to society and encouraging the development of personal and professional creativity. Sponsors annual national conventions and regional meetings, and publishes Focus, a bimonthly newsletter that updates members on creativity trends, planned events, and member activities.
Center for Creative Leadership
█ Greensboro, N.C. █ (336) 545-2810 www.ccl.org █ A nonprofit educational institution with a faculty of behavioral scientists and creative training practitioners. Offers leadership development programs, research, and assessment tools for creative leadership solutions, and serves as a clearinghouse for innovative ideas and techniques for creative leadership development and education.
Center for Studies in Creativity
█ Buffalo, N.Y. █ (716) 878-6223 www.buffalostate.edu/~creatcnt █ A learning laboratory for developing, exchanging, and disseminating creativity resources. Along with an educational program at Buffalo State College, offers services to help develop creative individuals, teams, and organizations. The center also maintains a Creativity Based Information Resources online database of about 11,392 annotated reference works on creativity.
Creative Education Foundation
█ Buffalo, N.Y. █ (800) 447-2774; (716) 675-3181 █ www.cef-cpsi.org █ A nonprofit organization committed to nurturing creativity, innovation, and leadership to help individuals and organizations maximize their creative potential. Sponsors The Creative Problem Solving Institute annually in Buffalo, N.Y. (June), and San Diego, Calif. (January), and publishes The Journal of Creative Behavior.
National Center for Creativity Inc.
█ Indianapolis █ (800) 306-6224; (317) 297-1554 █ www.creativesparks.com █ A nonprofit association that conducts seminars on creativity for various types of companies and governmental agencies. A self-described resource for innovative thinking and a place for people interested in creativity to come together.
Creativity Consultants and Trainers
Advanced Practical Thinking Training Inc.
█ Des Moines, Iowa █ (877) 334-2687; (515) 334-2687 █ www.aptt.com █ Dedicated to advancing the use of Dr. Edward do Bono's thinking methods: Creative thinking does not come naturally but requires conscious application of skills and tools that can be learned and practiced by anyone. APTT has more than 900 certified trainers in 28 countries.
Basadur Simplex Worldwide, Center for Research in Applied Creativity
█ Mason, Ohio █ (513) 235-7457 █ www.basadursimplex.com █ Also known as the Simplex Group; dedicated to getting applied creative thinking technology implemented in organizations. A worldwide network of associates teaches a specific process for mainstreaming innovation; the center also offers workshops, products, and literature.
Blair Miller and Associates
█ Evanston, Ill. █ (847) 864-6240 www.blairmiller.com █ Trainers, presenters, and facilitators specialize in problem solving, creativity, and personal effectiveness for organizations and teams.
Business Solutions — The Positive Way
█ Williamsville, N.Y. █ (800) 636-8082; (716) 633-7423 █ www.positive-way.com █ A results-oriented training and consulting group that uses a tool called Creative Problem Solving to help individuals and organizations develop positive solutions to challenges.
Center for Creative Learning Inc.
█ Sarasota, Fla. █ (941) 351-8862 █ www.creativelearning.com █ Offers a variety of publications, training programs, information support, and consulting services on creativity, creative problem solving, talent development, and learning styles.
Center for Creative Team Building
█ Denver █ (888) 876-9824; (303) 445-9400 █ www.ctr4creativeteambldg.com █ Corporate offerings include leadership programs with experiential teambuilding, team development programs to increase productivity, customer satisfaction programs, and sales team development programs.
Creative Problem Solving Group — Buffalo
█ Williamsville, N.Y. █ (716) 689-6441 █ www.cpsb.com █ Known as CPS-B; committed to helping people in organizations understand and use their creative talents.
The Creative Thinking Association of America
█ Cleveland █ (440) 243-5577 █ www.thinkoutofthebox.com █ Provides products, services, and resources to stimulate innovative thought for getting ideas developed and implemented; uses patented Creative Approach.
Directed Creativity
█ Roswell, Ga. █ (770) 587-2492 █ www.directedcreativity.com █ Consulting and seminar services from Paul E. Plsek Associates Inc. on the topic of directed creativity, which is the purposeful production of creative ideas in a topic area, followed by deliberate efforts to implement some of those ideas.
Double Dominance Inc.
█ Maple Shade, N.J. █ (856) 914-0694 █ www.consultants-mall.com/grossman.htm █ Creative problem-solving workshops and consulting by Steve Grossman, designed to help companies apply their innovative potential for solving high-value business problems.
Eureka Ranch
█ Cincinnati █ (513) 271-9911 █ www.eurekaranch.com █ Consulting services include Eureka! Inventing for generating ideas, Eureka! Trailblazer business development programs for turning those ideas into successful business concepts, and Merwyn Success Forecasting for rapid feedback on the strengths, weaknesses, and success probability of a business idea.
Herman International
█ Lake Lure, N.C. █ (800) 432-HBDI; (828) 625-9153 █ http://hbdi.com █ Developer and publisher of the HBDI, a physiological construct that measures an individual's thinking style preferences. Research and development into how people prefer to think, learn, and communicate. Offers consulting services, workshops, and products.
Idea Connections
█ Rochester, N.Y. █ (800) 983-9737 █ www.prosavvy.com/affiliates/ideaconnections █ Innovation management and communications consultants geared to helping organizations grow their top line revenue, bottom line profit, and employee commitment and morale.
Innovation Systems Group
█ Williamsville, N.Y. █ (716) 631-3564 █ www.createresults.com █ Trainer Roger Firestien and his associates specialize in creative brainstorming, problem solving, and business innovation.
New & Improved
█ Paul Smiths, N.Y. █ (518) 327-3554 █ www.innovativebrains.com █ Provides “innovation teams” that work toward creative, result-oriented solutions. Programs and interventions to develop new skills, methods, techniques, and approaches to work.
Play
█ Richmond, Va. █ (804) 644-2200 █ www.lookatmorestuff.com █ A creative consulting company that serves as a catalyst, coach, and partner to corporations in order to facilitate ideas and innovation through strategic play.
Robert Alan Black
█ Athens, Ga. █ (706) 353-3387 █ www.cre8ng.com █ Creative idea consultant with programs that offer usable workplace and personal techniques to increase creativity and leadership abilities. Web site includes 124 creative thinking exercises.
Roger von Oech
█ Menlo Park, Calif. █ (650) 321-6775 █ www.creativethink.com █ Author of A Whack on the Side of the Head and A Kick in the Seat of the Pants gives seminars on stimulating creativity and innovation.
Winston J. Brill & Associates
█ Madison, Wis. █ (608) 231-6766 █ www.WinstonBrill.com █ This consulting firm's Web site features more than 500 articles by creativity thought leaders.
