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Monday, June 15
 

TBA

Schedule YOUR Night Flight
Monday June 15, 2026 TBA
Night Flights are a time-honored CPSI tradition.  These workshops are offered by ANYONE at CPSI who has something cool they'd like to share/  They are often a bit more casual and/or experimental than other CPSI workshops.  Topics can be anything from tools and techniques to discussions or theories about creativity and innovation.

To lead a Night Flight, please fill out this form completely. CPSI staff/volunteers will be in touch with a room assignment for you, and your session will appear on Sched for others to find.

Night Flights are available: Monday and Tuesday evenings from 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Monday June 15, 2026 TBA

7:00am EDT

Breakfast
Monday June 15, 2026 7:00am - 9:30am EDT
Start your day at CPSI with some delicious breakfast.  Sit with someone new or some old friends.  It's a great way to connect!
Monday June 15, 2026 7:00am - 9:30am EDT
Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen

8:30am EDT

CPS Level 1: Foundations of Creative Problem Solving
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
If you are new to CPSI, Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is your fast track to a deliberate creativity process for solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities. You’ll learn the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Process, the research-based gold standard of creativity methods, and be exposed to the FourSight framework, which can help you understand how you and your teammates approach challenges.

In an incredibly engaging format, your team of experienced facilitators will use hands-on activities, real-world examples, and a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools to give you the skills you need to advance your personal and professional goals.

Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is the first of four skills-building courses in Creative Problem Solving. After completing all four CPS courses, you will deepen your ability to facilitate and train others in the CPS process, while also becoming eligible to be considered to lead CPS programs at future CPSIs!

In this course, you will:
• Recognize and overcome blocks to creativity.
• Identify attitudes and behaviors conducive to creative thinking.
• Apply core concepts of creative thinking.
• Use a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools.
• Apply the CPS method to many simulated or real situations.
• Consciously be creative when facing problems and opportunities.

NOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference in order to complete this program. This core track is limited to 45 attendees. You must select Foundations of CPS when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).
Presenters
avatar for Alexandra Suchman

Alexandra Suchman

CEO and Co-founder, Barometer XP
Alexandra (Alex) Suchman is a DC-based play facilitator passionate about empowering leaders to create cultures where people are excited about their work and feel a strong sense of purpose and belonging. As CEO and co-founder of Barometer XP, she helps companies leverage the power... Read More →
avatar for Jonathan Bannister

Jonathan Bannister

Founder, Make Happy
avatar for David Lunken

David Lunken

Principal, Cedarcroft Advisors
CPSI frequenter, Core Faculty, Talent Optimizer, Problem solver, Collaborator, Husband, father of 3 girls, triathlete, gardener, baker of sourdough before Covid
avatar for Rebecca VanDerveer

Rebecca VanDerveer

Certified Master Trainer, PI Midlantic/ The LAB Team
M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction | Certified Predictive Index Master Trainer | Psychological Safety Playbook Facilitator | Helps teams unlock potential through insight and action Excited to return to CPSI to teach Foundations!
... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Caudell Hall - Room 208

8:30am EDT

CPS Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: CPS Foundations at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.

Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools is a natural stepping stone if you have previously taken Level 1: Foundations of CPS. This fast-paced course allows beginner to intermediate facilitators to go deeper into the CPS process, adding more facilitation tools to your repertoire.

You will gain a clear understanding of which tools to use at each stage of the CPS process, as well as how to modify them to fit your session objectives or add a bit of creative flair. You will have time to practice tools to gain real mastery of them. You will also learn a variety of energizers and fun grouping games to keep your sessions engaging and interactive. Learn through small- and large-group work, including round-robin sharing and show-and-tell exercises.

In this course, you will:

• Explore a variety of divergent and convergent tools for individual and group problem solving.
• Learn how and where to apply different tools within the CPS process.
• Practice facilitating tools.
• Discover how to use tools when you or your team are unable to progress or working in areas of low preference.

NOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference to complete this program and qualify for the credential assessment for CPS Level 2.
This core track is limited to 25 attendees. You must select Tools when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).

Presenters
avatar for Annemarie Boss

Annemarie Boss

Innovation Facilitator, Boss Collaborative
Annemarie Boss is a dynamic facilitator and strategic partner—equal parts co-creator and trusted guide for teams navigating complexity. As the founder of Boss Collaborative, she designs and facilitates transformative experiences that spark insight, deepen connection, and unlock... Read More →
avatar for Najja Bouldin

Najja Bouldin

Najja is the founding consultant at Phoenix Innovation Group, LLC, Buffalo, New York, where he serves consumers with awe-inspiring motivational speaking, life-changing performance coaching, as well as teaching and training creative leadership and the Creative Problem Solving process... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Chase Hall - Room 215

8:30am EDT

CPS Level 3: Creative Problem Solving Facilitation Techniques
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: Foundations of CPS and Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 or 2 at CPSI/FLCC but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process and have experience with CPS tools, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.

Level 3: Facilitating CPS
Facilitation skills are central to the effective use of CPS, whether in formal meetings or informal brainstorming sessions. This course is designed for those who already know the CPS process in theory and are ready to put it into action as a facilitator. This course uses peer-group practices to prepare participants for working with actual clients. Characteristics of successful facilitation will be identified and practiced, and you will develop an awareness of your own strengths and areas for development. In this course, you will:

•Review and internalize the CPS process through the lens of the facilitator.
•Experience CPS from several points of view – as a facilitator, as the problem-owner, and as part of the resource group.
•Understand how to facilitate each step of the CPS process.
•Receive general facilitation tips that enhance any meeting.
•Receive individual and group feedback on facilitation skills.
•Explore and develop your facilitation style.
Presenters
avatar for Anthony Billoni

Anthony Billoni

Owner, APEX Leader Growth
I have an MS from Center for Applied Imagination. I use CPS/Deliberate Creativity daily in live and in my consulting practice. I have been leading, volunteering and presenting at CPSI for 20+ years.
CEF Staff and Wings
avatar for Ray Paull

Ray Paull

Fisheries Biologist
Ray is a lifelong practitioner of Creative Problem Solving, having grown up in and around the creative community. Introduced to CPS at birth and CPSI at age six by his mom, Renee Paser-Paull, he has been attending ever since. Now attending his 19th CPSI conference, Ray is a core workshop... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Caudell Hall - Room 234

8:30am EDT

YouthWise
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 5:30pm EDT
In YouthWise, kids will explore Creative Problem Solving through fun, hands-on activities, "field trips," and games. They will put their new and enhanced skills to work as a team, by creating and presenting a solution to a unique challenge.



Presenters
avatar for Kit Jones

Kit Jones

Mount Vernon CSD
I have an infinity for poetry and art. In addition I love working with the Girl Scouts and camping. Topics that get me going are books, ASL, and education.
avatar for Renee Paser-Paull

Renee Paser-Paull

President, Soaring Pathways
Renee is a professional facilitator, trainer and speaker, with a Master's Degree in Adult Learning. She has been attending CPSI continuously since 1999 and has been part of the YouthWise faculty since 2005 and has also led a number of general sessions. CPSI was instrumental in Renee’s... Read More →
avatar for Dee Alexander Langsenkamp

Dee Alexander Langsenkamp

YouthWise Coordinator, Dee Alexander Consulting
Super excited to be back at CPSI as YouthWise faculty again! After a long career in radio, TV, advertising and promotions, Dee earned her MS in Creative Studies and Change Leadership at the Center for Applied Imagination at SUNY Buffalo State. Dee loves nurturing kids’ creative... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 5:30pm EDT
Campbell Student Union - Assembly Hall

9:00am EDT

Advanced CPS Tools and Organizational Creative Change
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT
This Immersion is designed for experienced CPS practitioners ready to deepen their impact in organizations. Day 1, Tools Off the Beaten Path, explores underutilized convergent tools to strengthen decision-making and group alignment. Days 2-4, Leading Change with Agility, Versatility, and Creativity, focus on what teams create (product), the environments they work in (place), and the people and processes that shape collaboration. Through hands-on application and real-world challenges, participants will learn to diagnose team dynamics, recognize conditions that support creativity, and apply CPS as a unifying engine across ways of working. This is a practical, interactive experience for leading creative work that delivers results.

Day 1: Tools Off the Beaten Path
Are you a facilitator looking for tools beyond the basic (and very good!) go to’s? Come and experience firsthand three powerful and underutilized convergent tools that assist inventing, ranking, and securing buy-in on ideas, concepts, or possibilities. Knowing these tools enhances the facilitator’s ability to bring groups to decisions everyone can get behind. Tools covered: Card Sort, Paired Comparison, Evaluation Matrix.

Three Key Takeaways:
  • Participants will learn and practice three underutilized convergent tools.
  • Participants will be prepared to incorporate the tools Card Sort, Paired Comparison, and Evaluation Matrix into their practice.
  • Participants will be able to identify appropriate uses of the tools Card Sort, Paired Comparison, and Evaluation Matrix.
Presenters
avatar for Teresa Lawrence

Teresa Lawrence

Teresa Lawrence, PhD, PMP, is a former Superintendent of School and longstanding president and owner of International Deliverables, LLC, a NYS certified WBE. Teresa is widely recognized as the SME on the intersection of Creativity and Project Management. Additionally, Teresa serves... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT
Butler Library - Alex F. Osborn Brainstorming Center

9:00am EDT

Elevate Your Facilitation Toolbox: Playful Tools and Real-World Practice
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT
Step into a high-energy, hands-on series designed to expand both your creative skillset and your facilitation toolbox. Through playful methods and real-time practice, participants will build practical tools while strengthening their ability to guide groups with confidence, presence, and flow. Experience what it means to learn by doing as you explore approaches that spark collaboration, deepen thinking, and elevate group outcomes.

Days 1 & 2: Playology: What’s Your Next Strategic Play®?
Why is Adult Play so important? How we play is directly linked to how we learn, think, work, feel, perform, and interact with others. What you learn in play you remember for life!

This immersion program includes all the bricks, cogs, and wheels found in a LEGO®facilitator’s play chest! We have strategically blended: Six Bricks, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods, Playsonality™, Now What the Duck, and LSP 3D Diagnostic Cards into one complete two-day program so you can sample a variety of different programs for different user groups. Think of it like an assorted box of chocolates.

This is a facilitated thinking and communications technique. Our Playology program draws on extensive research from the fields of business, organizational development, psychology, and learning. Using hand-brain knowledge, we will share the processes that surface information, explore ideas, create better options, develop deeper knowledge, and identify solutions faster with 100% engagement.

You will walk away with new insights about the power of play and how we all use play daily to build engagement and resilience.

Are you looking for a session that will:
  • Help you unpack the value of play at work and discover the ROI of play?
  • Access the Playsonality© app to decode your play style?
  • Conduct a deep dive into how play formulates our identity?
  • Teach you new ways to stimulate powerful conversations?
  • Supplement your creative program with engaging activities that people will remember?
  • Give you new tools and techniques for your facilitator’s play chest?
  • Explore how play paves the way to the flow zone, where we do our best thinking?

Learning Objectives:
  • Add bricks and directives to your workshops to improve engagement
  • Experience the power of manipulatives with all age groups
  • Apply the five-step process to improve communication
  • Identify when PLAY can be most useful
  • Supplement your creative program with the Power of Play
  • Avoid conversational roundabouts
  • Use flow theory and underlying neuroscientific principles that make this so powerful and memorable
  • Facilitate and explore ideas on a deeper level using a play chest of new tools
Let’s get ready to PLAY!



Presenters
avatar for Jacqueline Lloyd Smith

Jacqueline Lloyd Smith

Master Trainer / Founder, Strategic Play Global
Jacqueline Lloyd Smith, MA, MBA, (ATR), (CMC), (FRSA)
Jacqueline (Jacquie) is the founder of Strategic Play Group Ltd., a global training company with their head office in Whistler, Canada She is a Registered Art Therapist (ATR), and is certified in Play Therapy and Creative Problem Solving. In 2000, she earned an MA in Conflict Analysis... Read More →
avatar for Stephen Walling

Stephen Walling

Director of PLAY, Strategic Play Global

Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT

9:00am EDT

Head, Heart, and How: The Practice of Creative Change
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT
This week of programming explores the shared foundation of Creative Problem Solving (CPS), coaching skills, and affective skills: each shaping how people think, connect, and create change. You’ll begin the week with A Creative Coach’s Toolbox, building practical coaching tools that bring the CPS process to life in real conversations. The second half of the week focuses on The Head and Heart of Innovation: Affective Skills of CPS, where you'll deepen your awareness of the emotional and mental conditions that influence every stage of thinking. Together, these elements reveal a powerful truth: effective creativity and innovation isn’t just about process, but about how we show up within it. By the end of the week, you’ll be equipped to guide both the path of ideas and the human experience that fuels them.

Part 1 (Monday - Tuesday): 
A Creative Coach’s Toolbox - Kathy Goller
A coaching conversation – whether done in a business setting or a classroom, as part of therapy, or as a professional coach – is really just the creative problem solving process in action!  Managers, educators, counselors, coaches and all those who want to help others maximize their potential will benefit from learning some CPS tools and exploring how they can be used in coaching conversations.
Participants will:
  1. Understand the similarities between the CPS process and the flow of a coaching conversation
  2. Build their competency with CPS tools
  3. Learn ways to apply those tools in coaching conversations
 

Presenters
avatar for Kathy Goller

Kathy Goller

Life & Leadership Coach, Facilitator & Presenter, Teal Horizon Coaching
Kathy Goller is a life and leadership coach who helps people who are stuck, stretched, or starting something new to live and work in a way that’s more purposeful and productive so that they can lead and serve others more generously. With 20+ years of personal and leadership development experience... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT

9:00am EDT

Polarities in Practice
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT
This immersive week explores the dynamic power of polarities as a catalyst for creativity, collaboration, and innovation. We begin with Genius Teams: Polarities in Practice, a deep dive into polarities in practice, building a shared foundation and observing live facilitation to see how teams navigate real-time tensions and unlock high performance. As the week unfolds, participants will sharpen their ability to recognize and work with these dynamics in their own contexts. We close with Assumption: Friend AND Foe, using playful, perspective-shifting approaches to challenge thinking and expand what’s possible, using polarity thinking and humor for insight and exploration.

Part 1 (Monday - Wednesday):  Genius Teams - Lindsay Burr
It’s one thing to understand a model. It’s another thing to watch it used in real time. This session offers both. Grounded in polarity thinking, participants will learn the Genius Team Model (9 stages of team development with a key polarity or “tension” in each stage) for navigating the ongoing tensions that create a high-performing team. This session bridges the gap between understanding a model and watching it unfold live. Designed for facilitators with some familiarity with polarities.


Through Orientation (Day 1), Live Practice (Day 2), and Debrief/Translation (Day 3), participants will:
  • Understand the Genius Team Model
  • Recognize real-time signals of poorly leveraged stages
  • Apply practical strategies drawn from live facilitation

DAY 1: builds a shared, practical foundation—helping participants review the basic tenets and power of polarities. We will also introduce the client/team and their current reality.


Presenters
avatar for Lindsay Burr

Lindsay Burr

CEO, Yarbrough Group
An engaging facilitator and Polarity ThinkingTM Master Trainer, Lindsay brings a depth of knowledge and a global perspective that supports seeing the known in a new way. Lindsay will unpack the key concepts of Polarity Thinking and change how you think about leadership and followership... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT

9:00am EDT

Session Lab: Rapid Prototyping to Design Your Own Tools
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT
In this immersion, you’ll apply the CPS process to the art of facilitation design to create experiences that truly deliver. We’ll begin by unpacking the factors that influence great design, including timing, flow, and session dynamics, so you can design with clarity and intention. You’ll also rethink how to select tools and activities.
The Lab comes to life as we move beyond choosing from existing tools to confidently creating what’s needed in the moment. Through rapid prototyping, you’ll co-create new activities and build a repeatable method for inventing, adapting, and refining tools on the fly.
Ideal for facilitators and trainers, this is a hands-on, design-intensive experience with meaningful, ready-to-use outcomes.

Presenters
avatar for Nancylyn Hogarty

Nancylyn Hogarty

Self Employed, Strategist, Facilitator, Guide

Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT

9:00am EDT

Snacks
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 4:00pm EDT
Need a little something? Join us in the HUB (Caudell Hall) for some snacks, coffee and tea.
They'll be available each day - just drop in when you have chance.
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 4:00pm EDT
Caudell Hall - Lobby

9:00am EDT

Clare's Corner - Quiet Room
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 6:00pm EDT
Need a break? Time to decompress? We have a perfect space for you.
Monday June 15, 2026 9:00am - 6:00pm EDT
Butler Library - Quiet Room 3

10:00am EDT

CPSI Pop-Up Bookstore
Monday June 15, 2026 10:00am - 4:00pm EDT
Stop by our pop-up bookstore and explore a curated collection of titles published by our very own CEF Press.
Everyone’s invited—leaders, attendees, and curious minds alike! Take a moment during your break to browse, grab a snack, and maybe even spark a conversation with a fellow creative thinker. There’s something for everyone!

Monday June 15, 2026 10:00am - 4:00pm EDT
Caudell Hall - Lobby

11:00am EDT

Lunch
Monday June 15, 2026 11:00am - 2:00pm EDT
12:00-1:00 Core CPS Track and YouthWise
12:30-1:30 Immersion Track

Join everyone at the Dining Hall for an array of meal options. Healthy, fun, and specialty diet options are available. Join a table of people you have not met yet and find your next best friend!
Monday June 15, 2026 11:00am - 2:00pm EDT
Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen

1:30pm EDT

Free Time
Monday June 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
Every afternoon, treat yourself to "you time" after lunch. Visit the bookstore in Caudell Hall, go for a walk outside, or go back to your room and decompress. How you use this mini midday break is up to you.
Monday June 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

Elevate Divergent and Convergent Thinking through Play
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Divergent and convergent thinking are fundamental steps in the Creative Problem Solving Process, yet many struggle with one or both. This session will explore how to harness the power of play and games to practice sitting in uncertainty and approach divergent and convergent thinking with ease.     

Takeaways
  • Discuss the underlying skills for creative thinking.
  • Identify and practice core game mechanics and dynamics connected to these skills.
  • Reflect on play as an experiential learning tool for elevated problem-solving.

Presenters
avatar for Alexandra Suchman

Alexandra Suchman

CEO and Co-founder, Barometer XP
Alexandra (Alex) Suchman is a DC-based play facilitator passionate about empowering leaders to create cultures where people are excited about their work and feel a strong sense of purpose and belonging. As CEO and co-founder of Barometer XP, she helps companies leverage the power... Read More →
avatar for Laura Rentas

Laura Rentas

Licensed Trainer | Master Facilitator, Strategic Play Global
Laura is a gifted storyteller and trainer with over two decades of success in strategic communications, public relations, and corporate affairs. As a Licensed Trainer in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods, Laura’s work combines play with serious work. She excels in building engagement... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

Going Around the (Creative) Block
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Have you ever gotten stuck when working on a challenging problem? Have you ever found yourself going back to the same solution, even though you know it didn’t quite work in the past? This workshop focuses on how to use creative techniques rooted in metaphors and analogies to define problems or/and to generate ideas for solutions. Many eminent creators have used analogies and metaphors as their way to keep their creative juices going. Join me to learn how to use their tricks to approach everyday problems in a creative way!


Takeaways
  • identifying the role of focusing and expanding metaphors/analogies in create problem-solving;
  • applying specific metaphors/analogies to analyze and understand a problem; 
  • using metaphors/analogies to generate ideas; 
  • learning how to use SYNECTICS, a CPS method that uses metaphors and analogies.

Presenters
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

Intelligent Collaboration: Human + AI for ELEVATE-ing your Creative Problem Solving Practice
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
In this dynamic, hands-on session, participants will discover how human creativity and AI’s analytical power can work together to accelerate the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process. Leveraging the AI tool Sluice AI and CPS principles, attendees will engage in experiential exercises that demonstrate how AI can amplify ideation without replacing human insight. This workshop introduces a practical AI tool and frameworks for accelerating organizational innovation, enabling smarter, faster, and more impactful solutions. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to blend technology and creativity for breakthrough results.  

*If you have a laptop, it would be great for you to bring it to this session*

Takeaways
  • Human-in-the-Loop Innovation: Understand how combining human judgment with AI-driven insights enhances creative problem solving in real-world contexts.
  • Practical Tools: Learn to use Sluice AI and other tools to Explore Data, Clarify the Problem, Ideate, and Develop Solutions quickly and effectively.
  • Integration Strategies: Gain strategies for embedding AI into creative workflows without sacrificing human perspective.

Presenters
avatar for Hallie Brinkerhuff

Hallie Brinkerhuff

Sr Director R&D and Innovation, Zimmer Biomet
A 25-year career fostering innovation in the Medical Technology industry to solve unmet patient needs.  A passion for creativity, technology and encouraging growth in others.  Wife, mother, youth group leader, STEM champion, service dog trainer.
avatar for Rush Bartlett

Rush Bartlett

Co-founder, CEO, Sluice AI
Rush Bartlett is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sluice AI, where he combines human-centered innovation with AI to dramatically accelerate the creative problem solving process. Over the past 15+ years, he has helped startups, Fortune 500 companies, and hospital systems turn unmet needs into... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

Reframing Creativity at Work: Turning Pushback into Possibility
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Creativity often gets a bad rap in corporate and educational settings, dismissed as frivolous or irrelevant. This interactive 90-minute session will explore how to reframe creativity as a vital, strategic tool for solving today’s complex challenges. Drawing on the principles of Positive Creativity, participants will learn to shift perceptions, build buy-in, and demonstrate the tangible value of creative thinking. Whether you’ve faced resistance from a client, manager, or colleague, this session will equip you with the tools to advocate for creativity with confidence and clarity.    

Takeaways
  • Reframing Creativity: Learn to position creativity as a strategic, results-driven approach rather than a "soft skill."
  • Positive Creativity Tools: Discover practical techniques to overcome resistance and build enthusiasm for creative thinking in the workplace.
  • Actionable Advocacy: Leave with a personalized plan to communicate the value of creativity to skeptics in your organization or community.


Presenters
avatar for Kim Marie McKernan, MBA, MS

Kim Marie McKernan, MBA, MS

Founder, Inspired Outcomes Now LLC
Kim is an international marketing leader, facilitator, and presenter. She left a career as a marketing executive at a 3 billion company to found her business, Inspired Outcomes Now, to help organizations be more positive, creative, and strategic. Over 125 organizations and individuals have leveraged her A Nu Way™ Branding and Co-Creating the Future processes to stand apart and design their desired future. With an MBA from SUNY at Buffalo, an MS in Creative... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

2:00pm EDT

Roll for Innovation: What Dungeons and Dragons Can Teach Us About Innovative Facilitation through Collaboration, Failure, and Indomitable Creativity
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
For over fifty years, tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons have kindled creativity and collaboration in millions of people around the world. In this session, we explore and unveil that seemingly magical power that TTRPGs have to bring folks out of their comfort zones and into the most creative versions of themselves, while also learning the facilitation secrets of seasoned game-masters to craft safe, fun, and meaningful experiences for participants. We’ll play, we’ll fail, we’ll share stories, and we’ll all leave ready for our next adventure. Suitable for folks of all experience levels!
Presenters
avatar for Mark Bylancik

Mark Bylancik

Chief Administrative Officer, Partners In Prevention

avatar for Rob Gelberg

Rob Gelberg

English and Theater Teacher, Montclair Kimberley Academy

avatar for Ed Rosini

Ed Rosini

Actor and MSW Student (USC)
Edward Rosini has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since college.  Throughout the pandemic, he started using the game as a tool to engage with young people - getting them out of their shells and out of their heads - and continues those adventures to this day.  He is currently pursuing... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

3:30pm EDT

Afternoon Break
Monday June 15, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Join us in the Hub (Caudell Hall Lobby) and grab a quick drink and snack so you can recharge your batteries!
Monday June 15, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Caudell Hall - Lobby

4:00pm EDT

From Insight to Action: Measuring Creative Problem Solving Growth Through a Yearlong Innovation Pathway
Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
This session reveals what we learned from a yearlong creative problem-solving journey that blended CPS with Design Thinking and Lean Discovery at the University of Richmond. We’ll share real student transformation data—from creative confidence gains to tested prototypes and ventures—and then guide participants through a condensed CPS sprint. The workshop highlights how structured creativity practices change mindsets and behaviors over time. Participants will leave inspired with tools they can immediately adapt in their own programs and organizations.    

Takeaways
  • Understand how structured creative problem-solving pathways transform mindsets—including measurable gains in divergent thinking, convergent thinking, ambiguity tolerance, and action orientation.
  • Experience a rapid CPS sprint using the same tools that drove student transformation in the Richmond Innovators program.
  • Leave with adaptable frameworks and facilitation methods you can use to cultivate creative confidence and real-world problem-solving capacity in your own organization or learning environment.


Presenters
avatar for Andrew Ilnicki

Andrew Ilnicki

Director, Experiential Education + Emerging Tech, University of Richmond

avatar for Somiah Lattimore

Somiah Lattimore

Executive Director, APEX Center, Virginia Tech

Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

From ‘I’m Not Creative’ to ‘Let’s Try It!’
Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Is it possible that when people say they don’t want to participate in a creative activity because “they’re not creative,” what they really mean is that they don’t know how to be creative? What if you had a few strategies or methods to engage them in creative activities before they even have a chance to say that? In this session, you will practice creative techniques such as using metaphors and analogies, storytelling, and improvisation to spark engagement and help others build the confidence to participate creatively.    

Takeaways
1. Participants will have creative engagement techniques and activities that will encourage creative confidence. 
2. Reflection prompts will help solidify participants’ commitments to apply what they tried and experienced in this session with others in their own social, educational, or work contexts. 
3. Participants will have opportunities to share ideas in community within the session    
Presenters
avatar for Jen Verbakel

Jen Verbakel

Educator & Craftsperson, RIT & Self-Employed
Jen is a speech-language pathologist and educator who enjoys doodling and crafting with various media in her free time. She is currently enrolled in the Master’s in the Creativity and Change Leadership Program at SUNY Buffalo. She has attended FLCC a couple of times and appreciates... Read More →
avatar for Cheryl Harris, PhD

Cheryl Harris, PhD

Consultant, Self-Employed

Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

Implementation Lab: Getting Ideas—and Intentions—Done
Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Why do good ideas so often fail to become finished work?
This hands-on session explores the creative challenges of implementation, exploring five common reasons meaningful goals and projects stall—and what helps them move forward. Using Creative Problem Solving tools and guided reflection, you will reframe and rework a current goal in real time, building clarity, traction, and a more workable path toward action.

Takeaways:
Participants will:
  • Identify why a current goal or idea is stalled and where implementation breaks down
  • Apply Creative Problem Solving tools such as mind mapping, action planning, and assistors/resistors—to redesign a goal for traction and follow-through.
  • Leave with a clearer, more workable path forward they can begin implementing immediately


Presenters
avatar for Kathy Goller

Kathy Goller

Life & Leadership Coach, Facilitator & Presenter, Teal Horizon Coaching
Kathy Goller is a life and leadership coach who helps people who are stuck, stretched, or starting something new to live and work in a way that’s more purposeful and productive so that they can lead and serve others more generously. With 20+ years of personal and leadership development experience... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

Pattern Theft: A Cross-Domain Problem Solving Experience
Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
What if your next breakthrough comes from a place you've never considered before? This hands-on workshop teaches the mindset and tools needed to systematically find creative ideas and solutions by recognizing patterns across unrelated domains. Through live exercises and real problem solving, participants will practice pattern recognition both with and without AI tools, experiencing firsthand how strategic "theft" produces solutions that pure brainstorming can't. This is a new approach to creative problem solving. You'll want an AI tool handy on your phone or laptop.

Takeaways:
  • Learn a repeatable framework for finding creative solutions by recognizing patterns across unrelated industries and domains.
  • Get firsthand experience using AI as a creative accelerant, expanding your "theft radius" far beyond your own knowledge and experience.
  • Develop the mindet and skills needed for pattern recognition in a human-AI world that is effective and solves real problems.


Presenters
avatar for Prashant Anilkumar

Prashant Anilkumar

Founder/Speaker, Beyond Singular

Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

The Art of Exploring Judgment
Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
We all have an innate sense of judgment, an ability to quickly decide what we like, what we don’t, and what feels “right.” While this helps us make sense of the world, it can also limit how openly we engage with new ideas. In this 90-minute, hands-on session, participants will explore how their sense of judgment manifests in creative work through a collaborative painting process. Guided by facilitators from KnowInnovation, a company dedicated to accelerating scientific innovation, participants will respond to the prompt “What does ‘innovate’ mean to you?” and practice noticing, reflecting on, and loosening their judgments as they create. No art experience needed; in fact, Donnalyn would say she’s scared of it.    

Takeaways
  • Recognize how judgment naturally arises in ourselves and how it shapes what we see
  • Intentional practices for noticing and managing judgment in order to stay open to new ideas.
  • Leave with a visual keepsake and a renewed understanding of deferring judgment
  • Bonus: A fun, collaborative experience


Presenters
avatar for Donnalyn Roxey

Donnalyn Roxey

Partner, COO, Lead Facilitator, Knowinnovation

avatar for Annemarie Boss

Annemarie Boss

Innovation Facilitator, Boss Collaborative
Annemarie Boss is a dynamic facilitator and strategic partner—equal parts co-creator and trusted guide for teams navigating complexity. As the founder of Boss Collaborative, she designs and facilitates transformative experiences that spark insight, deepen connection, and unlock... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

Dinner
Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

Monday June 15, 2026 4:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen

5:00pm EDT

On-Campus Housing: Evening Desk Hours
Monday June 15, 2026 5:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Have questions? Need some assistance? We have evening desk hours in STAC for just that.
Monday June 15, 2026 5:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
STAC - Student Apartment Complex

7:00pm EDT

The Future of Creative Education in an AI World
Monday June 15, 2026 7:00pm - 8:15pm EDT
Join us for an evening exploring one of the most urgent questions in higher education today: How will Artificial Intelligence reshape creative teaching and learning? Buffalo State University will host a special program on The Future of Creative Education in an AI World, followed by the dedication reception for the Dr. Sidney and Beatrice Parnes Creativity Collection.

This gathering brings together contributors to The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Creativity in Global Higher Education and national leaders in creativity research and practice.

Panel Discussion
A dynamic conversation on creative education with panelists Camille McKayle, Michael Lehman, Margaret Mangion, and Amanda Lohiser.



Presenters
avatar for Gerard Puccio

Gerard Puccio

SUNY Distinguished Professor & Department Chair, Buffalo State University
Gerard J. Puccio is a State University of New York Distinguished Professor and Department Chair for the Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State University. Dr. Puccio has written more than 60 articles, chapters and books. In recognition of his outstanding work as a scholar... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 7:00pm - 8:15pm EDT
Campbell Student Union - Social Hall

7:30pm EDT

Game Night: Dungeons & Dragons
Monday June 15, 2026 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Have you ever wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but didn't know where to start? Have you been playing for years and want to meet some new folks? Then this Night Flight is for you!

This one-night-only event will take you on a thrilling 2-hour adventure run by your Game Masters Rob Gelberg and Mark Bylancik. No prior experience necessary, all materials provided. Just bring yourself (and a friend!) and a "yes, and..." attitude! 

Presenters
avatar for Mark Bylancik

Mark Bylancik

Chief Administrative Officer, Partners In Prevention

avatar for Rob Gelberg

Rob Gelberg

English and Theater Teacher, Montclair Kimberley Academy

Monday June 15, 2026 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Campbell Student Union - Fireside Lounge

7:30pm EDT

Night Flights
Monday June 15, 2026 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Night Flights present the opportunity for CPSI Leaders or Attendees to present new content or personal passions to the CPSI audience. Sessions are coordinated daily and updated daily.

If you are interested in presenting a Night Flight, look for a QR code at CPSI to complete a simple online form.
Monday June 15, 2026 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT

8:30pm EDT

Dedication Reception, Dr. Sidney and Beatrice Parnes Creativity Collection
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Celebrate the opening of the Dr. Sidney and Beatrice Parnes Creativity Collection and Buffalo State’s historic role in advancing applied creativity.
Monday June 15, 2026 8:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Butler Library
 
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