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Tuesday, June 16
 

7:00am EDT

Breakfast
Tuesday June 16, 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!
Tuesday June 16, 2026 7:00am - 9:30am EDT
Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen

8:30am EDT

CPS Level 1: Foundations of Creative Problem Solving
Tuesday June 16, 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 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 Jonathan Bannister

Jonathan Bannister

Founder, Make Happy
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 →
Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Caudell Hall - Room 208

8:30am EDT

CPS Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools
Tuesday June 16, 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 →
Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Chase Hall - Room 215

8:30am EDT

CPS Level 3: Creative Problem Solving Facilitation Techniques
Tuesday June 16, 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 →
Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Caudell Hall - Room 234

8:30am EDT

YouthWise
Tuesday June 16, 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 →
Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:30am - 5:30pm EDT
Campbell Student Union - Assembly Hall

9:00am EDT

Advanced CPS Tools and Organizational Creative Change
Tuesday June 16, 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.

Days 2 - 4: Leading Change with Agility, Versatility, and Creativity - Michael Ackerbauer, PhD, and Christa Heydt-Hernandez
Every organization has a rhythm. Some teams find it and produce work they didn't know was possible. Others grind against each other and call it culture. The difference isn't luck — it's whether leaders can read the signals their teams are already sending and respond with the right move at the right time. This three-day immersion adapts a three-week graduate course into a hands-on practitioner experience. Across three 3.5-hour sessions, we'll work the creative systems that shape what gets built, where creativity can breathe, and how people actually collaborate when the work gets hard. Day 2 opens with the product of creativity: what we're here to make, how innovation actually happens in organizations, and why most change efforts stall before they start. Day 3 turns to place: the climate, culture, and psychological conditions that either invite creative work or quietly shut it down. Day 4 lands on the person and process: how cognitive preferences, emotional intelligence, and creative problem solving become the substrate underneath agile, design thinking, and every other framework you're already using. You'll leave able to:
  • Diagnose where your team spends its collaborative energy, and where it doesn't
  • Recognize the climate signals that predict creative outcomes before they appear in results
  • Apply Creative Problem Solving as the integrative engine beneath your existing ways of working

  • Bring a challenge from your own context. We'll work it together.






  • Presenters
    avatar for Mike Ackerbauer

    Mike Ackerbauer

    Certified Rock Balancer, Ackerbauer Labs | Buffalo State University
    Mike Ackerbauer (Macker) spent over 25 years at IBM leading technology and change leadership initiatives across dozens of organizations and industries. He now leads Ackerbauer Laboratories, a 3rd-generation consultancy specializing in organizational culture, change leadership, and... Read More →
    avatar for Christa Heydt-Hernandez

    Christa Heydt-Hernandez

    Founder and Principle Consultant, Idea Alchemy
    New to independent contracting and freelance work. I help organizations, teams, and individuals who have a challenge or problem to solve and do not think they have the tools or time to solve it. I work with clients to: Position the user first, whether customer, employee or individual... Read More →
    Tuesday June 16, 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
    Tuesday June 16, 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

    Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT

    9:00am EDT

    Head, Heart, and How: The Practice of Creative Change
    Tuesday June 16, 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 →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT

    9:00am EDT

    Polarities in Practice
    Tuesday June 16, 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 2: provides a rare opportunity to observe a full facilitation in a fishbowl format. Participants will see how a facilitator makes real-time decisions: what they listen for, where they intervene, and how they work with competing dynamics as they unfold. Watch a live engagement with the clients and then a group debrief of the experience and observations. A structured debrief makes the invisible visible, translating observation into concrete facilitation practice.



    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 →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT

    9:00am EDT

    Session Lab: Rapid Prototyping to Design Your Own Tools
    Tuesday June 16, 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

    Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT

    9:00am EDT

    Snacks
    Tuesday June 16, 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.
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:00am - 4:00pm EDT
    Caudell Hall - Lobby

    10:00am EDT

    CPSI Pop-Up Bookstore
    Tuesday June 16, 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!

    Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:00am - 4:00pm EDT
    Caudell Hall - Lobby

    11:00am EDT

    Lunch
    Tuesday June 16, 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!
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 11:00am - 2:00pm EDT
    Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen

    1:15pm EDT

    Library Tour with Gerard Puccio
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:15pm - 1:45pm EDT
    A guided library tour with Gerard Puccio, SUNY Distinguished Professor & Department Chair.  If you're into everything creative and the history of it all - join Gerard for this limited opportunity.

    • A sign up sheet will be available at Registration Check In on Sunday, June 14th.
    • This tour is limited to 15 people.
    • Meet inside the library entrance, facing Campbell Student Union (view the venue map)
    • Arrive at 1:10 pm.
    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 →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:15pm - 1:45pm EDT
    Butler Library

    1:30pm EDT

    Free Time
    Tuesday June 16, 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.
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

    2:00pm EDT

    Co-Create to Elevate: Designing Better Services Through Shared Creativity
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
    In this workshop, participants will explore how to use creative collaboration and design thinking to transform the way government and public institutions deliver services. Through an immersive design sprint simulation, attendees will learn how to bring together staff, citizens, and leaders to co-design people-first solutions that stick.    

    Takeaways
    • Experience the impact of co-creation on problem solving and alignment.
    • Learn facilitation techniques to foster creativity and inclusion.
    • Identify ways to adapt design thinking for complex government challenges.    
    Presenters
    avatar for Ponja Hoxha Ocumarez

    Ponja Hoxha Ocumarez

    Principal experience researcher

    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

    2:00pm EDT

    Creative Thinking Profiles, Preferences, and Possibilities
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
    Creative thinking profiles and assessments such as FourSight, KAI, VIEW, and others are widely used to help individuals and teams understand creative differences. At CPSI, we are lucky to have both designers and users of various profiles and assessments, and therefore, we wanted to open a discussion on what we can learn from these creative thinking profiles collectively. Through interactive discussions and reflection, we’ll explore how creative thinking profiles can inform facilitation, team dynamics, and process design. We hope to surface practical lessons that cut across multiple assessments.    

    Takeaways
    • Participants will be familiar with similarities and some differences across a range of creative profiles and assessments.
    • Participants will develop greater awareness of how context, language, and facilitation choices shape the impact of creative thinking profiles, supporting more responsible, flexible, and effective use.
    • Participants will leave with ideas for translating profile insights into facilitation choices, team conversations, and creative process design.


    Presenters
    avatar for Hana Mamnoon

    Hana Mamnoon

    Facilitator, Knowinnovation
    Hana is your go-to person for blending science, creativity, and project management. With a background in Psychology and Business from the University of Rochester and a Master’s degree in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State University, she brings both analytical rigor... Read More →
    avatar for Ryan Hammer

    Ryan Hammer

    Facilitator, Knowinnovation & Renaissance Teams


    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

    2:00pm EDT

    Storytelling for Impact: Elevate How You Communicate Through the Creative Problem Solving Process
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
    The most compelling storytellers do more than inform—they shift perspectives, spark emotion, and catalyze action. TEDx Talks provide great examples. This workshop teaches participants how to design powerful, audience-centered stories using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process as a backbone for crafting impactful narratives. Through hands-on exercises, participants transform a personal or professional insight into a compelling talk outline that elevates ideas and connects deeply with listeners. Attendees leave with a structured storytelling method they can use in classrooms, boardrooms, and stages of all kinds, even TEDx.    

    Takeaways
    • A repeatable storytelling framework based on each stage of the Creative Problem Solving process.
    • A draft TEDx-style talk outline built in-session using tools for insight generation, reframing, and story shaping.
    • Techniques to elevate message clarity, emotional resonance, and narrative flow for greater audience impact.


    Presenters
    avatar for Christa Heydt-Hernandez

    Christa Heydt-Hernandez

    Founder and Principle Consultant, Idea Alchemy
    New to independent contracting and freelance work. I help organizations, teams, and individuals who have a challenge or problem to solve and do not think they have the tools or time to solve it. I work with clients to: Position the user first, whether customer, employee or individual... Read More →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

    2:00pm EDT

    The Right Strength at the Right Stage
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
    It’s not a question of IF you are creative, it’s a question of HOW you are creative. In what ways can you leverage your unique talents in the creative problem solving process? Through guided reflection and process mapping, you will examine how your CliftonStrengths talent themes support—or sometimes complicate—different stages of the Creative Problem Solving process. You’ll learn how you are wired to make a unique and valuable contribution to problem solving processes and help teams achieve better outcomes.

    Note: It will be helpful for participants to come to the session knowing their top 5 talent themes from Gallup’s CliftonStrengths Assessment.

    Takeaways:
    Participants will gain:
    1) Clarity about where their strengths are most powerful in the CPS process—and where they may need to adapt or partner
    2) Greater awareness of what supports or drains their energy at different CPS stages
    3) Practical insight into how diverse strengths can be intentionally leveraged on creative teams
    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 →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

    2:00pm EDT

    Unlocking the Power of Constraints: How Limits Make Us More Creative
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
    Creativity is often sparked not by unlimited freedom, but by meaningful constraints.  In this interactive workshop, participants experience how limits on time, materials, and rules can actually increase innovation through hands-on design challenges.  Drawing on Creative Problem Solving principles and Eliyahu Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, this session will reveal how identifying and leveraging limitations can unlock new possibilities.  Participants will leave with practical strategies for using constraints as powerful tools for creativity, problem solving, and systems improvement in any context.    

    Takeaways
    • Constraints are catalysts, not barriers.
    Participants will understand that thoughtfully designed limits can focus thinking, increase originality, and lead to stronger creative outcomes.

    • Identifying the constraint unlocks improvement.
    By experiencing and reflecting on "bottlenecks" in hands-on challenges, participants learn to recognize leverage points in creative processes, teams, and systems.

    • Creativity thrives at the intersection of structure and imagination.
    Participants will leave with practical strategies for balancing freedom and structure to improve problem solving, collaboration, and innovation in real-world contexts.





    Presenters
    avatar for Nicole Wagner

    Nicole Wagner

    Director of STREAM Programming, NativityMiguel Middle School of Buffalo
    Nicole Wagner is the Director of STREAM Programming at NativityMiguel Middle School of Buffalo, where she designs hands-on, creativity-driven learning experiences that integrate problem solving, collaboration, and 21st-century skills.  She is currently completing a Master’s degree... Read More →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

    2:00pm EDT

    Your Third Third
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
    This session is geared towards those who are 55-plus and wondering what the Third Third of their life is going to be like.  It is based on the book, “The Third Third of Life:  Preparing for Your Future," by Walter C Wright, Jr.  We will be exploring Hope and Dreams for the “third third” as well as considering what a “renewed calling” might be like. 

    The “Third Third” approach uses an open mind to explore the hopes and fears that typically accompany your 55-plus years in such a way that expands your thinking about the meaningfulness of your years beyond retirement.  We will create a vision of each person’s Third Third, keeping in mind that a lot of the Third Third is about growing inward in a contemplative way and realizing and applying the wisdom accumulated during the first two-thirds of life experience.

    Takeaways:
    • Defining what the Third Third Means and what occurs during this time
    • Exploring hopes and dreams of what this time of life might be
    • Exploring fears and discuss ways in which each person might overcome those fears

    Presenters
    avatar for Mary Ellyn Vicksta

    Mary Ellyn Vicksta

    Founder, Vicksta Innovative Practices, LLC
    Mary Ellyn has attended CPSI since 1992. She started leading sessions in the late 90's ranging from Core Courses to Immersions. She’s been recognized by the CPSI community by receiving CEF's Distinguished Leader and Service Awards. She became interested in re-defining herself after... Read More →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

    3:30pm EDT

    Afternoon Break
    Tuesday June 16, 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!
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
    Caudell Hall - Lobby

    4:00pm EDT

    Beyond the Ordinary: Elevating Your Creative Identity Through Archetypes
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
    In a world of AI-generated sameness, your creative identity is what elevates you above the noise. This experiential workshop uses archetypal frameworks—rooted in Jung, Campbell, and modern brand psychology—to help you discover and articulate the distinctive character that makes you extraordinarily you. Through visual exploration, guided reflection, and structured storytelling, you'll craft a clear "personality signature" that brings dimension and authenticity to how you show up as an entrepreneur, educator, creative professional, or changemaker.    

    Takeaways
    • Your Archetypal Identity – A clear understanding of the two archetypes that define your creative character, complete with a simple framework that captures your unique personality beyond generic descriptors
    • Your Authentic Story – A compelling narrative that articulates who you are at your core, what drives you, and the distinctive role you play in others' lives—ready to elevate your pitches, profiles, and presentations
    • Your Elevation Plan – Three concrete, actionable ways to bring your creative identity to life immediately, from reimagining your email signature to redesigning your next workshop or pitch deck"    


    Presenters
    avatar for Amie Dowker

    Amie Dowker

    SVP, Integrated Strategy, Dentsu Creative

    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

    4:00pm EDT

    Elevate the Invisible: How What We Don’t Say Shapes Creative Leadership
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
    Most leadership and creative breakdowns don’t come from bad ideas—they come from unspoken assumptions, invisible power dynamics, and communication habits we don’t notice. This session helps participants elevate the invisible layers of communication so teams can think more creatively, collaborate more bravely, and lead more consciously.

    Takeaways:
    • Notice what’s shaping the conversation before words appear
    • Recognize how creativity rises or falls based on subtle leadership signals
    • Interrupt default patterns that quietly limit innovation

    Presenters
    avatar for Katharine Rumrill-Teece

    Katharine Rumrill-Teece

    Professor / Facilitator, Onondaga Community College
    Katharine Rumrill-Teece is an accomplished Trainer, Facilitator, and Professor of Communication with over 30 years of experience leading impactful workshops and training programs.  With a Master’s degree in Intercultural Communication & Conflict Resolution and a Doctorate in Executive... Read More →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

    4:00pm EDT

    Elevate Through Play: Using LEGO® Serious Play to Unlock Creative Problem Solving
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
    This session elevates creative problem solving by transforming play into a strategic invitation—helping participants move from imagination to insight, and from insight to action. Through LEGO® Serious Play (LSP) and Creative Problem Solving (CPS), participants experience how embodied thinking, storytelling, and structured divergence/convergence elevate both individual creativity and group innovation capacity.    

    Takeaways
    • Use LEGO® Serious Play as a facilitation invitation rather than a standalone method
    • Translate metaphorical builds into clear problem statements (HMWs)
    • Rapidly prototype solution landscapes using low-fidelity materials and apply the approach in classrooms, workshops, organizations, or community settings.    
    Presenters
    avatar for Andrew Ilnicki

    Andrew Ilnicki

    Director, Experiential Education + Emerging Tech, University of Richmond

    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

    4:00pm EDT

    The Creativity Canvas: Mapping Your Creative Ecosystem
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
    This workshop introduces a dynamic visual tool designed to map out your personal creative process. During this 90-minute session, you’ll explore key enhancers and critical blockers that make up your creative ecosystem. Through hands-on activities, you’ll design your own creativity canvas, gaining insights into how to unlock your full potential and drive creative breakthroughs.    

    Takeaways
    • A complete visual framework that maps your unique creative ecosystem
    • A deeper understanding of the key drivers and blockers they face in doing creative work
    • An action plan for implementing or optimizing a ritual creative practice    
    Presenters
    avatar for Kim Macuare, Ph.D

    Kim Macuare, Ph.D

    Director of Education and Co-Director of Innovation Labs, The Dali Museum
    In her role as the lead program designer and facilitator for the Innovation Labs, Kim has helped many organizations—from non-profits to government entities to Fortune 100 companies—build their innovation capacities by developing creativity-focused mindsets and problem-solving... Read More →
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

    4:00pm EDT

    Dinner
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

    Tuesday June 16, 2026 4:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
    Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen

    5:00pm EDT

    On-Campus Housing: Evening Desk Hours
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 5:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
    Have questions? Need some assistance? We have evening desk hours in STAC for just that.
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 5:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
    STAC - Student Apartment Complex

    7:30pm EDT

    Planetarium Experience
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
    The Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium at Buffalo State University is a state-of-the-art facility offering immersive educational and entertainment experiences in astronomy and beyond. Located within the Science and Mathematics Complex on campus, the planetarium features a 35-foot diameter dome and is equipped with advanced projection systems—including a Spitz SciDome 4K digital projector, a Zeiss ZKP4 opto-mechanical star projector, an AVI SkyLase laser system, and a 5.1 surround sound system—it provides audiences with captivating visual and auditory experiences.

    This special CPSI experience is exclusively for registered conference attendees.
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
    Science + Math Complex - Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium

    7:30pm EDT

    Night Flights
    Tuesday June 16, 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.
    Tuesday June 16, 2026 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
     
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