Creative Problem Solving Institute 2026

Creative Problem Solving Institute 2026

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

Magdalena Grohman

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Education, Personal Growth, Process Tools & Techniques

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

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Business, Personal Growth, Process Tools & Techniques

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

Donnalyn Roxey

Partner, COO, Lead Facilitator, Knowinnovation

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Personal Growth, Process Tools & Techniques

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

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Business, Process Tools & Techniques, Personal Growth

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

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Business, Personal Growth, Process Tools & Techniques

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

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Business, Education, Personal Growth

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

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Personal Growth

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

Amie Dowker

SVP, Integrated Strategy, Dentsu Creative

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Business, Personal Growth

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

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

Breakout Workshops

Program Category The Arts, Personal Growth, Process Tools & Techniques

2:00pm EDT

Disaster Quick Quests: Elevate Creativity for Social Impact

Wednesday June 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

How can we turn fear of disaster into fuel for community resilience? Join this high-energy "Design Studio" to use Creative Problem Solving (CPS) to catalyze social impact. In this hands-on session, you will work in a small team to ideate and develop a "Quick Quest" — a 5-10 minute game-based activity — to help individuals and communities prepare to face a wildfire, flood, or other disaster. You’ll leave with a tangible game concept, a behind-the-scenes look at designing for social impact, and a playful yet powerful tool for rapid collaborative problem-solving.

Takeaways

Rapid CPS Iteration: Experience a ""lightning-fast"" application of the CPS stages to move from problem description to playable prototype in under 90 minutes.
Game Design for Impact: Embrace the concept of ""Serious Games"" and see how play can create a safe space for addressing sensitive and high-stakes issues.
The ""Serious Creativity"" Mindset: Discover how to maintain a bias toward results while balancing divergent exploration with convergent decision-making.

Presenters

Susanne Jul

Founder & Executive Director, Creative Crisis Leadership

Susanne is a multifaceted professional with a passion for empowering individuals to become self-reliant, particularly in times of crisis. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Creative Crisis Leadership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading social resilience and... Read More →

Garett Dworman

Principal Designer, Creative Crisis Leadership

Wednesday June 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Current Topics, Personal Growth, Process Tools & Techniques

2:00pm EDT

Kaleidoscope of You - Dream, Share, Incubate, Create

Wednesday June 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Kaleidoscope of YOU offers an intimate yet expansive invitation to pause, play, and reawaken child-like curiosity. You will engage in guided daydreaming, visible thinking, writing, and creative mark-making to explore your past, present, and future creative selves. The journey continues in a “Living Gallery Walk.” This innovative workshop also invites others in the CPSI community to contribute to the collective creativity of the Kaleidoscope of YOU.

Takeaways:

Reframe your creative identity through reflection and playful exploration.
Reconnect with early experiences of creativity, joy, and imagination.
Integrate past, present, and future creative selves into your practice.

Presenters

Kathy Frazier

Gifted Education and Creativity Specialist, Touching the Future Today LLC

Katie Ravich

Founder, InsideOut Creativity™

Katie Ravich is a creative education specialist, systems designer and creative strategist who works at the intersection of creativity, learning ecosystems and applied neuroplasticity. With a B.A. in Visual Communications (University of Technology Sydney) and an M.Sc. in Creativity... Read More →

Wednesday June 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Breakout Workshops

Program Category The Arts, Process Tools & Techniques, Personal Growth

4:00pm EDT

Be an Illuminator: Discover Ways to Bring Out the Best in Others

Wednesday June 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

Illuminators shine a light on others. They make people and their ideas come alive.
With their distinct blend of skills, they excel as facilitators and relationship builders.

Illuminators make others feel seen, heard, and appreciated. Their curiosity invites richer stories and deeper insights. They see and celebrate others’ strengths.

Takeaways:
In this session, you’ll work with a partner to cultivate illuminator skills and instincts.
You’ll see what distinguishes an illuminator from a diminisher and learn a variety of illuminator “moves”:

Genuine Curiosity: Asking surprisingly simple questions that reveal richer stories
Active Listening: Using your eyes and body (and silence) to make others feel heard
Celebration of Strengths: Expressing your partner’s unique qualities to create a deeper connection

Presenters

Sari Gluckin

Founder, Wishful Thinking

Wednesday June 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Personal Growth, Process Tools & Techniques

4:00pm EDT

Elevate Emerging Potential: Using CPS & Innovation Sprints to Build Creative Readiness

Wednesday June 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

Elevate Emerging Potential: Using CPS & Innovation Sprints to Build Creative Readiness Many emerging professionals—and the educators, mentors, and managers who support them—struggle to name themselves as creative problem solvers. This session explores how Innovation Sprints, paired with Creative Problem Solving (CPS), build creative confidence, agency, and adaptability across varied age groups and experience levels. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that elevate voice, encourage collaborative problem solving, and translate across educational, professional, and community settings. Attendees will leave with practical tools to help learners and early-career professionals navigate ambiguity, contribute meaningfully, and thrive in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.

Takeaways

Strategies for elevating creative confidence and self-efficacy in young and emerging professionals through fast-cycle innovation experiences.
Adaptable CPS tools that help early-career individuals frame challenges, explore options, and act boldly.
Sprint-based methods educators and youth leaders can employ in classrooms, leadership programs, and internships.

Presenters

Jessica Driscoll

Innovation Sprints Coordinator, University at Buffalo

Wednesday June 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Education, Personal Growth

2:00pm EDT

Charting Your Path Without a Map: Using Deliberate Creativity to Anticipate, Adapt, and Move Forward

Thursday June 18, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Charting Your Path Without a Map invites participants to explore how deliberate creativity can support forward movement when certainty is unavailable and conditions continue to change. Building on the Osborn–Parnes tradition, this live session frames creative problem solving as a shared foundation for anticipating change, adapting with intention, and making progress without waiting for perfect clarity. Designed for both emerging and experienced practitioners, the session elevates how deliberate creativity is understood, taught and practiced-strengthening its relevance and impact in an uncertain future.

Takeaways

Position deliberate creativity, grounded in the Osborn–Parnes tradition, as a shared foundation for anticipating change, adapting with intention, and charting purposeful paths forward in uncertain environments.
Interpret signals that indicate when to persist and when to pivot, using progress, iteration, and learning as feedback to guide creative action rather than waiting for certainty.
Translate key insights from the session into one elevated reframing or teaching move that strengthens how deliberate creativity is practiced, facilitated, or introduced to others.

Presenters

Tricia Garwood

Leadership Strategist, Bright Bridge Strategies

Thursday June 18, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Business, Education, Personal Growth

2:00pm EDT

What’s Stopping You?

Thursday June 18, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Do you suffer from an unrequited creativity, a particular creative itch you haven’t—for reasons you can’t identify—been able to scratch? In this session, we’ll look at why you might resist doing the creative work you’re called to do, and how to jumpstart and sustain it. First, we’ll identify your creative blocks, drawing on Stephen Pressfield’s The War of Art, Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey’s Immunity to Change, and using the CPS tool “Why? What’s Stopping You?” Then, we’ll introduce several brain- and behavior-based solutions, including James Clear’s Atomic Habits, Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, Paul’s “Creating Time” framework, and Haley’s new research on how the neuroscience of focus and attention affects creativity. At the session’s end, you’ll have a roadmap of your own design that you can use to understand your creative drivers that you can use for this project and future ones.

Takeaways

Identify why you might resist doing something that you (might) truly wish to do.
Review relevant research that shows what might help you overcome resistance.
Make a personalized plan for how to get started and keep going on your project.

Presenters

Paul Reali

Executive Director, Charlotte Lit

Paul Reali is co-founder of Charlotte Lit, a nonprofit literary arts center in Charlotte, NC, and is a lead for its Authors Lab book-writing program. He is co-author of "Creativity Rising", which is used in introductory creativity classes at colleges worldwide. He won the 2023 Doris... Read More →

Haley Forest

Innovation & Strategy Consultant, HCForest

Thursday June 18, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Breakout Workshops

Program Category Personal Growth, Process Tools & Techniques