Our Approach

We approach all of our work with curiosity and deep listening to tailor our services to our clients.

MAKE LIKE ARTISTS

We believe creativity is inherent in each individual — and we will tap into yours!

We empower clients to access and embrace their creative mindsets to collectively envision new strategic, innovative solutions.

MEET US

We believe that imagination, creativity and empathy are critical for healthy societies and for future businesses.

Jeannette (Jen) Guillemin

Co-Founder

With a background in arts leadership, counseling and teaching, Jen is an arts advocate and creative problem-solver. She has mentored thousands of student-artists and has spearheaded many arts initiatives. She is currently on the Northeastern University faculty at the D’Amore McKim School of Business, teaching and mentoring entrepreneurship + design students in their world renowned co-op program. Previous to that, she served as inaugural director of the Boston University arts leadership and innovation program, interim director of the BU School of Visual Arts and founding director of the BU Visual Arts Summer Institute. Jen has expertise in higher education administration, building effective partnerships, strategic visioning, curriculum development and cross sector collaboration. Her professional collaborations have led her to teach in prisons and homeless shelters, to create community engaged projects in Boston and to publish research on cultural entrepreneurship and the creative economy. Jen’s passion is to help people identify and focus personal values, creative interests and unique gifts in order to achieve their educational, professional and personal goals.

Jen holds a bachelor’s degree in English from SUNY Geneseo and two master’s degrees in Arts Administration and Counseling from Boston University.

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Wendy Swart Grossman

Co-Founder

With a background in US and South African presidential campaigns, Wendy is an organizer and highly effective motivator, teacher, mentor, and strategic director. Clarity, communication, and deadlines are her strengths. As a creative practitioner, academic and strategic entrepreneur, Wendy brings her expertise in building effective partnerships, strategic planning, measurable outcomes, communication, and facilitation to the table. Wendy is a connector, a political and community organizer, a logistical wizard, and a visionary advocate/activist for community building and engagement. She has held positions at Harvard’s Museum of Science and Culture and the Graduate School of Design as well as at The Science Museum in London, UK and scores of NGO’s, non-profits and social impact businesses nationally and internationally. She is a Faculty member at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business teaching both graduate and undergraduate students from across all disciplines.

Wendy holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN and a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University, Medford, MA.

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AVITAL SHIRA

Director of Strategy & Engagement

Avital is passionate about working the intersection of community engagement, creative storytelling, and social impact. Avital began her work in community engagement on presidential campaigns and went on to lead Colorado statewide community engagement strategy for Skillful, a startup initiative sponsored by the Markle Foundation. Avital is deeply engaged by Creative Re/Frame’s mission as she is an artist herself: Her work as a theatre director has taken her to theatres across the country, and she also has taught theatremaking and public speaking to students aged 8 through adult. Recently, Avital worked as a project manager for gradient, a consulting firm focused on diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. Avital is currently co-teaching a course on creativity, innovation, and the entrepreneurial mindset with Wendy at Tufts, managing the Creative Arts Competition at MIT, and planning IDEA Con, the largest innovation & entrepreneurship conference in New England. Avital holds a B.A. in Theater Studies and English Literature with distinction from Yale University, and an M.F.A. in Directing and Graduate Certificate in Arts Management from Boston University.

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With our MAKE • CARE • STRATEGIZE • IMPLEMENT approach, we create models for sustainable, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. We work with educational institutions to design clear, concise and measurable action plans to integrate arts and creativity into innovation centers, curricula and throughout the broader university. We have also collaborated with municipalities, businesses, non-profits, and creative practitioners, and can tailor our services to your specific needs.

WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS

As experienced university faculty, we offer a hands-on approach to helping students and participants harness the power of their creative mindsets and help them take an idea through implementation. Under the umbrella of creative entrepreneurship we cover prototyping, marketing, funding, business plans, survey research, implementation, and measuring impact. Check out more information about our Creative Startup Bootcamps here!

FACILITATION

We provide facilitation for meetings, retreats, and symposia. We help our clients integrate arts and creativity in impactful and meaningful ways to achieve better outcomes.

STRATEGIC VISIONING

We work with institutions and leadership teams to help them meet strategic goals. We help clients assess their needs and provide creative and effective tools to implement their vision.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

We offer lectures and keynote talks at conferences, universities, and innovation centers on topics including creativity, innovation, authentic storytelling, creative entrepreneurship and the future of work.

Executive COACHING

Working with executives, individual artists, creative practitioners, and entrepreneurs, we help our clients find their voices, set action plans to implement their goals, and secure meaningful success as creative changemakers.