Agenda

A continental breakfast will be provided during check-in.  

• Jesse Scinto ('12 SPS)(emcee), Deputy Program Director and Lecturer, Strategic Communication 
• Kristine Billmyer, Ph.D., Program Director, Strategic Communication; Professor of Professional Practice and Dean Emerita of the Faculty of Professional Studies
• Troy J. Eggers, Dean, Columbia University School of Professional Studies

Creativity is a core talent for communicators. But how do we get our best ideas? Dr. Iyengar, a world-renowned expert on innovation, explores what it means to be creative, how to find inspiration, and how to release our inhibitions. Drawing on recent advances in neuroscience, she provides practical tips for powerful new ideas.

• Sheena S. Iyengar, Ph.D.
  S.T. Lee Professor of Business in the Management Division at Columbia Business School; author of The Art of Choosing and Think Bigger

Coffee and tea will be provided during the break. 

Leading communicators from across sectors discuss their approach to creativity. Where do they go for great ideas? How do they supercharge creative teams? What difference does creativity ultimately make in strategic communication?

• Ethan McCarty (moderator), Advisory Board Member and Lecturer, Strategic Communication; CEO, Integral
• Adrianna Bevilaqua (’09SPS), Chief Creative Officer and Managing Director, M Booth
• Craig Minassian, Chief Content, Communications and Marketing Officer, Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative
• Jimmie Stone, VP, Global Head of Creative Shop, Meta
• Teresa Yoo, VP, Brand and Content Strategy, IBM

Lunch will be provided for all conference attendees. 

See how a global agency is incorporating AI into the creative process. Rachel Catanach, general manager of FleishmanHillard New York, and her team discuss their “technology as teammate” approach to problem solving, sharing case studies, learnings, and demos from Fleishman’s recent award-winning work and Gen AI Center of Excellence.

• Rachel Catanach, General Manager, FleishmanHillard, and team

Coffee and tea will be provided during the break. 

Learn how to tap the collective creativity of teams and create the conditions for innovation during one of our leadership development sessions.

Learn from some of the world’s most innovative creative leaders, as we deconstruct, and distill the complex alchemy that is the business of creativity. Let’s explore what happens when you realize your role in cultivating the conditions for creativity to come about and build the scaffolding others to shine. Through a series of provocations and practical tips, you’ll learn to spot talent, manage expectations among linear thinkers, and how to hold space for introverts, unconventional creatives, solo contributors and everything in between.

• Gigi Downs, Managing Director, Brooklyn Brothers

The best ideas don't develop in silos. Cross-pollination provides the creative spark. Discover what network science reveals about optimizing teams and organizations for creative output. Create the conditions for innovation within your own organization.

• Jesse Scinto (’12SPS), Deputy Program Director and Lecturer, Strategic Communication

Generative AI is revolutionizing content creation. But it also poses enormous new legal and reputational risks. Gain valuable insights into how to protect your intellectual property, navigate today’s changing regulatory environment, and empower your creative teams to innovate ethically and responsibly.

• Frank Oswald (’10SPS) (moderator), Lecturer, Strategic Communication
• Kyle-Beth Hilfer, Esq., Principal Attorney, Hilfer Law; Of Counsel, Cowan Liebowitz & Latman

Human ideation forms the bedrock of our existence, shaping all aspects of life, technology, and the evolution of the human species. It drives our progress and serves as the foundation of innovation, influencing the world as we know it. The true magic of invention lies in how we communicate these human ideas, transforming them into impactful realities. This session focuses on time-tested techniques for generating ideas and uncovering implicit knowledge, empowering participants to transform insights and communicate ideas into actionable innovation.

• Lilian Ajayi-Ore, Ed.D., Lecturer in Discipline, Strategic Communication
• Kevin Visconti, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in Discipline, Strategic Communication

Coffee and tea will be provided during the break. 

Experiment with new techniques and awaken to new ways of listening and knowing in one of our creative development sessions.

Learn how to generate on-brand visuals, animations, and videos using AI tools such as Midjourney, Runway ML, Sora and other emerging platforms. This workshop will demonstrate the workflow for generating quality images and bringing them to life, along with prompting for video generation and editing best practices. You’ll be given an overview of the unique strengths of different platforms and learn how to combine multiple tools to create compelling visual content. You’ll leave with a better understanding of how to integrate these tools into your creative workflow.

• Samantha Stark, Founder & Chief Strategist at Phyusion

Playfulness and present-moment awareness are keys to improv and to innovation. Learn how improv exercises can help establish psychological safety and support the creative process. Build a positive, affirming environment where the best ideas roam free.

• Rick Andrews, Head Instructor, The Magnet Theater

In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in mindfulness exercises specifically designed to improve creative collaboration and communication. Guided meditations that have been shown to inspire creativity, enhance motivation, and promote self-awareness and emotion regulation will be offered in a welcoming environment. This workshop is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators.

• Rajiah Williams Leong ('12SPS), Hygge Hooga Mindfulness

Get a primer on how you can borrow from the arts and social sciences to get deeper insights that will fuel resonant creative and strategic communication. In this workshop, you’ll learn how imagery and language can unearth the unconscious thinking that frames our everyday reality. The mental models that emerge reveal parts of us that are often hidden, even to ourselves, creating opportunities for greater co-creation and connection between consumers and brands.

• Carrie Patterson Reed, Head of Insights, Fantasy

Coffee and tea will be provided during the break. 

Many of us have artistic pursuits and hobbies that inspire our work. Strategic Communication students share their own talents and creativity.

• Lauren Gover (’20SPS)(emcee), Lecturer, Strategic Communication; Managing Director, Blue Seedling

Attendees are invited to join the networking cocktail reception.