creativity conference

Recognizing the leading entrepreneur of his time, Leonardo Da Vinci, the Business and Commerce department at Genesee Community College will host its sixth Creativity Conference on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Batavia Campus. The lineup of speakers will serve both aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners looking to take their business to the next level. 

Conference attendees should check in at 8:15 a.m. for a continental breakfast and the conference will begin at 8:45 a.m. with a welcome from Provost Kate Schiefen, Ed.D.. Keynote speaker, Trace R. George, GCC class of 1993 and owner of VSP Graphic Group in Buffalo will begin at 9 a.m. sharing his inspiring story.

From 10:30 a.m. to 11a.m. GCC students will host a poster presentation highlighting various creativity-specific concepts and creative thinking tools designed to help participants learn to leverage their own creativity.

Beginning at 11:10 a.m. attendees will select two of the following 10 sessions to attend. Each workshop will be offered at 11:10 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. 

• Bryan DeGraw, owner of 810 Meadworks
• Brian Kemp, owner of T-Shirts, Etc.
• Michael Messerly, publisher at Batavia News Corporation
• Val Bello, GCC instructor of Communications and Media Arts and social media guru
• Sam Campanella, serial entrepreneur and retired Small Business Development Center Representative
• Karen Crittenden, artist and owner at Karen's Yarn, Paper, Scissors
• Heather Jones, GCC professor of Fine Arts, artist and owner at Glassfeather Studio
• Barb Shine, serial entrepreneur, consultant and retired GCC faculty
• Mike Raisch, owner of Dark Labyrinth Entertainment

These presenters will cover an array of helpful business building topics ranging from important lessons learned during their own climbs to success, to "Leveraging Social Media to Grow your Business," "Options Thinking to Increase Organizational Creativity," "Using Creativity to Build and Grow a Business" and "Personal/ Organizational Vision Board for Future Growth."

At 1:10 p.m. everyone will come together for a sit-down lunch, provided by American Creative Dining served in the centrally located William H. Stuart Forum. Winners of the Poster Presentation will be announced during lunch.

Small business owners or employees, entrepreneurs and the general public are invited to attend the conference and workshops. The cost is $39 per person, which includes a continental breakfast and delicious lunch. Seating is limited, so register today with The BEST Center! For GCC students, faculty and staff, the conference cost is $25 per person. GCC students, faculty and staff are encouraged to register with the Math, Science and Career Education (MSCE) office. 

Click here for details on the associate degree and certificate programs available at Genesee Community College.

The entire conference is made possible through GCC's collaboration with Startup Genesee Committee to provide an agenda full of learning and networking opportunities, inspirational stories and education. 

For more information, contact Director of Business Programs Lina LaMattina, Ph.D., at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6319, or via email: lmlamattina@genesee.edu.

Photo: Trace R. George, GCC Class of 1993, will give the keynote address at this year's Creativity Conference. He owns VSP Graphic Group in Buffalo.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Business and Commerce department at Genesee Community College has announced its sixth Creativity Conference to be held Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Batavia Campus.

Under the theme of "Creativity in the Entrepreneurial Zone," the conference this year will serve both aspiring entrepreneurs as well as existing business owners looking to take their business to the next level. 

All attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experiences of our community's leaders through the stories of their own startups and ventures. The conference will include workshops on "How to use Social Media to Grow your Business," "Building Creative Teams," "Developing a Creative Organization," "Personal & Organizational Impact of Creative Style" and more!

GCC has collaborated with the Startup Genesee Committee to put together an agenda full of learning and networking opportunities, inspirational stories and education. Giving the keynote address will be owner of VSP Graphic Group from Buffalo, Trace R. George, GCC Class of 1993. 

Small business owners or employees, entrepreneurs and the general public are invited to attend the conference and workshops. The cost is $39 per person, which includes a continental breakfast and delicious lunch. For GCC students, faculty and staff, the conference cost is $25 per person.

Seating is limited, so register today! GCC faculty and staff are encouraged to contact The BEST Center to register. Students are asked to register through their instructors.

Whether you are launching a new endeavor to taking your successful business to a bigger platform -- let GCC be a resource for your idea and your path to success! GCC offers both an associate degree and a certificate program on Entrepreneurship. Check out the options here.

For more information, contact Director of Business Programs Lina LaMattina at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6319, or via email: lmlamattina@genesee.edu.

Press release:

Enhance your creativity and creative problem solving skills with insightful and inspiring presentations at the third annual Creativity Conference at Genesee Community College. Save the date for this one-day only event on Wednesday, April 13, from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The day features a keynote speaker and numerous 50-minute workshops. Cost is $99 which includes lunch. Registration is available online at http://www.genesee.edu/events/creativity-conference/.

Under the continued leadership of GCC Director of Business Programs Dr. Lina LaMattina is coordinating the successful conference again this year. The featured keynote address will be given by Sandra Turner, CEO of Viggi Kids, a business dedicated to the "whole child approach" that is based on design thinking in the creation of stimulating play environments. http://www.viggikids.com/

Anyone who attended GCC's Creativity Conferences in the past shouldn't hesitate to enroll again, particularly for professional development engagements.

"Creativity is a skill that needs to be continually nurtured and developed," LaMattina, Ph.D., said. "This year, we will have three specific creativity tracks for participants to explore and engage in: Community, Business and Education (kindergarten through higher education)."

Planning is under way for the dynamic workshops that are offered throughout the day, and proposals for 50-minute presentations that broadly or specifically teach and reinforce design thinking and creativity/creative problem solving are being accepted through March 25. To submit a proposal online go to: http://www.genesee.edu/home/events/creativity-conference/submit-your-proposal/.

"To successfully compete in the 21st century, we all need to enhance our ability to think and solve difficult problems creatively. Design thinking helps us all to deliberately focus on our end user, our customer, our patient, our client, those individuals that we are most trying to reach and impact. Design thinking builds on creative thinking and adds power to our work." LaMattina said. "Don't miss this chance to get out of the office and recharge your creative battery so you can you be more deliberately creative in all aspects of your life!"

Press release:

Anyone who has ever doubted their own creativity, or questioned the impact of creativity in the workplace or in a classroom should attend the one-day Creativity Conference at Genesee Community College on Tuesday, April 15. The conference runs from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to all and features engaging sessions targeted for the business world and academia.

"Every one of us is creative in our own way, every day," said Lina LaMattina, Ed.D, director of GCC's Business programs.

She is so committed to helping people explore and understand their own creativity that she and her colleagues organized a one-day conference to focus on creativity in the workplace and in education coinciding with Creativity and Innovation Week, which is April 15-21.

"We hope the sessions and discussion generated at the conference will stimulate and expand upon a global conversation about creativity," LaMattina said. "Some people are intimidated by the idea of creativity and it restricts their thinking. We want to show them how they can be deliberately creative in their professional, academic and personal lives."

The conference will feature a keynote address by John Fredericks, Ph.D, executive director of the Center for Executive Leadership and Change at Daemen College. He is recognized as a distinguished leader of the internationally renowned Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) for his work in facilitating creative problem-solving leadership.

A dynamic group of presenters with diverse backgrounds and skills will be leading the various sessions. From patent holders to fashion and textile experts, improv practitioners to industrial designers, performing artists and comedians to an English professor, as well as inventors to innovators -- all will be participating in the Conference providing an exciting lineup of vibrant topics.

In the Education Strand, the following sessions have been scheduled:

• Teaching Techniques to Encourage Creative Thinking, presented by Lynn M. Boorady, associate professor at Buffalo State College;
• Enhancing Expertise with Imaginative Thinking: Weaving Creativity into your Content, presented by Sue Keller-Mathers, associate professor of Creative Studies at Buffalo State College;
• What might creativity look like in my students? presented by Pamela Szalay, cofounder the Beyonder Youth Program at Buffalo State College;
• Using the Concept of "Yes, And" to Promote Creative Thinking, presented by Jane Fischer, cofounder Improv Connections, and Beth Slazak, a member of the Applied Improvisers Network;
• Facilitating Learning Communities, presented by Mitchell R. Alegre, adjunct professor of Management and coordinator of Special Projects at Niagara University;

Sessions focused in the Business Strand include:

• Options Thinking: Empowering Individuals to Make Better Decisions, presented Barbara Shine, former GCC Business professor and retired director at The BEST Center who continues to work as a consultant;
• Innovation and the Start-Up Company, presented by James Burns, product design and development consultant with patents in optical systems, antennas and consumer electronics;
• Igniting Imagination and Removing Inhibitions to Creativity in Business, presented by Maryanne Arena, GCC's director of Fine and Performing Arts, and Norman Gayford, GCC professor of English.

"Our 21st Century economy demands creative thinking skills in order to survive and thrive in the workplace," LaMattina said. "We invite everyone to come, explore, learn, discuss and get ready to implement creativity tools, techniques and best practices in your organization."

LaMattina initiated the idea for the conference along with her GCC colleagues Barbara Shine, Valerie Bello and Judith Littlejohn and other members of the Creativity Innovation Committee. They received funding for the event from two GCC Foundation grants: the President's Innovation Award Program and the Stuart Steiner Leadership Award.

"We hope this conference will both reinforce and build GCC's foundation for generating and applying creative thinking throughout all aspects of college life," LaMattina added.

Registration is $99 per person for the full day, which includes lunch as well as morning and afternoon refreshments.

For details or to register go to: http://www.genesee.edu/events/creativity-conference/. The schedule is subject to change and additional conference sessions are still being developed.

For further information contact Lina LaMattina:

lmlamattina@genesee.edu or call 585-343-0055, ext. 6319.

Press release:

A conference on creativity and creative problem solving will take place from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday April 15 at Genesee Community College.

In preparation for the conference, organizers are seeking examples of creativity in the areas of business (for profit or not) and K-16 education to share with people in our region.

The goal is to broaden the conversation around the application of creativity and innovation.

Our business track includes the use of creativity within all organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit. In the education track, we intend to share best practices, tools and techniques in teaching K-16 students how to think creatively within and across disciplines.

We hope you will join us in this critically important conversation either as a speaker or an attendee.

We invite proposals for 50-minute presentations/workshops that broadly or specifically support the conference theme of creativity/creative problem solving.

Please submit your proposal using the following link:

http://www.genesee.edu/events/creativity-conference/

For questions or additional information, contact: Lina LaMattina, Ph.D., at:

lmlamattina@genesee.edu

or 585-343-0055, ext. 6319