Biography: Assaf is an assistant professor for advertising creativity at California State University, Fullerton and a doctoral candidate at The University of Texas at Austin. He holds an M.A. in advertising from The University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in advertising from Michigan State University. In addition to his academic path, Assaf worked as an art director and a web designer for a number of years and is the founder of the Creative Intensive Network, a community dedicated to the promotion of creativity and innovation in research, education and business. Avni is the Webmaster for the American Academy of Advertising and a volunteer judge for Destination Imagination, the world's largest creativity and problem solving organization for kids and teenagers.

Currently, Assai is teaching creativity, theory and practice, and coaches Creative Life Planning™ in Orange County and Los Angeles, California. His research interests over the past few years have been in the areas of management of creative teams, creative processes and organizational innovation.

Website: www.creativeintensive.org

Contact: Assaf can be reached by e-mail at assaf@creativeintensive.org for additional information about this pre-conference session.


Title: Managing for Creativity - From Individualistic Perceptual Approach to Team-Based Creativity and Organizational innovation

Date: Thursday, April 23rd

Length: 2 hours (5:15-7:15pm)

Location: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne - 6633 Canoga Avenue, Canoga Park

Cost: None

Description: This workshop will help transform individual’s ‘perceptual’ approach to creativity to team-based creativity. We will explore the differences between perceptual creativity and organizational innovation and learn how to nurture both. If you are managing, or interested in managing other people while nurturing their creativity, this session is for you.

Target Audience: Anyone who is currently managing people and/or is interesting in managing and nurturing creativity in an organizational settings.

Organizational Issues:

Objectives: Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be able to identify team members’ perceptual drivers/blocks for creativity and how they may lead to team based innovation (or the lack of).

Handouts: Available for download after the Forum