How does your company approach innovation? How do you contribute to your company’s creative thinking? Are you trying to figure out how – at what point and for what purpose - to best use generative AI? This session might help to find some answers, frame further questions, and get you thinking of your own creative process (and keep at it😊) We’ve all heard of IDEO and its famous founders. They reignited the present-day design thinking movement and put creativity in the centre of attention. Being creative is not a ‘divine’ gift, but rather a set of techniques one can learn, skills one can practice, and eventually a fully embodied attitude to life - distinguished by fearless thinking, ability to experiment, improvise, filter ideas, and converge to viable solutions. The arrival of generative AI does not replace this fundamental human ability. I was lucky enough to experience the full impact of this philosophy not only in my corporate career in the world creative agencies, but as a professional choreographer. Whether it’s walking to an empty room and coming out with a new dance piece, starting with an empty page, and finishing with rich content, commencing a new conversation with a potential partner or customer, or developing a new product – one needs to follow a process (even if AI executes some or all the tasks). Taking design thinking as a starting point, we’ll dig into creative possibilities involved at every stage of the process with exercises, games, tips, and thoughts to take away.
Masha Gurina is an all-around strategic marketing professional with over twenty years of global experience in brand strategy and integrated communications. She worked for some of the most prominent agencies in Europe and the US and participated first-hand in creation, development, and reinvention of brands for world-class companies and startups alike. She currently acts as a C-Level expert advisor, consulting, and coaching businesses on building brands, using brands as instruments of growth, and creating customer-centered cultures. Masha’s second life is that of a dance artist whose professional portfolio includes contemporary dance, Argentine tango, and movement direction. She directed her own full-length productions, created performances for stage, and worked as a guest choreographer for various dance and drama companies. Masha’s work was selected for multiple international festivals and won awards. Her performance credits include London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and various high-profile events around Europe. She teaches creative movement, partner work and Argentine tango internationally. As creativity coach for businesses and executives, Masha seamlessly merges the two worlds – business and art. Building on her unique combination of multidisciplinary experiences, she devised her own approach to coaching creativity which combines design thinking, improvisation theatre techniques and technology as a partner and collaborator. Masha holds MBA from IESE Business School (Barcelona), MA from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London) and is currently completing her professional certification in executive coaching with Henley Business School Germany in Berlin where she currently resides.
